Quote:
Originally Posted by Dennis
I would encourage you to post your results, as they will stand alongside the efforts of others, based on what resources you had available at the time. 
I do enjoy looking at what others have managed to capture, with whatever resources they have to hand. The more the merrier in my opinion. 
Cheers
Dennis |
Thanks Dennis. I am surprised that there is not many other posts of photos of this. Well, here goes mine: Mercury, Venus, Moon, Mars, Jupiter. Saturn is off frame. I thought 16mm on Sony A7 was enough according to specs (108deg field, more on diagonal, no?) and what Stellarium indicated in the camera simulator. Location was out at the cliffs behind Bundeena. I did not quite get Saturn in there. Funny thing was, when viewing through finder, I thought I had it, but it was Formalhault I think. I did a resolve on Astrometry and confirmed suspicion when developing. This was 25th. So, I went back on the 26th and tried again. A bit more vapour (I think? felt wetter and colder) in the atmosphere, and hence with more light reflection gave the second one a different hue. I was sure I had it this time, but again, processing at home, realised I did not, making same mistake as night before. I swore a quiet swear in resignation and stayed upset with myself Sunday. I double checked lens angle of view, both specs and practically with rulers and grid sheet. Double checked stellarium. But too tired and work Monday morning, resigned to trying again in 900 years or whenever this happens again.
It would seem I got used to getting up at 4, that I woke at 4 with the alarm set at 6. I checked outside and realised the forecast was not accurate. Clear sky! So, I went again. This time I was careful, and checked and confirmed what I was looking at, and starting frame with Saturn. I failed to get it but i did confirm that my calculations were perhaps wrong and I physically could not get the entire span Saturn to Mercury (ideally horizon) in single frame. Discovery made me happy in a strange way, as did the sound of the whiles in the twilight off shore
So I took a mosaic to stitch together. Will process over week.
A little about equipment and my method:
Sony 16-35G on Sony A7 (mark i, yes!). Standard tripod.
Took 5 set sequences at 1000 and 2000 ISO, all at f2.8, for 4 seconds (theoretical limit for point transit across pixel at 16mm ~ time before trails appear.) The night of 27 I took 10 seconds as well.
Stacked using Nebulosity. Processed with Lightroom. Results not too good. These are my two best (in my opinion). I had wanted to pull out the star fields more, however, I know the durations were not long enough, and was limited by no tracking.
My aim was to get the full scene in a single frame. Though Ive made some mosaics before, and call this a philosophical thing, to capture the event on a single frame I feel captures the event at that instant as a whole. Stitching a mosaic is different things at different times. (yes ok, stacking, and we can get into relativity here too if we want
So, there it is!
Honestly though, as other have said, important part is just to be out there... yes for the trying, but more importantly to simply be out there under the start, part of the cosmos in which we are a part of but forget in this little ball we are messing up. I always end my sessions with naked eye observing. Enjoying the view and getting lost in the mystery!
Great catch Dennis. Awesome. 
