Here some pictures of the Moon with an old Mizar 100/600 newton (44% central obstruction)
Posted 04 June 2017 - 06:31 PM
Hello, I can give my 2 cents here..
two images of jupiter taken with an old Takahashi 65/900 achro (the first Takahashi built).
Those are really nice!!!
JMD
Posted 04 June 2017 - 06:38 PM
Very inspiring!
Thank you for sharing!
JMD
Posted 04 June 2017 - 10:17 PM
Final? version. Photo shop has been used to try and bring out the moons, Tethys, Enceladus and Dione. Faint specs that form a triangle to the left of the planet. The moons were there, but just above the noise floor, so if you blow this image up, they will look like little salt piles rather than disks. But at this image scale I think the image is effective, and fairly representative of what I see in the Eyepiece. I am really looking forward to seeing what I can pull out of the 60 and 80 mm Achromats now, given all the inspiring images that have been posted. Many of them exceed images I have taken with much larger scopes, which admittedly probably says more about my imaging skill than anything regarding telescope optics:-) A very enjoyable thread!
Cheers!
JMD
Posted 08 June 2017 - 11:01 PM
Fantastic for a 100mm
Posted 09 June 2017 - 06:47 AM
These vintage 4" F10 Newts are very capable instruments. The P-100 won't replace my RV-6, but it can run close to it. And Old Mizar seems to be about as good as Old Vixen.
Posted 09 June 2017 - 11:08 AM
Interesting fact.
Focusing difficulty/tolerance goes like the square of the f/ratio.
An f/15 scope is 11 times easier to focus than a f/4.5 scope.
-drl
Posted 09 June 2017 - 03:31 PM
The ASI120MC is a very good buy. From last night: Dakin 4" F10 + Eyepiece Projection (spectros PL10 @ 50mm), standard, then with 1.5x drizzle.
Still gotta figure out the best color balance for each scope with the new gadget. The Dakin is relatively fast and has more false color than my Edmund 4" F15 or the Galactic 3" F12.
Posted 09 June 2017 - 04:22 PM
The ASI120MC is a very good buy. From last night: Dakin 4" F10 + Eyepiece Projection (spectros PL10 @ 50mm), standard, then with 1.5x drizzle.
Dakin 4 - Jupiter (GRS) 20170609V04AS21.jpg /// Dakin 4 - Jupiter (GRS) 20170609V04AT21.jpg
Still gotta figure out the best color balance for each scope with the new gadget. The Dakin is relatively fast and has more false color than my Edmund 4" F15 or the Galactic 3" F12.
Try using a Barlow instead of EP projection. I like having the focal length around 3000mm, so use a 3x Barlow with the Dakin. You won't need any drizzle.
Edited by Augustus, 09 June 2017 - 04:22 PM.
Posted 10 June 2017 - 10:04 PM
Edmund 4" F15 Cassegrain - First Imaging Session
Temperature 77°F (25°C)
Humidity 62%
Wind Speed E 5 mph
Dewpoint 63°F (17°C)
Heat Index 79°F (26°C)
SEEING = 8 / 10 (mid-level moisture)
It was 85F at sundown when I acquired Jupiter. Over the next two hours, I bounced between the Edmund DKC 4 and the P-100 -- imaging with the new Cass and observing with the Newt. Too bad moving around didn't help me beat the heat or the Tiger mosquitoes! Tons of video as I tested all kinds of hardware and settings.
RAW images of Prime Focus / Eyepiece Projection (spectros PL15 @ 75mm):
Posted 10 June 2017 - 11:12 PM
I had some decent seeing finally (4/5)! I decided to give the Quantum 6 mak-cass a shot tonight. It was still showing signs of thermal un-equilibrium during image captures, plus I was imaging on a deck with vibrations, but I think it did ok in spite of that. I took quite a lot of .avi's and plan to go through a lot of them tomorrow. This was near the end of the session (around 10:00 pm EDT). I like that I was able to actually capture the moon's disc on the face of Jupiter. This was the result of approximately 4000 frames aligned, stacked, and wavelets in Registax and finished in Adobe Lightroom. It still looks noisy (I may have pushed the processing too hard) so I'm going to see if I can get a better result tomorrow. The colors also appear a little better in Lightroom.
Camera used was a Celestron Skyris 618c.
And the great news is that seeing is supposed to be 4/5 tomorrow night with clear weather and above average transparency. I'm siked! Then the forecast calls for 5 solid days of rain beginning Tuesday.
Label on image should read 2017 instead of 2016...sleepy and got in a hurry.
V/R
Terry
Edited by TerryWood, 11 June 2017 - 12:12 AM.
Posted 11 June 2017 - 06:31 AM
I had some decent seeing finally (4/5)! I decided to give the Quantum 6 mak-cass a shot tonight. It was still showing signs of thermal un-equilibrium during image captures, plus I was imaging on a deck with vibrations, but I think it did ok in spite of that. I took quite a lot of .avi's and plan to go through a lot of them tomorrow. This was near the end of the session (around 10:00 pm EDT). I like that I was able to actually capture the moon's disc on the face of Jupiter. This was the result of approximately 4000 frames aligned, stacked, and wavelets in Registax and finished in Adobe Lightroom. It still looks noisy (I may have pushed the processing too hard) so I'm going to see if I can get a better result tomorrow. The colors also appear a little better in Lightroom.
Camera used was a Celestron Skyris 618c.
And the great news is that seeing is supposed to be 4/5 tomorrow night with clear weather and above average transparency. I'm siked! Then the forecast calls for 5 solid days of rain beginning Tuesday.
Label on image should read 2017 instead of 2016...sleepy and got in a hurry.
V/R
Terry
You guys are killing me with these photos. Remarkable results with antique scopes.
Jim
Posted 11 June 2017 - 09:38 AM
I'm glad I noticed this thread through Terry's post. Seeing Robert Vanderbei's work with the Questar got me interested in the potential of modern image processing with small scopes and into astrophotography. It was much too hard for me back in the film days. I'm an oddball in astronomy in that I like small portable equipment. The faster the setup, the more I use it. Although I'm no stranger to computer's, I like the analog feel of a vintage scope under the night sky and the challenge of creating a nice image from a small scope.
I've enjoyed seeing everyone's images here. Many nice ones from scopes even smaller than mine. I've been pushing hard learning modern image processing techniques on data mostly from a Questar 89mm and vintage camera lenses for about four years. I've been focused on using mirrorless cameras because of their small footprint, but I've recently been experimenting with a ZWO planetary camera. My software tools include: CaptureOne, Lynkeos, Nebulosity, PixInsight, AutoStakkert, and Photoshop all running on a Mac. Here are some examples with links to detailed information and full size images:
Omega Centauri with only a vintage Vivitar 135mm lens, Sony NEX-5n mirrorless camera, and Vixen Polarie tracker:
http://astronomy.rob..._byGallery.html
Comet Lovejoy, Sony NEX-5n and Questar 89mm
http://astronomy.rob..._byGallery.html
Saturn with five moons, Questar 89mm and Sony a6300 using UHD 4k 30fps video
http://astronomy.rob..._byGallery.html
Transit of Jupiter by Io, Questar 89mm and ZWO ASI120MC
http://astronomy.rob..._byGallery.html
Edited by RobertPettengill, 11 June 2017 - 09:45 AM.
Posted 11 June 2017 - 09:55 AM
These are all really, really nice Rob! I especially like the comet Lovejoy image. I understand where you're coming from about smaller aperture instruments. It's just plain fun seeing how far you can push them. I have a C-11 and the views of Jupiter a couple of nights ago were fantastic. But when I tried to image, the thermals and vibrations were too much for it. So far my Brandon 94mm has been giving me the most consistent imaging during all kinds of seeing conditions, with the Questar very close behind. Love those scopes!
V/R
Terry
Posted 11 June 2017 - 09:56 AM
I had some decent seeing finally (4/5)! I decided to give the Quantum 6 mak-cass a shot tonight. It was still showing signs of thermal un-equilibrium during image captures, plus I was imaging on a deck with vibrations, but I think it did ok in spite of that. I took quite a lot of .avi's and plan to go through a lot of them tomorrow. This was near the end of the session (around 10:00 pm EDT). I like that I was able to actually capture the moon's disc on the face of Jupiter. This was the result of approximately 4000 frames aligned, stacked, and wavelets in Registax and finished in Adobe Lightroom. It still looks noisy (I may have pushed the processing too hard) so I'm going to see if I can get a better result tomorrow. The colors also appear a little better in Lightroom.
Camera used was a Celestron Skyris 618c.
And the great news is that seeing is supposed to be 4/5 tomorrow night with clear weather and above average transparency. I'm siked! Then the forecast calls for 5 solid days of rain beginning Tuesday.
Label on image should read 2017 instead of 2016...sleepy and got in a hurry.
V/R
Terry
You guys are killing me with these photos. Remarkable results with antique scopes.
Jim
Thank you Jim! I'll definitely be out there again tonight!
V/R
Terry
Posted 11 June 2017 - 10:25 AM
Remarkable results with antique scopes.
I agree! The capability was always there, we just had to find a way to tap into it. And, imagine when these scopes were brand new...
Posted 11 June 2017 - 11:44 AM
These are all really, really nice Rob! I especially like the comet Lovejoy image. I understand where you're coming from about smaller aperture instruments. It's just plain fun seeing how far you can push them. I have a C-11 and the views of Jupiter a couple of nights ago were fantastic. But when I tried to image, the thermals and vibrations were too much for it. So far my Brandon 94mm has been giving me the most consistent imaging during all kinds of seeing conditions, with the Questar very close behind. Love those scopes!
V/R
Terry
You have some great scopes for comparison! Sometime I'd like to go to a star party with only vintage/small scopes allowed so that everyone could side by side to their hearts content!
On the other hand, it is a thrill to look through a 20" scope under good conditions and just see a target like Saturn in the eyepiece looking as good as an image from a small scope after hours of processing. I'm just so lazy that I know I'd set up the big scope only about 3 times a year...
;rob
Posted 11 June 2017 - 12:04 PM
I am so impressed by those wonderful images shot through an 89mm Questar.
Posted 11 June 2017 - 09:07 PM
The seeing was forecast to be 4/5 to 5/5 tonight, but man they got it wrong this time. It's struggling to be 3/5 at the very most. Trying to image, but it's not going well. Plus I think I heard a bear on the perimeter which is not making it any better (an the constant skeeters). I'm just full of complaints tonight :-)
Stepped inside for a break. The good news is that the GRS is plainly in view right in the center.
V/R
Terry
Posted 11 June 2017 - 09:38 PM
The seeing was forecast to be 4/5 to 5/5 tonight, but man they got it wrong this time. It's struggling to be 3/5 at the very most. Trying to image, but it's not going well. Plus I think I heard a bear on the perimeter which is not making it any better (an the constant skeeters). I'm just full of complaints tonight :-)
Stepped inside for a break. The good news is that the GRS is plainly in view right in the center.
V/R
Terry
Seeing forecasts are a notch below economics as a science!
-drl
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