what DSOs can be imaged from Sydney?

[icytailmark]

hi guys, im new at astrophotography and i want to know what DSOs i could image from my backyard in sydney and what equipment is recommended for a newbie. my budget is around $5000.im really interested in galaxies and comets.

[tlgerdes]

Most of the Messiers should be visible, I have pulled up M42, M41, M46 and M47, Eta Carinae and Tuc47 from my backyard in Croydon Park (for those not in Sydney, that's halfway between the CBD and Parramatta, bright light city :lol:).

I have DLSR, 8" F4 Newt and G11, that works out a bit over the $5000 mark but not much ($6-6.5k). If you sub'ed the G11 for an EQ6 than you are home and hosed for your $$ figure.

I wont go into the EQ6 versus the rest as this has been covered elsewhere.

[icytailmark]

yeah im definately getting a EQ6 mount ive seen one in action they are nice and quiet mount. They look very solid too. Im thinking about buying a Gstar-ex camera it looks like good camera for a newbie.

[tlgerdes]

Cant comment on the G-Star havent used one, but I thought it was more focused on planetary, I am sure someone else will comment.

Other things you will need are a guide scope and guide camera. The QHY5/OrionStarshoot Autoguiders are popular, likewise the GSO 80mm short tube acro refractor, this can be had for around $600 as a package, https://www.bintelshop.com.au/Product.aspx?ID=9054

[icytailmark]

wow thanks trevor that looks like a good deal. i think the g star is a good guide camera because you can put it onto the computer screen and see what the object looks like before starting to image. That is my impression i could be wrong.

[tlgerdes]

The problem with using the Gstar as a guide camera is that while you can view it on your screen, you then need to get your PC to talk to you mount to issue guide commands (thats the little guide port on the side of the mount). To do this you need yet another adapter to convert PC signals to guide port signal, this device is called the GPUSB.

If you use the QHY5 or Starshoot Autoguider (SSAG), it has the guide port connector as part of the camera, so you just connect PC to camera, camera to guide port.

PHD Guiding is a good easy to use guide application, just click on the star on your computer screen and select guide. The 80mm guide scope with this QHY5/SSAG gives about a 1deg FOV so you can pretty much always find a guide star, even in the city.

[icytailmark]

with the orion starshoot autoguider can you view the object on the screen before taking the pictures? I like to be sure im actually getting the object in the FOV.

[tlgerdes]

OK, the autoguider just does the guiding part, and yes it shows the picture of the stars it can see on your computer screen.

You will still need a camera to image with. I use a Canon DSLR (entry level 1000d) and use the EOS Utility that comes with it for image aquistion, focusing and initial display/framing via a PC and USB connection to camera.

My DSLR with my 8"newt gives me an imaging FOV of 1.5deg x 1deg, so I can pretty much align autoguider with my camera FOV a WYSIWYG image aquistion/guiding alignment.

[RobF]

You can make out all the Messier objects in a decent sized scope and DSLR with guiding from a city site if you use a pollution filter. I cut my astrophotography teeth on the Messier catalogue, and most of these were shot from Brissy (7kms from city centre alias "Brisvegas"). Typically 3x3mins with a Canon 450D at prime focus on an 8" skywatcher Newt
http://picasaweb.google.com/UserRobF/MessierObjects102105Possible#

(The ones from dark sites or more recent CCD shots are labelled as such in the legend)

I was attracted to AP so I could finally see some galaxies - always eluded my little 4.5" reflector in the old days....:lol:
Warning - can be addictive!

[icytailmark]

do you need to have 2 cameras one in the refractor and one in the reflector? i put the good camera in the reflector and the guidescope comes with a built in camera? im a little confused

[ballaratdragons]

Mark, to get into Astrophotography can be a big thing.
But not nesessarily.

It is possible to start out with limited equipment (it's how many of us started) and eventually build up to more gear and better gear later on.

A popular nice starting kit is a HEQ5 or EQ6 mount, and an ED80 for your DSLR or DSI or Gstar-Ex, or whatever primary imaging camera you choose.

You will need another cheap scope, something like an 80mm Achromat, as a guidescope and a simple guide camera. Nothing fancy, just a DSI-1c, modded Toucam, Starshoot or any of the cheaper deep sky guiding cameras.

Yes, you may need a Shoestring GPUSB controller for autoguiding.

There are several free programs for guiding. Apart from PHD and GuideDog I find Guidemaster to be the most user friendly and easiest to use.

That is all you should need to get started.
This won't give you Sidonio's, but it will set you on a path of fun and imaging :thumbsup:

This equipment has been tried and tested by many of us all around the world and many still use this equipment happy not to upgrade.

As for the Gstar-Ex, no it isn't just a Planetary camera.
Gstars and several other brands are great Deep Sky 'Live' realtime video viewing tools and imagers.

You will find a wealth of information in this Forum and on the net about DSLR and CCD imaging.

If you want to know more about Video astronomy, 'LIVE' and imaging, go here and read: http://www.cloudynights.com/ubbthreads/postlist.php/Cat/0/Board/VAA

If you want to see them in action go here (when someone is actually broadcasting): http://www.nightskiesnetwork.com/

Astrophotography comes in many flavours (DSLR, CCD, OSC, Live, Modified Webcam, etc etc). Check them all out before deciding which way to go.
There's no hurry. The sky's not going anywhere ;)

[tlgerdes]

Hi Mark,

You are absolutely correct.

That guidescope package from Bintel has a 80mm guide scope and the Orion Starshoot Autoguider as two seperate pieces, you just buy it is a package.

You then need an imaging scope with a camera on it, in my case I have an 8" F4 Newtonian with a Canon DSLR, but there are many other combinations of scope and camera depending on how much you want to pay.

You also need some HW to balance one on the other on top of you mount, plus some cables to link all the pieces together.

[icytailmark]

im thinking about using a gstar-ex as a guide camera and using a QH5 or 6 as the main camera. Would that be a good setup?

[ballaratdragons]

Yes

[icytailmark]

thanks for the help guys

[ballaratdragons]

Mark, if you don't mind buying second hand, try the Classifieds in here for cheaper than new.

You don't need the best of everything to get started so save as many $$$$ as you can :thumbsup:

e.g. http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=66966

[tlgerdes]

No, if anything I would do the other way around. The QHY5 is a guide camera, that is why it has a guide port on it.

The G-Star EX could make a good planetary camera, but for DSO it isnt optimal. Its CCD resolution is only 576x768, which 1) means it has to interpolate to gain resolution, 2) it has a very small Field of View.

In my opinion, you would be better off for the price to get a low end (Canon 1000d) or 2nd hand DSLR if you want DSO, if you want planets then the GSTAR is perfect.