12663 replies to this topic

[StarMike8SE]

I have more to show from last night, just have not had time to convert them jpgs yet.  One of the best nights I have had in months

[TL2101]

Joe which skyglow filter did you use with the h-a filter?

 

 

I use the 2" Orion SkyGlow SC RC Broadband filter along with the 1.25"  7nm Orion Extra Narrowband HA  Imaging filter on my C8. The SkyGlow filter came with my scope from the previous owner and is made in Japan. Not sure how old it is but the scope was made in the 80's.

[TL2101]

Errol I am sure I have but can't find any examples in my picture folders. I don't keep very good notes if any at all. I have found 45 seconds for nebula's in Ha and 15 seconds for brighter objects like globs has been my sweet spot. I normally stack 4 to 5 frames. Occasionally I go to 60 seconds for the very faint objects.

 

Tonight I will try the Crescent in Ha stacking at 15 seconds and see how it compares. If you have a time you want me to use let me know and I will give it a try.

 

 

Here is the Crescent Nebula shot at 15 seconds and stacked 15 times. I get more detail in the 5 stack at 45 seconds from my earlier post.

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Edited by TL2101, 25 July 2016 - 04:18 PM.

[TL2101]

Shot Pickering's Triangle from my 50mm Orion guide scope with a Ha filter using darks with the Lodestar X2. Cropped to eliminate stretched stars on the left side of the image.

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Edited by TL2101, 26 July 2016 - 01:05 AM.

[alphatripleplus]

Joe, Thanks for doing the test stacking 15sec vs 45sec subs of the Crescent - definitely more detail and fainter stars visible in the 45sec subs. Very interesting. 

[StarMike8SE]

Here are a few more from Sunday night.   Eagle, Trfid, Lagoon, Swan nebula.   15 second exposures stacked for 4 minutes

[StarMike8SE]

I also tried some Ha.  Had to increase this to 20 second exposures

 

[StarMike8SE]

Also got M82, The Ring, and the Dumbell

 

[alphatripleplus]

Okay, after seeing Joe's great H-alpha shots, I tried using the ASI224 with a 7nm H-alpha filter and the C8. I know that with the ASI224's RGGB color matrix at 656nm, the overall response will be about 35% of that of a mono sensor  (ZWO gives relative responses at 656nm of: 95% for R, 19% for G, and 8% for B). So clearly this is not an efficient way to do H-alpha, but without a mono camera it's all I can do at the moment. Anyway, here is a 7 minute stack of 10sec subs of the Crescent. I didn't try longer subs, which might have been a good idea -  I will try that next time.

 

NGC6888 (42x10s):  ASI224 @350 gain + C8 @ f3.7 + 7nm H-alpha + SharpCap. (Desaturated as too much red otherwise).

 

[Astrojedi]

Some shots from last night using my club's Atik Infinity color camera. Set it up in my observatory on the 8" SCT. Getting ready for an outreach event this weekend that I am hosting in my backyard.

 

All images on a C8 @ F3.7, CGEM mount and DGM GCE filter (no guiding). Exposure times are in the image name. Typically 5s-30s sub exposures.

 

There are some aberrations around the corners due to the fast focal ratio but for outreach I prioritize speed (as long as the image of the main object stays enjoyable no one notices)

 

[Astrojedi]

Details same as above

 

M8:

 

Open Cluster NGC6819 (also referred to as the Foxhead):

[Astrojedi]

Details same as above

 

Looking towards M24 Sagittarius Star Cloud. My FoV is too narrow to get the whole cloud but captured the very interesting open cluster NGC6603 (center left)

 

[Astrojedi]

Same Details as above

 

And one of my favorite open clusters M11

 

 

Open cluster M25. Love the color of the older stars.

 

 

[Astrojedi]

Same details as above.

 

A couple of globs

 

M22

 

M9

[Stargazer3236]

I consider myself an off the wall imager. I don't go for the flashy, showy nebula, wussy NGC's, IC's or Messier's.. I like the hard to get, obscure planetary nebula, like the Abells, Minkowski's, Sharpless, etc.

 

Last night, I bagged some of the fainter Abell planetaries in and around Cygnus, Aquila, Hercules, Cepheus, Lyra, Delphinus. I finally caught Abell 39, a ghostly ring in Hercules. I also got NGC 246, the Skull nebula in Cetus.

I will post pics later after I do a little post processing to bring out details and label the pics.

Edited by Stargazer3236, 27 July 2016 - 09:40 AM.

[StarMike8SE]

I consider myself an off the wall imager. I don't go for the flashy, showy nebula, wussy NGC's, IC's or Messier's.. I like the hard to get, obscure planetary nebula, like the Abells, Minkowski's, Sharpless, etc.

 

Last night, I bagged some of the fainter Abell planetaries in and around Cygnus, Aquila, Hercules, Cepheus, Lyra, Delphinus. I finally caught Abell 39, a ghostly ring in Hercules. I also got NGC 246, the Skull nebula in Cetus.

I will post pics later after I do a little post processing to bring out details and label the pics.

Can't wait to see them

[Geordiemc]

Great images guys. Does the Meade 3.3 reducer fit straight onto the C8? If it does how would I then attach my lodestar x2. Just got it and itching to try lodestar live out. I have the Edge 800 with the 0.7 reducer and presume I need to get the focal ratio below f7 to get best results. Thanks in advance for any help.

[StarMike8SE]

Here are a few more from Sunday night.   Eagle, Trfid, Lagoon, Swan nebula.   15 second exposures stacked for 4 minutes

eaglehabw.jpgtrifbw.jpglagbw.jpgswanbw.jpg

 

I took my earlier images and colorized them to give them a more natural look and mainly for my non-astronomy friends and family.  They want to see color and not B&W.  Here are the first two

 

[StarMike8SE]

 

Here are a few more from Sunday night.   Eagle, Trfid, Lagoon, Swan nebula.   15 second exposures stacked for 4 minutes

eaglehabw.jpgtrifbw.jpglagbw.jpgswanbw.jpg

 

I took my earlier images and colorized them to give them a more natural look and mainly for my non-astronomy friends and family.  They want to see color and not B&W.  Here are the first two

 

IMG_0978.jpgIMG_0975.jpg

 

 

Here are the final two

 

[alphatripleplus]

Last night I tried my 7nm H-alpha filter on a 70mm aperture Celestron TravelScope working at f/3.1 that I use as a finder.  As mentioned in my previous post, using the ASI224 with RGGB matrix and H-alpha cuts sensitivity to about 35% of a mono camera without RGGB matrix, so this is not efficient but it is my only option at the moment. Used 20s subs in stack this time.

 

North America Nebula NGC7000 (framing not ideal, and focus looks a bit off): (33x20s):  ASI224 @350 gain + 70mm finder @ f3.1 + 7nm H-alpha + SharpCap.

 

 

 

Crescent Nebula NGC6888 (18x20s):  ASI224 @350 gain + 70mm finder @ f3.1 + 7nm H-alpha + SharpCap.

 

[RandyC]

Hi, Here is M13 with the Sony A7s on a 2min exposure at iso4000, Equipment C14xlt at f12.

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[Astrojedi]

Couple of captures from last night. Did a trail run with the family and they were quite amazed. I know this is not a new observation but I am sold on the Atik Infinity Color as an excellent camera for outreach. You can get good high resolution results with minimum complexity.

 

The software does not offer as much control as say AstroToaster or Starlight Live but the simplicity is what makes it so effective when you are sharing views with a group of people.

 

C8 @ F3.8, CGEM, Orion LP filter and Atik Infinity Color. Red LP zone and poor transparency due to a light layer of low level clouds.

 

M20 5x60s

 

NGC6960 5x60s

 

 

[ChrisFC]

Given that you use both the infinity and the zwo224mc I'd be interested in your thoughts on their relative sensitivities.
Just wondering if it's worth getting the infinity - for greater sensitivity (and bigger fov).

Edited by ChrisFC, 29 July 2016 - 01:10 AM.

[Stargazer3236]

I must be a total noob! I have no idea how to process a 5 x 60s stack of images. I can capture an AVI and process that, but i have no idea how to process a set of 60s exposures. How do you do that?

[StarMike8SE]

Couple of captures from last night. Did a trail run with the family and they were quite amazed. I know this is not a new observation but I am sold on the Atik Infinity Color as an excellent camera for outreach. You can get good high resolution results with minimum complexity.

 

The software does not offer as much control as say AstroToaster or Starlight Live but the simplicity is what makes it so effective when you are sharing views with a group of people.

 

C8 @ F3.8, CGEM, Orion LP filter and Atik Infinity Color. Red LP zone and poor transparency due to a light layer of low level clouds.

 

M20 5x60s

M20 5x60s Orion LP C8 CGEM F3.8.jpg

 

NGC6960 5x60s

N6960 5x60s Orion LP C8 CGEM F3.8_2.jpg

I could not agree with you more.  I love my Mono Infinity (thanks to you Hiten).  Great sensitivity, good resolution, and excellent software that really makes it easy.  I am enjoying mine a lot.