7 replies to this topic

[Phil Hart]

It has taken me ten months and 300 hours of image processing, but I've finally published the images from my Exmouth eclipse expedition. Just in time to be an inspiration for others in April 2024.

 

This was a pretty wild approach to eclipse imaging, only possible with the support of equipment sponsors:

• Three six-inch and one four-inch Sky-Watcher refractors is a lot of glass to deliver maximum light and resolution to the cameras.
• Capturing more than a thousand 8K video frames at the full sensor resolution of two Sony a1 cameras provides a lot of data for the enhancement steps, even helping counteract the atmospheric ‘seeing’ at such long focal lengths.
• Four telescope and camera combinations allowed each camera to be dedicated to one primary exposure, allowing even the wider stills cameras to simply burst at a fixed shutter speed, gathering hundreds of exposures in well under 50 seconds (allowing for longer exposures around 2nd and 3rd contacts).
• The two main scopes were carried on my Sky-Watcher EQ8-Rh mount with high-resolution encoders. This meant no periodic error during 50 seconds of totality and facilitated accurate alignment and integration of the video frames.

Full story with more images: https://philhart.com/exmouth-eclipse

 

Thanks also to Colin Legg for collaboration and inspiration on the processing journey.

 

Enjoy! - Phil

 

 

 

Cropped from 930mm FOV (but uses data from all four scopes)

 

 

Super high-res corona and prominences at 1575mm focal length

 

 

Crazy amount of gear on-location in Exmouth!

 

[R Botero]

Absolutely amazing Phil!    Thanks for sharing

 

Roberto

[ch-viladrich]

Hi Phil,

 

This is an amazing expedition and the results are simply awesome !

 

It was 100% worth all effort in planning and spending this a huge amount of time on processing

 

My personnal preference goes to Collin Legg processing with Sunkit using FNRGF algo developed by Hanna Druckmuller.

 

Thanks again for sharing !

[Phil Hart]

Hi Phil,

 

This is an amazing expedition and the results are simply awesome !

 

It was 100% worth all effort in planning and spending this a huge amount of time on processing

 

My personnal preference goes to Collin Legg processing with Sunkit using FNRGF algo developed by Hanna Druckmuller.

 

Thanks again for sharing !

Thanks Christian, and for sharing this on Astrosurf as well. Glad you like Colin's enhancement.. quite the journey he has been on too!

[dan_hm]

Wow - the one taken at 135mm is especially stunning to me.  Was that with a Rokinon/Samyang?

[Phil Hart]

Wow - the one taken at 135mm is especially stunning to me.  Was that with a Rokinon/Samyang?

Thanks and yes, the Samyang 135mm at f2.

[dan_hm]

Thanks and yes, the Samyang 135mm at f2.

Such an incredible lens. I would have never thought to use it for an eclipse.

[ch-viladrich]

Hi Phil,

 

A quick question : how many frames did you took for the flat images ?

 

Thanks !