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Pages: << 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | >> (show all) Tel Postmaster Reged: 03/31/06 Loc: Wallingford England Re: AP Images Taken with Original NexStar [Re: hopskipson]       #5099499 - 03/01/12 02:08 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Hi James, (Hi Haseeb), In this particular case: if as I suspect, your published image of the Moon represents a single frame, then it's absolutely well taken and fine. However, Registax will help you get the best from it. Thus, merely open your original single image in Registax and the program will automatically transfer it to the "Wavelets" section. All you then need to do, is to "play" with the sliders on the lefthand side to bring your image to its best, and, if need be, look to the various image adjustments which may also be made, (contrast/ brightness, colour, etc.) which are offered on the right hand side of the display screen. And, if you don't like what you see, just retrace your steps. As to the stacking of images, certainly Registax will do so for you. However, this process is normally used where multi subframing of an object has taken place, (e.g. particularly video "takes" of planets or the Moon, where possibly thousands of frames have been captured). A stack of two frames will, in my opinion I'm afraid, not achieve anything significant. I hope this makes sense and I'm not telling you anything you don't already know. Best regards to you both, Tel Edited by Tel (03/01/12 02:10 PM) Post Extras:       Maverick199 Postmaster Reged: 02/27/11 Loc: India Re: AP Images Taken with Original NexStar [Re: hopskipson]       #5100858 - 03/02/12 11:19 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Tel has explained nicely. Unless you take an .Avi file, you won't be able to use Registax. Even some .Avi files do not open or are rejected by Registax. Two images won't do much. I guess a minimum of 200 images may get you some decent results and don't dread about the number of images, even 1999 are fast enough to stack. Post Extras:       ourobouros2k2 sage Reged: 11/10/11 Loc: okc area, oklahoma Re: AP Images Taken with Original NexStar [Re: Maverick199]       #5101837 - 03/02/12 09:13 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   With high humidity, LP, and 62 percent moon illumination last night, I slapped myself and thought "What were you thinking?" when trying to image deep sky last night. That being said, I really wanted to try out M51 last night with the mallincam. 25x14' exposures stacked in DSS, processed for curves/levels/astrotools action panel in PS. Despite everything, I am pretty happy with it, my first image of M51. Next time I will try it under a new moon. Post Extras:       Maverick199 Postmaster Reged: 02/27/11 Loc: India Re: AP Images Taken with Original NexStar [Re: ourobouros2k2]       #5102572 - 03/03/12 11:36 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Thats a nice image for short bursts Andrew, well done! Post Extras:       Skip Starlifter Driver Reged: 01/23/08 Loc: Fort Worth, Texas, USA Re: AP Images Taken with Original NexStar [Re: Maverick199]       #5102673 - 03/03/12 12:35 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   I especially like the negative. You can clearly see the spiral structure in the big galaxy and most of the bridge between them. Post Extras:       Jmel member Reged: 01/24/12 Loc: Eastern North Carolina Re: AP Images Taken with Original NexStar [Re: Skip]       #5121698 - 03/14/12 11:17 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   There is some really great information here. Below are 3 of my best images so that maybe some of you can give me constructive criticism. Part of me is thinking that my 5se is a bit off on collimation out of the box, as my Mars images are never quite as sharp as the 4se image I saw posted a few pages back. I do live in a 4-5 bortle scale zone, but I can take 30 second exposures without too much light pollution affecting the outcome. Post Extras:       Jmel member Reged: 01/24/12 Loc: Eastern North Carolina Re: AP Images Taken with Original NexStar [Re: Jmel]       #5121714 - 03/14/12 11:23 AM Attachment (43 downloads) Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   This image was approximately 25 images of 30 seconds exposure a piece. Andromeda is low in the western sky for me when I am capturing it. I am using a Canon 1000D, with .63 focal reducer, and the images are at 800 ISO. I use an intervalometer as it seems to be the easiest method. Also used 21 dark frames and 10 flats. I feel as though to make it better I need at least 4x the amount of light frames. Also, I may try to image it using my new (used) 300 mm tamron lens piggybacked to the 5se OTA. Post Extras:       Jmel member Reged: 01/24/12 Loc: Eastern North Carolina Re: AP Images Taken with Original NexStar [Re: Jmel]       #5121723 - 03/14/12 11:28 AM Attachment (31 downloads) Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   This image is 50 frames of 30 seconds exposure. ISO was at 400, and there were also 21 darks, and 10 flats. I had a HUGE glare arc from the focal reducer reflecting the brighter stars. I tried to edit in photoshop and was mildly successful. At the time, it was near the meridian. I am pretty pleased with it (it's my best shot so far), but think that I could bring out more nebulosity with more lights. Post Extras:       Jmel member Reged: 01/24/12 Loc: Eastern North Carolina Re: AP Images Taken with Original NexStar [Re: Jmel]       #5121729 - 03/14/12 11:31 AM Attachment (44 downloads) Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Here is a shot of mars taken with the DSLR using BackyardEOS. I have a few more that I have taken with my xbox live vision cam (that has no ir filter, but a baader ir/uv filter on the nose cone adapter), but I like the DSLR images a little better. Notice that it is not sharply focused like the 4se image posted back a little ways. I have a bahtinov mask that I did not use for this image, but used it for other images I've done. However, I did use the live view function in the software to try to get my stars to be points. Again, any criticism is WELCOMED. I should also mention that I use avistack 2 or registax 6 for all of my stacking, with some light touchup in photoshop cs 5.5. Post Extras:       Skip Starlifter Driver Reged: 01/23/08 Loc: Fort Worth, Texas, USA Re: AP Images Taken with Original NexStar [Re: Jmel]       #5121745 - 03/14/12 11:44 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Hi Jmel, I'm certainly no expert, but that looks more like a focus or seeing problem than a collimation problem. Nice M42 and in your M31 image, you can clearly see a dust lane. Way to go. Post Extras:       Jmel member Reged: 01/24/12 Loc: Eastern North Carolina Re: AP Images Taken with Original NexStar [Re: Skip]       #5121763 - 03/14/12 11:54 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Skip, it is entirely likely that you are dead on. My only reasoning that it may have been collimation is that when I defocus on a star, I don't have a perfect donut... Instead it is just slightly egg shaped at the bottom edge. I don't know how much this will affect anything. I have an app for my android phone called Astro Panel which shows seeing conditions for the next 3 days at a time. Not once have I seen seeing conditions lower than the 2nd icon from the right or rather 2-2.5" as it states. Many nights are >2.5". For kicks and giggles, I looked at another location (in a dark site) about 2 hours from here, and the story is the same. When I look at a place like Arizona (in a dark spot), the seeing conditions are listed as <0.5". This is usually with all things being equal (no clouds, similar temps etc). I know it is apples to oranges, but I have yet to befriend anyone that does astro work that lives near me. I really appreciate the comments though, so thank you. Edited by Jmel (03/14/12 11:56 AM) Post Extras:       svtdoug sage Reged: 02/07/11 Loc: Gig Harbor, WA, USA Re: AP Images Taken with Original NexStar [Re: Jmel]       #5122044 - 03/14/12 02:28 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Hi Jmel, You have a very nice image of M42. On M31, you could use more light frames. With 30 second exposures, I would shot for at least 100 lights, and even 200 would be better. Its a lot to stack, but DSS can handle it, just leave it running overnight. You might also try ISO 1600, although I have not seen a lot of difference between the two settings. Over all, well done! Doug Post Extras:       Jmel member Reged: 01/24/12 Loc: Eastern North Carolina Re: AP Images Taken with Original NexStar [Re: svtdoug]       #5122070 - 03/14/12 02:45 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Doug, thanks for the advice. I think my next trip, I am going to try at least 150 light frames. I feel that with a ~35% failure rate, this will allow for 100 good shots. I may try this over a couple of nights now that I've seen I can stack from different time periods. Then it will be a matter of determining whether to stack the 2 stacked images, or to throw them all in the DSS blender (darks included). As far as ISO 1600, I guess I had read something about more 'range' by using lower ISOs, and thought that with 1600 I would just get a bit of noise... I too have not seen a lot of difference between 1600 and 800 except for increased noise. I'm also looking to improve my planetary images. That is literally the best Mars I could produce. I have an image of Jupiter that (to me anyway) is equally as bland. I feel as though I should be able to get a bit more detail out of it. Post Extras:       Maverick199 Postmaster Reged: 02/27/11 Loc: India Re: AP Images Taken with Original NexStar [Re: Jmel]       #5122145 - 03/14/12 03:17 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Hi Jmel, excellent image of M 42. The Mars looks a bit out of focus but you seem to get a very natural colour. Keep at it, wonderful work. Post Extras:       Maverick199 Postmaster Reged: 02/27/11 Loc: India Re: AP Images Taken with Original NexStar [Re: Maverick199]       #5122148 - 03/14/12 03:19 PM Attachment (30 downloads) Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   This is NGC 2438 and M 46 Planetary nebula. Taken through C6, 30 x 20 lights. Though happy with the Nebula, not so much with the starfield as I was using a FR/FF. Post Extras:       Jmel member Reged: 01/24/12 Loc: Eastern North Carolina Re: AP Images Taken with Original NexStar [Re: Maverick199]       #5123560 - 03/15/12 10:48 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Took 130 images last night of 30 seconds apiece. 21 dark frames, 10 flat. Canon 1000D with Tamron 300 mm piggybacked on 5se OTA and mount. M81, M82 and NGC 3077 by J-mel, on Flickr Post Extras:       ghataa professor emeritus Reged: 06/20/11 Loc: Central, NJ Re: AP Images Taken with Original NexStar [Re: Jmel]       #5124603 - 03/15/12 10:30 PM Attachment (47 downloads) Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Hi All, I piggybacked a Nikon 7000 on the 8SE. 30s exposures with darks. 200 mm lens. ISO 800. M35 Thanks for looking! George Edited by ghataa (03/16/12 06:46 AM) Post Extras:       ghataa professor emeritus Reged: 06/20/11 Loc: Central, NJ Re: AP Images Taken with Original NexStar [Re: ghataa]       #5124606 - 03/15/12 10:34 PM Attachment (49 downloads) Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   One more piggybacked attempt with the Nikon D7000 at 200 mm. M42 with 15s subs on 8SE tube/mount. Thanks for looking! George Edited by ghataa (03/15/12 10:35 PM) Post Extras:       Tel Postmaster Reged: 03/31/06 Loc: Wallingford England Re: AP Images Taken with Original NexStar [Re: ghataa]       #5124871 - 03/16/12 05:32 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Great "wide fielding" guys ! I must say Jmel, that I wasn't even aware of the existence of NGC 3077 until literally only a few weeks ago, picking it up when imaging the same area of sky, (where else ? ) : an image, I hasten to add, which was not anything like as good as yours and which I consequently "dumped" ! I therefore had to ask around to find out what that extra "faint fuzzie" was ! (Thought I'd discovered something new) ! Also a very nice Orion Neb. with its entourage, George ! Nice open cluster too in the other image, but which one, pray ? Best regards, Tel : Post Extras:       Tel Postmaster Reged: 03/31/06 Loc: Wallingford England Re: AP Images Taken with Original NexStar [Re: Maverick199]       #5124890 - 03/16/12 05:52 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Quote: This is NGC 2438 and M 46 Planetary nebula. Taken through C6, 30 x 20 lights. Though happy with the Nebula, not so much with the starfield as I was using a FR/FF. Hi Haseeb, Certainly the planetary, M46, looks well defined. What however, did you not like in particular with regard to the background stars ? Are you perhaps retaining some "hot" pixels on the image ? (Red "stars" ?) Did you take any "Darks" which, if these are "hot", should have removed them ? What about "Flats" ? Do I detect a light gradient here ? Still a nice image ! But yes, as they say, "You can't (quite) win 'em all" ! Believe me, I've been there : too many times I'm afraid, and still continue to do so ! However, I'm sure you'd agree that our fewer, really good images compensate so many times over for all those mediocre ones we produce ! Best regards, Tel Post Extras:       Pages: << 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | >> (show all)

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