Telescope Reviews: Oct11 CN Imaging/Sketching Contest Poll!

Welcome to the October 2011 Cloudy Nights Imaging/Sketching Contest poll!

Each month the best images selected from the individual Cloudy Nights Imaging and Sketching forums will be presented for the userbase to vote on. The winning entry will be posted on the front page of the CN website for all to admire! At the conclusion of the poll, the entry with the highest total will be the winner of the contest..

Please choose your favorite from the entries below. The poll will remain open through November 19th at midnight.

Here are the entries for October!

Film Astrophotography - Michal1:

Cassiopeia and Andormeda
Pentax 6x7 with Takumar 105mm lens at f/4 on LXD-75 mount.
90min exposure on Kodak E200 film.
Taken on 30th Aug. which was the first night in my life I get sure I can see stars up to 7.3 mag. Later in the night, when this image was taken, hight clouds came which caused the haloes around the stars.
Processing: Levels, curves, saturation in Zoner Photo Studio. SCNR function of PixInsight LE was applied. Contrast slightly increased using IDRMyImage.
Photographed near the Votice town in the Czech Republic by Michal Bilek (Michal1).

DSLR & Digital Camera Astro Imaging & Processing's Finalist - Barry E.:

Date: 10/25/2011
Target: NGC7635 - Bubble Nebula
Telescope: 8" f/4.9
Camera: Canon 40D (modified, cooled)
Filter: IDAS LPS
Exposures: 49x300s (4h) @ ISO1600
Reduced in size and quality to meet posting guidelines.

CCD Imaging & Processing's Finalist - raxxla:

Cepheus/vdb149-150 + Ldn1235

Tele Vue NP101is, QHY9m CCD, Baader 2" LRGB filters, SX-USBFW automated filter wheel.
Skywatcher HEQ5Pro mount.
Autoguiding with QHY5 cam + good 20 year old 60mm refractor
Autofocus with TV focusmate driver + focusmaster .

LRGB shot of 6.8 hours as follows:
L:27x10m
R:9x5m
G:9x5m
B:9x6.5m

Scale 25% of original size plus a few pixels crop to downsize to 800x600.

Location : Tsoukalades / Lefkada Island /Greece

Thank you for looking!

Solar System Imaging's Finalist - HANTO:

Hello,

would like to give this one a try.
Important data listed in the image.

Sketching Forum's Finalist - Michael11:

Sketch of M34 open star cluster, which was observed from moderately dark location with 8" newtonian. Usually being a binocular target for me - I realized that cluster is quite striking at moderately sized instrument and a wide field eyepiece (2.2 degrees field of view in this case)

object: M34 open cluster, magnitude 5.5m
location: Britain park, Israel (~6.0 NELM)
instrument: 8" F/5 newtonian, 31m Hyperion eyepiece
date and time: 27.08.2011 , 03:30
graphite pencil sketch on white paper (inverted)

Good Luck to all our finalists!

Which Image/Sketch is our winner?
Users may choose only one (95 total votes)

Film Astrophotography - Michal1:

15 15%

DSLR & Digital Camera Astro Imaging & Processing's Finalist - Barry E.:

16 16%

CCD Imaging & Processing's Finalist - raxxla:

26 27%

Solar System Imaging's Finalist - HANTO:

25 26%

Sketching Forum's Finalist - Michael11:

13 13%