Milky Way Gallactic Central Station

[xelasnave]

Love wide fields cause the mount is usually up to it unguided so I can look thru the 12 inch while getting captures, but I took a few at low ISO (200 lowest for 600 seconds) and 400 at 1200 seconds all guided in a fashion one would employ on the Horsehead. And yes guiding makes all the difference as does a near perfect polar align. Used canon unmodified 300d piggy backed and guided with a 70 x 600 ar with illuminated reticle all on a eq5 mount (which runs near perfect now only taken two years) the shot was cropped to remove the amp glow off the right hand side, minimal processing and here is my result. Colour is a problem for me and is adjusted to get detail not the correct colour..or I am colour bind in plain terms:)
alex

[RB]

Alex, Alex, Alex.

What can I say?

Superb.

Very sharp detail, nice'n'bright, colours are spot on.

Well done, very insperational.

:thumbsup:

[[1ponders]]

Hey, welcome back Alex. Long time no hear or see postings. :)

Great shot mate. You have got it working well now. I remember the issues you had for a while there getting your mount polar aligned properly. It certainly has mad the effort worthwhile. :thumbsup:

Are you trying to compete with Tornado33 and his 10 minute images. 20 min with a 300D :eyepop: You two are probably the only ones I know who are going for that long. The results speak for themselves though. :cool2:

[h0ughy]

nice, and nice guiding!

[xelasnave]

thanks for the encouragement. They lost a bit in the downsize (excuses excuses) and Andrew I dont know that you would have seen the second image when you commented on the colour..the second one is probably a little off. I hope to do a 2000 second 200 iso exposure if I get a run in the next day or so.. maybe next month, which should be interesting to see how noise effects the outcome.
alex.

[xelasnave]

Here are some others..toward the Southern Cross and Northward on the other...And as to not being here I have been ill (tooth infection) and managed a trip to Coona and Dubbo Zoo that plus the clouds etc etc AND I recon I have less light pollution at my place than they have at Coona and the clarity the second night these were taken at home was better than the sky in Coona when I was there... mind you I was on the flat (like most) but found a good site next to the entry to the Observatory (they kick you out at about 4-00pm dam it) which is flat and nearly as high as the "big scopes on the hill" for my next trip. Got a poor Orion shot of 200 seconds with trails but the outter luminosity was in that shot.
alex

[xelasnave]

this is the North shot
alex

[Dennis]

Wow - what a way to announce your return! Welcome back Alex, haven't heard from you for a while. Superb set of Milky Way images, I never, ever tire of looking at these gorgeous, wide, images.

Cheers

Dennis

[gaa_ian]

Awesome !
Such a rich area of the sky

[Itchy]

Hi Alex,

I'll add my voice to the chorus: Welcome Back!

Those are great widefield shots. You make me envious of your great dark skies!

cheers

[Striker]

Great stuff Alex

Lovely and sharp.

[Robby]

Good too see you back Alex! I see you have been practicing... Those are excellent shots!!! Well done!
Cheers

[beren]

Top stuff mate , that image with pointers/coal sack is a bewdy , makes you just want to get in the car and get out of the city :D

[xelasnave]

Thanks everyone. After actually seeing the sky at Coona I am very happy with my location. We were well out of town and there was a noticable glow from town, something I cant get in any direction at home.. my only problem is it is wetter and lower in altitude ( I am only 1200 feet above sea level)... anyways you can see from the shots that its good for astronomy if nothing else.
alex

[tornado33]

Wow, a huge edge on spiral galaxy there. Fantastic images they are.
Gee I wish I had skies as GOOD as Coona, and yours are better! hehehehe
You should go for comet Swatchman Wachmann 3, with the standard lens at 50mm I reckon it will pick it up ok and with a good tail being a nice dark site :)
Scott

[xelasnave]

The only problem with Coona is getting high enough like the real observatory, they kick you out at 4-30. Down on the flat it would not have been as good as right up.. but I have no lights at all to worry about and usually no particle pollution, but being in a "dry rain forrest area" it get wet at times. With the Moon I had given up on the comet but if its still around in a couple of weeks I will have a go. Thanks again for the encouraging words.
alex

[tornado33]

No worries :)
I think the comet will still be good when the moon is gone, and indeed will be on its way back south.
Scott

[rollmebackagain]

sorry to top an old thread but I just saw these and i'm rather taken aback. I think this deserves another look

[tornado33]

Gee I envy your dark skies there, fantastic detail.
Scott

[Deeno]

:thumbsup::thumbsup:

[Ric]

I've just caught up with this thread Alex, lovely images nice and sharp.

Well done.