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InternetJunky posted:After considerable time researching elsewhere I think I have a much better grasp of what's entailed in astrophotography, and I'm at the point where I'll probably pull the trigger on a nice mount soon. CGEM will be fine. The DX is the newer version of CGEM from the one I have. I think Jekub uses a CGEM too. It would carry and track my C8/80mm/DSLR really well which was probably close to 25lbs + I would say. I think I am around 15+ or so with two 80mm/dslr/guider. I use the Orion SSAG with 80mmST for guiding. It took my imaging to a whole new level, well worth the investment. Although, I would say if you haven't done any imaging before you might want to start out with just the mount and your camera. Autoguiding adds a little more complexity to imaging. Transition to autoguiding is pretty easy if you already have a solid base to work off of. For laptop, I wouldn't get anything special unless that is what you are going to process on. If it is just for capture software,etc, I would just find something half way decent. I use an old dell running xp that's probably 5 years old for capturing, then transfer everything over to my 8 core desktop for processing. @Seqenenra: I don't keep any logs. I am so busy with family and work, my imaging sessions are usually "Oh Hey, I am not dead rear end tired, kids are in bed, sky is clear, I think I will image!" Really hard to find time anymore!
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Oct 18, 2012 02:10
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| # ? May 15, 2024 13:37 |
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Choicecut posted:
Looking at yours and Jekub's pictures has motivated me to at least start taking my telescope out for some visual observing and maybe some pictures of planets this winter. I just wish there wasn't so much light pollution around here.
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Oct 18, 2012 06:02
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Choicecut posted:CGEM will be fine. The DX is the newer version of CGEM from the one I have. I think Jekub uses a CGEM too. It would carry and track my C8/80mm/DSLR really well which was probably close to 25lbs + I would say. I think I am around 15+ or so with two 80mm/dslr/guider. I use the Orion SSAG with 80mmST for guiding. It took my imaging to a whole new level, well worth the investment. Although, I would say if you haven't done any imaging before you might want to start out with just the mount and your camera. Autoguiding adds a little more complexity to imaging. Transition to autoguiding is pretty easy if you already have a solid base to work off of. For autoguiding, I'm curious how it works when the scope you're using for guiding is shorter than than the one used for imaging. If I'm imaging at 2000mm and the autoguider is only 100mm, does the software still correctly track?
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Oct 18, 2012 20:32
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InternetJunky posted:If I'm imaging at 2000mm and the autoguider is only 100mm, does the software still correctly track? That would be a bit of a stretch, I work at 1200/388 which works pretty well. That's one third, and I'd probably not go below that. It's one of the giant can of worm arguments in astrophotography along with PEC and guiding. Seqenenra posted:For Jekub and Choicecut, your pictures look great. Do you guys keep any kind of logs for the quality of seeing on the nights you take pictures? I used to keep a blog but I kind of slowly stopped updating it and now everything just goes to Flickr. I am starting to miss it though, I had a lot of useful notes, tutorials and useful bits and bobs on it. I may get back to it again soon. Have some pictures from the last couple of months!  Late September Moon by tmarkuk, on Flickr  The Andromeda Galaxy - M31 by tmarkuk, on Flickr
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Oct 19, 2012 12:00
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Jekub posted:That would be a bit of a stretch, I work at 1200/388 which works pretty well. That's one third, and I'd probably not go below that. It's one of the giant can of worm arguments in astrophotography along with PEC and guiding. For a guide scope, what would you recommend? Also, your images are unbelievable!
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Oct 19, 2012 16:24
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Well, I just got my first telescope, an XT-10. I started taking pictures with my cell-phone through the eye piece, just to see if I could. I'm a complete rank amateur but space is awesome!  
Unormal fucked around with this message at 03:39 on Oct 25, 2012 |
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Oct 25, 2012 02:22
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Got one of Jupiter, it's crappy, but you can see the faint banding diagonally. I'm pretty shocked I can just take pictures like this with my phone e: Got a better one: 
Unormal fucked around with this message at 03:01 on Oct 25, 2012 |
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Oct 25, 2012 02:49
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Vain posted:So I've had my 8 inch dobsonian since May and I think it's time I upgraded my eyepieces from the supplied 25mm and 10mm. My telescope has a focal length of 1200mm and is f/5.9. Reading around it seems that a 5mm EP is the shortest I would want to go with this telescope (I live in the UK), is this right? And what about on the other end? It seems that you can get EP up to 40mm and beyond. If I wanted a low power, wide FOV, what would be my best bet? There are lots of answers, most of them subjective, just like mine! A lot of it depends on how much money you're willing to spend. I personally have put more money in two EPs than I have my scope.  On the other hand I've got a 13mm Televue Nagler and now a kick rear end 26mm Nagler (all Naglers are 82 degree AFOV). It's taken me nearly a year to acquire these two, though. Lots of people swear by Baader Hyperion or Explore Scientific and they seem to be reasonably priced with pretty good views from what I've read. I do want to say that the whole "space walk" thing with regards to the widefield Televue's (Nagler and Ethos) isn't bullshit. With the 26mm if you're just observing for the hell of it, just slowly moving the scope around it's pretty amazing. At first I was like "I spent $650 on THIS?!" because when it's just sitting still looking at stars, not a DSO or anything, there's nothing really special about it. Then I started rotating the scope and that was when I was sold on it. If you can be sold on something after you've already bought it.  @Unormal, two questions: how much does the XT-10 weigh (truss or closed tube?) and what kind of phone did you use? An iPhone or something? Those are pretty great photos.
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Oct 25, 2012 11:26
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Cherokee Jack posted:@Unormal, two questions: how much does the XT-10 weigh (truss or closed tube?) and what kind of phone did you use? An iPhone or something? Those are pretty great photos. It's not super heavy, even with the particle-board mount, maybe 40-50 lbs? I can carry it around easily by weight, though it's awkward to move around due to the shape. I was using a droid bionic for the photos.
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Oct 25, 2012 14:28
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Unormal posted:It's not super heavy, even with the particle-board mount, maybe 40-50 lbs? I can carry it around easily by weight, though it's awkward to move around due to the shape. I was using a droid bionic for the photos. That's not bad at all. I find it's easier to transport my 8 around now that I have the carrying bag. Opening up the front door one way, the screen door the other, and trying to get the dob outside as one piece without hitting anything was a pain in the rear end. I think if I had the 10 I'd never get it outside. I'm absolutely ignorant when it comes to smart phones but that's incredibly impressive. I like the Jupiter photo too, but I've always loved Jupiter. Every time I observe it I break out into a massive smile seeing those moons following it like four little puppies. 
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Oct 25, 2012 19:13
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Cherokee Jack posted:That's not bad at all. I find it's easier to transport my 8 around now that I have the carrying bag. Opening up the front door one way, the screen door the other, and trying to get the dob outside as one piece without hitting anything was a pain in the rear end. I think if I had the 10 I'd never get it outside. Yeah, I kinda just want to rig some sort of movers-style neck/shoulder strap for it that just goes underneath it, so I can just sling it in front of me and walk it out, since it isn't super heavy. Early success with simple camera phone work certainly makes me interested in trying some more difficult targets; though just Jupiter is pretty drat awesome. It'd be cool to try to get some clearer shots of it, though I have no clue what's standing in my way at the moment (atmosphere/lens/dumbness/etc).
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Oct 25, 2012 19:19
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I've been reading the Space thread in GBS recently and got some apps. Last night I watched the ISS passover and today I went and order binoculars. I got this: http://www.amazon.com/Celestron-71018-SkyMaster-20x80-Binoculars/dp/B0007UQNTU/ref=pd_sim_p_2 and a tripod. I picked them over the slightly less expensive 15X70s to hopefully see a little more. I live pretty close to downtown Orlando but luckily the Florida wilderness isn't far in any direction. Wish me luck.
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Oct 31, 2012 02:18
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I bought and returned a pair of those 20x80s because of alignment problems between the two barrels. Make sure to check them out carefully when you receive them (and use a good tripod!)
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Oct 31, 2012 02:46
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Zero One posted:I've been reading the Space thread in GBS recently and got some apps. Last night I watched the ISS passover and today I went and order binoculars. I got this: http://www.amazon.com/Celestron-71018-SkyMaster-20x80-Binoculars/dp/B0007UQNTU/ref=pd_sim_p_2 and a tripod. I picked them over the slightly less expensive 15X70s to hopefully see a little more. I live pretty close to downtown Orlando but luckily the Florida wilderness isn't far in any direction. I have a pair of those 20x80's. They were my first purchase for skyviewing. Oddly, I use them more than my big rig. Great nocs.
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Oct 31, 2012 13:52
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I know this is nothing compared to other photos, but here is my first photo through my new binoculars: Jupiter, Europa (closest) and Ganymede The big light at the bottom is our moon, of course. This was just shot with my iPhone so I'm pretty proud for my first time out.
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Nov 2, 2012 04:02
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Zero One posted:I know this is nothing compared to other photos, but here is my first photo through my new binoculars: Jupiter, Europa (closest) and Ganymede Very nice! I'm glad they worked out for you!
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Nov 2, 2012 04:04
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The November issue of Astronomy has a pretty good guide on astrophotography with DSLR cameras for beginners. It might be worth picking up!
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Nov 5, 2012 00:40
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Jupiter, from tonight. It's actually gotten clear again now and I'm half tempted to go back out for another go, but I've already taken 30GB of video captures as it is. Plus I've been up way to long. Jupiter, Io and Ganymede by tmarkuk, on Flickr
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Nov 11, 2012 03:26
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I've had a telescope for a couple of months, but I've only really been able to look at the moon up until now, due to terrible luck with the clouds and fog, and lots of light pollution, Tonight was different, it was perfectly clear and for the first time I saw Jupiter, its stripes and what I think were four of its moons in a very shallow U shape. It was absolutely staggering to see!
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Nov 19, 2012 00:13
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I live in western Nebraska, and I'm a 10 minute drive from ZERO light pollution. I need a good way to spend less than or equal to 300 bones to unlock the mysteries of the universe. I've gone to some sites for reviews but I can't tell who's shilling. Also, I want a good book on poo poo to look for. Any help? I watched Tyson's Universe lectures and I've got a huge for this stuff the last year or so. Just got a raise and I can't let that money sit around can I?e: On book for poo poo to look for... I want to look for cool poo poo, maybe do some photos. I need a path so I know where to start, etc. I need universe landmarks as it were, because there's already a billion pictures of the moon. Admiral Snuggles fucked around with this message at 09:57 on Nov 19, 2012 |
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Nov 19, 2012 09:55
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Freedom
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Hi everybody, I think I have decided to jump into this hobby headfirst. Ive always been a space geek and wanted a telescope for a long time. Playing with my brothers xt10i dob was pretty amazing and I am looking to buy. I've settles on a dobsonian, I've got a large minivan and transporting that size is not a problem. I'm at the research part of my shopping, people itt keep saying you can get a 8" for around 300$. Where are you guys finding these, all the links in the OP are dead by now and the cheapest I am seeing is more around 400$. Ideally I would like to look at at least a 10". But I cant even find the ones you guys were talking about. Thanks!
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Nov 23, 2012 02:52
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My cousin's kids are 7 and 10, and they're both interested in space, especially the younger one. I was at their house for Thanksgiving today and brought my old Tasco telescope that I got when I was in middle school. I aimed it at the moon right along the terminator for a pretty spectacular view of a crater-dense area, and their reactions to seeing it through a telescope for the first time were priceless. My cousin and her husband also hadn't seen the moon through a telescope before, so they really enjoyed it. After that, I showed them Jupiter and its moons, which are kind of a pain to get into view and keep in view with the rickety old wood tripod but were still clearly visible. They were pretty excited when I told them they got to keep the telescope. Every kid should have one.
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Nov 23, 2012 03:38
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I've really enjoyed the pictures everyone has posted in the thread. It puts my technique to shame. My family has an older 10" Meade LX200 with a decent automated fork. Its been a few years since I last used it though. My 20D got stolen and along with the weight of moving the thing, the eyepiece adapter went missing. So, now we have a camera adapter and no DSLR and eyepieces with no adapter. Has anyone else heard about the SpaceView Network?I didn't see it posted in this thread, and I don't think it was in the GBS Space thread either. Apparently, it's going to cost too much to man and maintain all the stations needed to track all the SpaceDebris. So, they are paying to upgrade Amateur Astronomers stations to be able to track the debris. They will be able to use your scope at certain times. When its not in use, you will be able to the equipment for whatever you want to view. Apparently if you sign up for their newsletter/register(http://www.spaceviewnetwork.com/index.php/register/) you may get to be one of the sites. And a news article.... http://www.engadget.com/2012/11/12/darpa-spaceview-program-enlists-us-to-track-space-debris Engadet posted:Space junk is an undeniable problem when there's over 500,000 dead satellites, spacecraft pieces and other human-made obstacles that could crash into active orbiting vehicles. DARPA is more than a little overwhelmed in trying to track all those hazards by itself, so it's recruiting amateur help through its new SpaceView program. The effort will buy time for non-professional astronomers on existing telescopes, or even supply hardware directly, to track the spaceborne debris without the sheer expense of growing an existing surveillance network. While that amounts to using hobbyists purely as volunteers, DARPA notes that the strategy could be a win-win for some when hardware donated for SpaceView could be used for regular astronomy in spare moments. The challenge is getting through the sign-up phase. While SpaceView is taking applications now, it's initially focusing on options for standard commercial telescopes and hand-picking those who have permanent access to hardware in the right locations -- there's no guarantee a backyard observatory will pass muster. Those who do clear the bar might sleep well knowing that satellites and rockets should be that much safer in the future.
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Nov 24, 2012 09:27
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I recently purchased a used 4.5" reflector along with an EQ mount from a coworker for $50. I've been out of the hobby for at least 15 years, so I'm definitely a bit rusty. Although on the drive home last night, I saw the size of the moon and decided it would be a perfect time to get some practice. I got some great views of the moon, plus I was able to make out individual bands on Jupiter and saw 3 of it's (what I'm guessing are) moons. And now I'm hooked again, that's all it took. I've been looking the past week or so at different scopes and mounts and doing plenty of research on what my options are. I've really been into photography for the past 10 years or so, so I'd definitely like to go that direction with this hobby as well. I know the equipment that I would need for astrophotography and I'm prepared for the expense, just maybe not all at once. As far as mounts go, would the CG-5 be a good choice? I'd like to be able to use my current reflector on it and maybe something a bit bigger when I upgrade, possibly to an 8" reflector or purchase a decent size refractor as well. Would the CG-5 be able to handle the weight of the scope, and possibly gear for autoguiding? Or should I look at something a bit bigger to start out with? I definitely want to spend as little as possible, but also don't want to buy something that I may quickly outgrow, or I will be disappointed in. What is everyone's experience with the CG-5? Some of the reviews I've seen say it's fairly loud and has some problems in colder temperatures. As far as my total budget goes... it's whatever it needs to be to make sure I get equipment that I won't outgrow, will allow me to progress towards my eventual astrophotography goal, and will last me a decent amount of time.
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Nov 29, 2012 18:59
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Hey, guys! I got my very first telescope for Christmas. Its a Celestron Astromaster 114. I think its pretty sweet. Anyway, when I was setting it up, I accidentally took the primary lens out. I am not a clever man. So I'm trying to collimate this bitch and I cannot get it to center. So close many times but I really have no idea what I'm doing. The manual is throwing big words at me, as is the internet. So can you guys help a brother out? I Edit: well, never mind. As I was typing this, my girlfriend did it. I spent about two hours working on it. She spent 20. She's a keeper? Aafter fucked around with this message at 04:40 on Dec 2, 2012 |
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Dec 2, 2012 04:35
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Bombadilillo posted:
Dobs are really easy to use and for visual observing give you the most bang for your buck. The original post in this thread is from 2004 I think, so a lot of the prices might be a little old. You might be able to find some deals at star parties or if somebody has an astronomy club in your area. If you are feeling more adventurous, you can buy just the mirrors for a dobsonian and make the rest yourself. Quite a few people build dobs out of pretty much anything, the most important thing being that it is stable and that the mirror is decent in quality.
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Dec 4, 2012 15:31
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Seqenenra posted:Dobs are really easy to use and for visual observing give you the most bang for your buck. The original post in this thread is from 2004 I think, so a lot of the prices might be a little old. You might be able to find some deals at star parties or if somebody has an astronomy club in your area. If you are feeling more adventurous, you can buy just the mirrors for a dobsonian and make the rest yourself. Quite a few people build dobs out of pretty much anything, the most important thing being that it is stable and that the mirror is decent in quality. Thanks for the response. I've got it on good authority Im getting a pair of binos and some starter type books for Xmas, and I will be looking to get a scope at tax return time. So for now I am going to get familiar with the sky and maybe hit a star party or 2. There also seem to be some good deals on craigslist but nothing quite like what I want. Ebay seems to have enough savy people watching it that most scopes are going for just under market value, at which point free shipping and brand new is worth it.
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Dec 4, 2012 19:06
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I got a 6'' orion dob recently, first telescope. It was definitely worth the cash. The first real test came when I carted it out to a dark site camping trip a few hours away during the Leonids. It performed great, and between that and my 7x50 and 16x50 binocs that I've been using forever I feel like I have things covered. For now. A 6 is a small dob, but my wife still calls it the 'space cannon'.
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Dec 5, 2012 23:53
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Bombadilillo posted:Thanks for the response. I've got it on good authority Im getting a pair of binos and some starter type books for Xmas, and I will be looking to get a scope at tax return time. So for now I am going to get familiar with the sky and maybe hit a star party or 2. Try to look at it first or get some kind of guarantee if you can. You want to make sure the mirrors are in good shape. And binoculars are really good for a beginner. If you go out a couple of nights with a pair of those and find yourself wanting more, then odds are you're ready for a telescope.
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Dec 6, 2012 14:47
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The question to ask the seller is: When was the last time you cleaned the mirror? If the answer is anything but: "never", run run run the hell away! The mirrors on astronomy telescopes are front surface, which means the reflective layer is in front of the glass substrate, not protected behind it like on your bathroom mirrors. It's super-easy to scratch and impossible to fix.
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Dec 6, 2012 17:32
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INTJ Mastermind posted:The question to ask the seller is: When was the last time you cleaned the mirror? Thanks for pointing that out, I should have said that. Other than taking a dob mirror out to be recoated if it ever needs it, there is really no reason to touch it. Seqenenra fucked around with this message at 06:53 on Dec 7, 2012 |
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Dec 7, 2012 02:15
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Well you guys have convinced me to buy a Dob new, its worth the small amount extra based on the prices I am seeing. Im still checking craigslist on occasion hoping for a cassegrain for decent price.
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Dec 7, 2012 03:27
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Mirrors can be cleaned, and nice dielectric mirror coatings are hard as gently caress (likely harder than the glass), but these only started getting common on premium telescopes in the last couple years (though I had my old orange-tube C5 mirror recoated with a dielectric since its number was up anyway). But it's probably easier to do badly than well, and the end result can be worse than what you started with, for sure, especially on a simple aluminising. "Correct" is basically rinsing in a ton of clean isopropanol/methanol, and little if any mechanical contact.
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Dec 7, 2012 06:01
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I don't think many people make mirrors without a quartz protective coating these days, they are drat difficult to scratch and should last five years at least. Cleaning them isn't a bother if it's properly handled. I had my 250mm re-coated a couple of months ago, pretty happy with it especially as I found a company five minutes from my house who specialize in reflective surface coatings. They even have a page about cleaning front surface mirrors.
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Dec 7, 2012 11:39
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RIP Sir Patrick Moore - Watching the Sky at Night and reading is books is what really got me into astronomy.
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Dec 9, 2012 16:51
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It's going to be weird not having him at Astrofest, he's basically been amateur astronomy in the UK since forever.
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Dec 9, 2012 19:05
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For my birthday my folks got me a Celestron Astromaster 70az. With this fairly basic 'scope what kind of photos can I take using it? I also have a VERY basic Canon AA2200 Powershot. Can I do any sort of astrophotography with these simple tools?
Keeper Garrett fucked around with this message at 04:34 on Dec 10, 2012 |
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Dec 10, 2012 02:23
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You should be able to take some nice pictures of the moon with that setup, anything that involves tracking would be out. You'd need a microstage adapter to hold the camera up to the eyepiece, use a delayed exposure to give the scope time to settle and hope the target doesn't move out of view! I used to do a bit of that, it's kind of hard work but you can get good results.
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Dec 10, 2012 16:16
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Jekub posted:You should be able to take some nice pictures of the moon with that setup, anything that involves tracking would be out. You'd need a microstage adapter to hold the camera up to the eyepiece, use a delayed exposure to give the scope time to settle and hope the target doesn't move out of view! Thanks for that! I'm glad I can do something with what I have. Any advice where is best to buy a microstage adapter?
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Dec 11, 2012 01:58
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My first real attempt at imaging: I'm still missing an extension tube for my autoguider so the best I could manage was 1 minute exposures @ 70mm before star trails appeared.
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Dec 17, 2012 17:10
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