Sagittarius from the Pony Club

[Deeno]

Two steps forward one step back.....
That’s what it sometimes feels like trying to learn how to take images of the stars.

Last time the camera gear was carted up to the Pony club I had left all the flash cards and hand condoler for the mount at home. This time it was the cable release so, 30 second exposures were going to be the limit. Unless I was going hold my fingers on the shutter release. At least I'm getting better and could have a go at something.

Made a bit of a meal of it I'm afraid. Short exposures, bad polar alignment and heavy dew all conspired against a decent result.

Nebula M16, M17, M20, M8
Open Clusters M23, M21, M25 and Pluto is floating around M23 somewhere

Anyway.....
80mm, iso 1600, f2.8 at 30 seconds.
First pic is from 30 frame plus darks
Second from 50 frames plus darks. Cropped due to drifting from poor alignment
Third from 75 frames. Cropped a bit more.

Stacked in Deep Sky Stacker and fiddled with in PhotoShop

Any comments and helpful tips welcome and I promise to try and do better next time.

[RB (Andrew)]

Deeno I'm going to call you everytime just before you leave home from now on and go through your equipment checklist.

Never mind mate, it happens to all of us.

The images are nice, out of all I like the first one, the stars really glow in that one.

How do you set your black point and your white point in PS?
Maybe give us a quick list of what you do once you get the image out of DSS and into PS.

[Deeno]

Originally Posted by RB

Deeno I'm going to call you everytime just before you leave home from now on and go through your equipment checklist.

Originally Posted by RB

Never mind mate, it happens to all of us.

Found the offending lead under the computer chair. I knew I did have it!!!

Originally Posted by RB

The images are nice, out of all I like the first one, the stars really glow in that one.

Thanks RB. Not great but, I feel confident of achieving something half decent if it ever stops raining.

Originally Posted by RB

How do you set your black point and your white point in PS?

Originally Posted by RB

Maybe give us a quick list of what you do once you get the image out of DSS and into PS.

Just a play with curves and levels. Will have to work out how to set the black point

Cheers
Deeno

[iceman (Mike)]

I like it Deeno, I like the first one too - the stars really glow. Did you use a diffuser on the lens?

Setting the black point is just using levels to raise the black point (left side) as you slide it along.

[Deeno]

Originally Posted by iceman

I like it Deeno, I like the first one too - the stars really glow. Did you use a diffuser on the lens?

Setting the black point is just using levels to raise the black point (left side) as you slide it along.

Thanks for the feedback Mike

With the first image I went into options in levels and played with the "Enhanced Monochromatic Contrast"?
No diffuser, probably dew.

Well there you go, I do know how to raise the black point without knowing it

Cheers Deeno

[Inmykombi (Geoff)]

Keep up the good work Deeno.

I hope there is more to come.

Geoffro.