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I've not seen backyardEOS before, it looks quite neat. I've been using Astro Photography Tool for a little while now, a similar concept with a few additional features, the intergration with PHD to allow for Auto-Dithering is quite handy. I've recently added a skywatcher auto-focus motor to my setup with a HiTecDCfocus to allow for ascom controlled focusing, it's work pretty well actually despite just being a cheap DC motor. I also picked up a cheap desktop to go down the shed, re-ran all of the cables, replaced the USB setup and then spent two clear nights working on alignment and periodic error training. Oh, and I finally got my TemperHum (usb temperature and humidity monitor) working so I can can get dew point and focus change alerts from APT. June is maintenance time for astro photographers. Jekub fucked around with this message at 15:09 on Jun 21, 2012 |
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Jun 21, 2012 15:03
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Jekub posted:I've not seen backyardEOS before, it looks quite neat. I've been using Astro Photography Tool for a little while now, a similar concept with a few additional features, the intergration with PHD to allow for Auto-Dithering is quite handy. Had not seen APT before, I will have to give both a try and then make a purchase. The remote setup sounds sweet man, would love to do something like that someday.
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Jun 21, 2012 18:17
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Well I finally have had some clear skies on the weekend when I haven't been drinking, so I've finally gotten comfortable with my Nexstar 6. Aligning it getting some great views of Saturn and other planets. Now I'm wondering what to move onto next, maybe some advice on some deeper space objects ect ect. Oh and I know that my telescope isn't the best for astrophotography but I would live to give it a shot I've seen that I need a wedge? and the mounts for my camera or webcam any hints?
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Jun 23, 2012 05:21
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An early Crescent nebula, a very quick test from last nights three hours of usable darkness. It was very windy but I'm happy everything worked as expected. NGC6888 - The Crescent Nebula by tmarkuk, on Flickr
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Jun 24, 2012 01:09
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Guaarrk: You can use the mount on the Nexstar 6 for short exposure AP. I used an ETX90PE for some time with both webcam and DSLR. It won't result in great DSO images, but it works pretty well for planets. Jekub: As always, impressive! Switched my rig up a little. Sold off the C8XLTA and bought an Orion short tube and SSAG to put on top of my SV80ED. My mount sounds happier with this weight combo and I should be able to get way over 1 minute exposures now (hoping 5-10min subs guided). Just put everything together, did a rough balance and am playing with software configs inside the house. Need to get the scopes/finder lined up during daylight tomorrow and try to get out for first light. Throwing in guiding is most likely going to be a curve ball. Also picked up a Canon 1000d really cheap. Going to disassemble it and remove the IR cut filter this weekend for some H-Alpha goodiness! 
Choicecut fucked around with this message at 04:34 on Jun 27, 2012 |
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Jun 27, 2012 04:31
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I modded my 1000D, it wasn't to hard, just watch out for one of the ribbon cables which has a hinge on it which for some reason is completely different to every other fitting on the main board! I managed to work it out but it caught me out for a while. I may give up on taking normal photos with mine soon and just remove the filter entirely for full spectrum imaging, right now it has a baader replacement filter. Five or ten minutes with that setup should be very easy to achieve, I have a 250mm reflector on my CGEM and it does that long quite happily, really good alignment helps a lot.
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Jun 27, 2012 09:29
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Nice. I am keeping my Nikon D90 for normal photos and bought this 1000D for AP only. Planning on pulling the filter completely. Did you follow the Gary Honis walkthrough for your mod? Another question, how are you getting those tails on some of the stars in your images. Is that just from the longer exposure or something added in with software? I really like the way it looks! Edit: here is the Gary Honis walk through that I plan on following for the mod: http://ghonis2.ho8.com/rebelmod450d1.html Choicecut fucked around with this message at 13:10 on Jun 27, 2012 |
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Jun 27, 2012 13:07
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Yep, that's the one I used, very thorough and simple to follow!Choicecut posted:how are you getting those tails on some of the stars in your images? Are you talking about the diffraction spikes? Those come bundled in with any newtonian reflector for free. Some people do like to add them in artificially though.
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Jun 27, 2012 15:04
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Ha! Diffraction Spikes. I must have googled a hundred different word combos last night trying to find out more info on those. I see a newt added to my equipment in the future. It really adds to the photo IMO.
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Jun 27, 2012 15:08
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You'll start getting really annoyed when you see them in sci-fi films or TV shows now though. My wife has banned me from moaning about it, but dammit stars seen through a glass window don't do that!
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Jun 27, 2012 15:14
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Would they be eliminated if the mirror was mounted to a glass plate instead of on vanes?
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Jun 27, 2012 22:51
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Correct, reflectors that mount the secondary on a glass plate, or any type of catadioptric which have a secondary mounted on the front element won't have spikes, but they will show a circular diffraction pattern instead. A four vane spider gives four spikes, a three vane spider gives 6 spikes. You can have problems with a four vane spider if you vanes are not well aligned you end up with a split spike, which you can see in the top left spikes in my image. Here, have a nice article which discusses diffraction seen in various scopes : http://www.astronomyhints.com/spider.html
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Jun 28, 2012 12:41
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What can you guys tell me about a Sans & Streiffe Spacemaster No. 618? My buddy just picked one up at a yard sale for 50$. He's looking to sell it, after I use it a bit and I am wanting to know more about it, like what kind of things I would be able to view, etc.
Foehammer007 fucked around with this message at 22:18 on Jul 2, 2012 |
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Jul 2, 2012 22:10
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I can't say I know anything about those, but I do see someone sold an intact (complete with case and all parts) Sans & Streiffe Spacemaster No. 618 for $425 on cloudy nights forum a year ago, someone else bought one for $175 from a second hand shop which was asking $350, so you may have a bargain there. I also found a manual : http://geogdata.csun.edu/~voltaire/classics/Sans&Streiffe/Sans&Streiffe.pdf Anyway, it's a classic refractor, if it has been well looked after then it should give good views of the moon and planets as well as brighter deep space objects.
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Jul 3, 2012 11:26
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I'm planning on changing out my red dot finder on my XT8 with a 9x50 RACI finder scope and a Telrad. Does anyone have any experience with the Orion finder scope, and is the illuminated cross hair version worth the extra ~$40?
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Jul 9, 2012 19:42
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Inept posted:I'm planning on changing out my red dot finder on my XT8 with a 9x50 RACI finder scope and a Telrad. Does anyone have any experience with the Orion finder scope, and is the illuminated cross hair version worth the extra ~$40? I tossed the red dot finder from my XT10 and simply utilize the telrad. To be honest, if I was working at the magnifications that would need a magnifying finder scope, it certainly wouldn't be on a Dob.
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Jul 10, 2012 18:41
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Fog Tripper posted:I tossed the red dot finder from my XT10 and simply utilize the telrad. To be honest, if I was working at the magnifications that would need a magnifying finder scope, it certainly wouldn't be on a Dob. I usually use my scope in fairly light polluted skies, and visible guide stars are few in my area. I figured a finder scope might help in that regard. I also found a program called Skeye that turns your phone into a Pushto guide. My hopes for it aren't too high though as it uses the magnetometer in your phone, which gets confused by things that screw up magnetic waves, like say a big steel tube.
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Jul 10, 2012 19:12
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Inept posted:I usually use my scope in fairly light polluted skies, and visible guide stars are few in my area. I figured a finder scope might help in that regard. SkEye is awesome. SO much better than google star. Especially the fact that it is night-vision-friendly. Raise your hopes. It works pretty well, at least with my Galaxy Nexus. In regards to the finder scope, magnification will compound the light pollution issue IMHO, unless it has a huge aperture. Even then it will simply brighten the already light-polluted sky.
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Jul 11, 2012 00:12
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Can anybody think of a way to jury-rig a device that'll let me attach my iPhone to the eyepiece of my scope? There are things you can buy (Orion Steadypix, the Magnifi) but they're expensive as gently caress. I'd like to try taking some pictures and also use it as a cheapo viewing screen thing. My idea so far is to buy a cheap case and glue over the camera hole a film canister or something else that'll fit over my 1.25 eyepieces. If I get the alignment right I should be able to just pop the case on and slide it over my EP.
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Jul 17, 2012 15:35
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Inept posted:I usually use my scope in fairly light polluted skies, and visible guide stars are few in my area. I figured a finder scope might help in that regard. I love the RACI finder that came with my Orion XT12. From my corner of suburbia, the stars visible in it match exactly what's shown in the Sky & Telescope Pocket Sky Atlas.
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Jul 18, 2012 05:42
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Finally had a chance to get out with the new guiding setup. Spent half the night fighting star trails before I realized I had phd set to 4seconds! It was my first time guiding, so cut me some slack  . It was also my first time using my self modded Canon 1000D. Result was pretty good, so I can't complain.Lagoon & Trifid Nebula:  Lagoon & Trifid Nebula 7-21-2012 by elimisel, on Flickr
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Jul 22, 2012 23:28
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That's come out really well, what was your exposure times and did you flat/dark calibrate as well? Nice job though, it's an area I just can't get to from home, some day I'll pack everything up and drive to the south of Spain!
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Jul 24, 2012 09:14
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Thanks Jekub! I think it could be a lot better, but my processing skills aren't quite there yet. The image is a stack of 5, 6 minute exposures, no darks or flats. Backyard EOS for capture software, stacked and processed with PI and Lightroom.
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Jul 24, 2012 12:47
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Had a small break in imaging the Lagoon and Trifid nebulae due to trees. Took a couple quick shots of M13 Globular Cluster over in Hercules. Nothing spectacular due to the smaller focal length of the 80mm, but turned out OK. Stack of 3, 1 minutes exposures, captured with BackyardEOS, stacked and processed with PI and Adobe Lightroom. Messier13 7-21-2012 Final by elimisel, on Flickr
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Jul 24, 2012 23:22
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I'm glad you are getting more use out of your setup now, good job you didn't sell it! Keep working with PI, it does get easier. Right now I would say colour balance is a priority to get right, the two bright stars near M13 should be clearly red and blue so you are losing something somewhere along the line. Feel free to post your raw stacked image somewhere, I'd be happy to take a look at it and see what I can come out with, documenting steps and settings used along the way. Right now it is way past my bedtime, but it's clear and I'm working from home tomorrow so I'm imaging the cocoon. I expect I'll have something to show in a couple of days on that.
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Jul 25, 2012 02:32
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I am glad I didn't downgrade to a CG5 too. Everything worked out pretty well and this setup is much easier to move around. I will keep working with PI until I get the results I want. I keep telling myself it will all come together with time and experience. I just got to work, but I will post up the raw stacked image when I get home tonight. Can't wait to see your results on the cocoon nebula!
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Jul 25, 2012 13:33
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Apologies for asking a question that has probably already been asked hundreds of times in this thread, but: "What telescope should I get?" The usual response seems to be "What do you want to observe?" and I don't really have a useful answer to that I'm afraid. I'd like to see all sorts of things. Everything! Nothing specific, at least that I can think of. Next up: "How much do you have to spend?" which is another tricky one to answer, I already have plenty of expensive hobbies, but I'd like to treat myself on this one as I've wanted a 'proper' (read better than the toy Tasco refractor I had as a kid) telescope for many years. Lets say around £500 all in for scope and accessories, though I could stretch to a little more if need be. One of the expensive hobbies that I already have is photography, so it would be nice if I could get a telescope that would let me explore beginner astrophotography. But if that starts piling on the £££ then forget it. And lastly my 4 year old daughter is quite the space nut, so I'd like to encourage that by getting a scope that I can point at things and then pass off to her to have a look if you see what I mean. So I'm guessing something with a motorised mount so that the object is still in view when she gets into position? Sorry to be fairly vague, but any ideas?
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Jul 25, 2012 14:47
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Jiblet posted:Apologies for asking a question that has probably already been asked hundreds of times in this thread, but: "What telescope should I get?" I think the cheapest route if you are interested in AP is a used CG5 and an Orion 80ED. If you shop around you can probably get both for around 6-700. This would get you started in AP and would last quite sometime. I can't think of a cheaper way to get started if you are interested in doing AP.
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Jul 25, 2012 15:47
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OK, in that case let's forget about the AP part I'd rather focus on getting a decent setup that I can use to immerse myself and my young family in the beauty of the cosmos.
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Jul 25, 2012 16:05
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IMO I think the Celestron NexStar 130SLT is a great bargain right now. Can be had under 400 bucks, gives great views and is easy to use. I was able to try one out at a recent star party and was impressed. I think you could produce some good lunar photos with it and maybe some short exposure DSO stuff (not sure, would just have to try and see). It chews through batteries pretty quick, so picking up the AC power cord would be worthwhile.
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Jul 25, 2012 16:42
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Choicecut posted:Had a small break in imaging the Lagoon and Trifid nebulae due to trees. Took a couple quick shots of M13 Globular Cluster over in Hercules. Nothing spectacular due to the smaller focal length of the 80mm, but turned out OK. Stack of 3, 1 minutes exposures, captured with BackyardEOS, stacked and processed with PI and Adobe Lightroom. What is that small smudge about 1 o'clock from the cluster?
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Jul 25, 2012 17:03
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Fog Tripper posted:What is that small smudge about 1 o'clock from the cluster? Spiral Galaxy NGC6207 I believe.
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Jul 25, 2012 17:14
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Choicecut posted:IMO I think the Celestron NexStar 130SLT is a great bargain right now. Can be had under 400 bucks, gives great views and is easy to use. I was able to try one out at a recent star party and was impressed. I think you could produce some good lunar photos with it and maybe some short exposure DSO stuff (not sure, would just have to try and see). It chews through batteries pretty quick, so picking up the AC power cord would be worthwhile. Ah ok, that's good as that;s one of the ones I was looking at - didn't want to mention it in case it coloured anyone's views. I'm also looking at the Sky-Watcher Explorer-200P (EQ5) - That's the kind of scope I always lusted after as a kid with my lovely Tasco. But has the downsides that I have no idea what I'm doing with an equatorial mount (time to learn I suppose!) and there's no Goto. Bah, I always end up confused when I look at telescopes, which usually results in me giving up and not buying anything.
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Jul 25, 2012 19:20
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Where in the UK are you Jiblet? The very best thing you can do is lookup your local society and get along to an observing evening. Take a look through a bunch of scopes and you'll be able to make a much better informed decision. Once you know what you are looking for either buy from a reputable dealer or hop onto Astro Buy and Sell if you are happy with used and keep an eye out for what you want. A couple of basic tips though, go-to is great but will cut into the budget for the actual scope. A decent Dob will probably be worth looking at, kids go well with dobsonians, not much to break! It's much easier to get your head around than an equatorial. I'll add an aside to my comments above about Dobs - Newtonian reflectors require maintenance, this is fine if you you are logically minded and don't mind getting your hands dirty. If not go for a refractor, see below! Anyway, Cocoon nebula, the dodgy spider vane I mentioned in my last image apparently got worse, probably thanks to the massive change in temperature over the weekend. I've taken time to reset my primary cell, spider and re-collimate today but unfortunately the Cocoon suffered for it.  The Cocoon Nebula - IC 5146 by tmarkuk, on Flickr
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Jul 25, 2012 19:43
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Great freaking image Jekub! I was thinking about heading over to the Cygnus region this weekend and taking a stab at a wide field Veil Nebula. Have to see how busy we are this weekend. Anyway, great image man, as always! Edit: Here is a link to stacked images of M13 I took. One is a straight stack the other has DBExtraction applied. I have all kinds of trouble when I try to use colorcorrection and histogram tools. http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1886248/AP/M13%20-%207-21-2012.rar Choicecut fucked around with this message at 14:44 on Jul 28, 2012 |
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Jul 26, 2012 13:07
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Picture of M51 I took last night. The moon was blowing everything out, so I gave up on the Veil Nebula. Have to hit it next month. This is about an hour of exposure time, captured with APT, stacked and processed with PixInsight and Adobe Lightroom. M51 Whirlpool Galaxy 7-28-2012 by elimisel, on Flickr
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Jul 29, 2012 15:41
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Choicecut posted:Edit: Here is a link to stacked images of M13 I took. One is a straight stack the other has DBExtraction applied. I have all kinds of trouble when I try to use colorcorrection and histogram tools. Cool, I'll have a go at that this afternoon. I'll take notes as I go and post them when I'm done. The M51 image looks like it has some great data in it, but you seem to be quite heavily clipping the black point. Have you taken a run at it following Harry's tutorials in Pix? Jekub fucked around with this message at 17:41 on Jul 29, 2012 |
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Jul 29, 2012 17:38
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Jekub posted:Cool, I'll have a go at that this afternoon. I'll take notes as I go and post them when I'm done. Yep, that's the only place I have been though, but his videos are very good. It seems if I don't clip the shadow side, my background looks like a pixelated mess. I don't know if that is due to the light pollution in my area or what. I like a really black background. Should increase the radius and frequency of the DBE sample maybe? I might have another go at it this afternoon and really play with some different settings and see what happens.
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Jul 29, 2012 17:56
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You are suffering from noise, but in your quest for a black background you are also killing actual data. Are you doing darks, bias and flats? Your M13 presents some interesting challenges, what camera / filter was it shot with, and what were your debayer settings? Something is fundamentally weird with the colour and working out what is proving quite challenging.
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Jul 29, 2012 19:40
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This was shot with my Canon 1000d that I removed the IR filter on. I did't put a baader filter or anything in to replace it. As far as debayer settings, I haven't messed with them. I most likely have the defaults set in PI. Maybe I will take a look at those settings. I definitely have something off somewhere. I posted the image of M51 over on reddit and a PI user there mentioned that the color isn't what he expected. I posted up the raw stack for him to take a look at that as well. Here is the M51 stack in case you wanted to take a peek at that: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1886248/AP/m51Stack%207-28-2012.rar Choicecut fucked around with this message at 23:49 on Jul 29, 2012 |
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Jul 29, 2012 23:46
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