Lovejoy LMC SMC and a tree

[gregbradley]

Here is the last image I took of Lovejoy. Thursday morning around 4:20am last week at my dark site.

PMX, Pentax 67 55mm at F5.6, FLI Proline 16803

LRGB 3 mins each.

http://www.pbase.com/gregbradley/image/140887061/large

http://www.pbase.com/gregbradley/ima...87061/original

Greg.

[glenc (Glen)]

Thanks Greg. Nice shot.

[DavidTrap (David)]

Nice field of view. I've got all the gear to put my camera lenses onto my QSI, but haven't gotten around to it as yet. How are you focusing - just turning the focus ring by hand, or something motorized?

You've got that retro red-blue glasses 3D look around the tree!

DT

[Ross G]

Great capture Greg.

You are showing so much detail. Those Pentax lenses and your Proline camera are becoming an amazing combination.

Chase that comet till there's nothing left!


Ross.

[gregbradley]

Originally Posted by glenc

Thanks Greg. Nice shot.

Originally Posted by DavidTrap

Nice field of view. I've got all the gear to put my camera lenses onto my QSI, but haven't gotten around to it as yet. How are you focusing - just turning the focus ring by hand, or something motorized?

You've got that retro red-blue glasses 3D look around the tree!

DT

I use a FLI PDF focuser and it works beautifully. It would be very very difficult to achieve precise focus manually adjusting as the adjustments would be too coarse. Using the PDF you can see the fine improvement from small adjustments. I think lenses are harder to focus than a scope.

Yes the tree is a result of mono LRGB imaging and the RGB images being a number of minutes later on whilst the mount is tracking the whole time. I could layer in a still of the tree but I don't have a colour image of the tree. I could've turned the tracking off but it started getting light after this shot as seen around the tree.

Originally Posted by Ross G

Great capture Greg.

You are showing so much detail. Those Pentax lenses and your Proline camera are becoming an amazing combination.

Chase that comet till there's nothing left!


Ross.

Thanks Ross. I am pleased with these lenses A lot of fun.

[DavidTrap (David)]

Hi Greg,

Just checked out the PDF focuser - certainly looks like the ducks guts for focusing these lens.

I will be trying a more humble option - its a belt driven focuser that rotates the manual focus ring of the lens. By its nature it's geared down, and can rotate in small steps, so hopefully it will achieve a satisfactory result when combined with a Bahtinov mask and a bright star.

Cheers

DT

[gregbradley]

Robofocus units are often used like that with lenses as well.

It would also reduce the backfocus needs. The PDF takes up at least 25mm.

Greg.

Originally Posted by DavidTrap

Hi Greg,

Just checked out the PDF focuser - certainly looks like the ducks guts for focusing these lens.

I will be trying a more humble option - its a belt driven focuser that rotates the manual focus ring of the lens. By its nature it's geared down, and can rotate in small steps, so hopefully it will achieve a satisfactory result when combined with a Bahtinov mask and a bright star.

Cheers

DT

[jjjnettie (Jeanette)]

Awesome FOV. I wanna get me some of that. LOL
Thanks for sharing!!

[gregbradley]

Originally Posted by jjjnettie

Awesome FOV. I wanna get me some of that. LOL
Thanks for sharing!!

Thanks JJ. The large chip helps. I suppose the same can be gotten with an APS sized sensor with a 14mm lens.

Greg.

[Garyh]

Good shot Greg! nice FOV,
If the clouds decide to go I would like one more crack at it myself!
cheers Gary

[gregbradley]

Originally Posted by Garyh

Good shot Greg! nice FOV,
If the clouds decide to go I would like one more crack at it myself!
cheers Gary

Thanks Gary.

The tree is a funny colour but not a lot I can do about it.

I suspect the comet is very very faint now as it seems to be simply left over dust/gas/water vapour drifting and dissipating in space now.

Greg.

[Star Catcher (Ted Dobosz)]

Nice capture Greg. Those 6x7 lenses work well. I have got several but have not had the time or weather to give them a serious go.

Ted

[prokyon (Werner Probst)]

Awesome shot!

[gregbradley]

Originally Posted by Star Catcher

Nice capture Greg. Those 6x7 lenses work well. I have got several but have not had the time or weather to give them a serious go.

Ted

Yes they are and fabulous value.

Originally Posted by prokyon

Awesome shot!

Thanks for that!

Greg.