Author Topic: My Astronomy Images (Read 21695 times)

atomic7732 · « **on:** January 22, 2011, 08:07:01 PM »

I have images of Cetus and Eridanus from today... (my camera is off on time, I don't use the one that can do this very often)

I also edited for star names and connecting lines.

atomic7732 · « **Reply #1 on:** April 13, 2011, 07:25:05 PM »

Saturn Update! I had to edit some contrast and stuff to get this Saturn looking nice, but it'll suffice.

Darvince · « **Reply #2 on:** April 13, 2011, 07:34:23 PM »

Red and green, it's a Christmas Saturn!

atomic7732 · « **Reply #3 on:** April 13, 2011, 07:37:56 PM »

And a fail 3 filter, RGB image of the moon. I must not know how to make them...

atomic7732 · « **Reply #4 on:** April 14, 2011, 07:53:03 AM »

this is a video method... so... it looks lame. Well it looks sharp, but no color.

atomic7732 · « **Reply #5 on:** April 15, 2011, 10:06:03 PM »

Or not. The camera still works.

Anyhow, this is the best picture of Saturn I got yet. The tape must have helped to stabilize the camera, a bit.

It's not edited other than to crop and add the time.

APODman · « **Reply #6 on:** April 21, 2011, 05:12:02 PM »

Quote from: NeutronStar on April 15, 2011, 10:06:03 PM

Or not. The camera still works.

Anyhow, this is the best picture of Saturn I got yet. The tape must have helped to stabilize the camera, a bit.

It's not edited other than to crop and add the time.

Great shot Neutron !

What is the cam that you use to take it ?

[ ]Â´s

atomic7732 · « **Reply #7 on:** April 21, 2011, 07:45:31 PM »

INSIGNIA NS-DSC7S09

APODman · « **Reply #8 on:** April 22, 2011, 08:58:56 AM »

Quote from: NeutronStar on April 21, 2011, 07:45:31 PM

INSIGNIA NS-DSC7S09

Man you got Saturn with this camera ?

Really it's a great shot !!

You make a movie or it's a one shot only ?

[ ]Â´s

atomic7732 · « **Reply #9 on:** April 22, 2011, 09:43:55 AM »

One shot. I tell ya it was PURE LUCK.

APODman · « **Reply #10 on:** April 22, 2011, 03:52:33 PM »

Quote from: NeutronStar on April 22, 2011, 09:43:55 AM

One shot. I tell ya it was PURE LUCK.

Bull's eye !!

[ ]Â´s

Chaotic Cow · « **Reply #11 on:** April 22, 2011, 05:00:21 PM »

Amazing what small telescopes can see.

atomic7732 · « **Reply #12 on:** May 08, 2011, 12:07:47 AM »

I don't think it really counts as mine... but legally, I own the rights to the image... and I technically took the picture...

So here it is! M101, a 10 minute exposure on an SBIG CCD.

M101 is a face on galaxy located in the constellation of Ursa Major. It has a bright apparent magnitude, and in the northern hemisphere, you can see it almost all the time!

ChemicalBR0 · « **Reply #13 on:** May 10, 2011, 04:41:55 AM »

very nice.
really love the m101 shot.

what telescope was the CCD hooked up to?

I've had some brilliant moon shots using nothing more than an EOS350D ef100-400 and a 2 teleconverter.

I've tried saturn a few times with the camera piggy backed onto a Meade etx 90 but they always come out crappy

atomic7732 · « **Reply #14 on:** May 10, 2011, 07:32:06 AM »

Quote from: ChemicalBR0 on May 10, 2011, 04:41:55 AM

what telescope was the CCD hooked up to?

I'm not sure...

I don't own a CCD, I was going to buy a $330 Imaging Source CCD, but I have no idea how you hook them up to telescopes, and I don't even have any laptop yet or anything. Most of the CCD's also have 2" nosepieces, which I assume goes into the eyepiece? I have a Celestron Nexstar 114, and that uses 1.25" eyepieces, filters, and everything.

Someone also said you need a much more sturdy telescope, and when you upgrade to the good ones... They are $3000, more than some of the decent CCDs out there... So you might as well then get an SBIG or something.

And the 114 is an AltAz mount, so it wouldn't work with the celestial sphere or something, it would move the wrong way. I'm not sure what mount I'd need then...

ChemicalBR0 · « **Reply #15 on:** May 10, 2011, 11:55:25 AM »

you would need an equitorial mount (powered so that it tracks the motion of earth) and those can be VERY expensive. more or less you set your mount up to the same angle as your latitude (55.4 north in my case) and the telescope travels in an arc at the same speed as the earth rotates.
you can even make one relatively easy with some plywood and an electric motor

here's a moon image made with no telescope. just a relatively cheap digital camera (EOS350D) and a telephoto lens with 2x teleconverter

(to be fair the lens is an ef100-400 L which comes in at around Â£1800 and the teleconverter @ Â£220 so not exactly a cheap combination )
I've also got a 5DMKii but the 350 is nice and compact so I still use it a lot.

I really only dabble in astronomy photography as it's too much hassle most of the time
i prefer the smaller things in nature and i'm big into macro photography.

matty406 · « **Reply #16 on:** May 10, 2011, 12:55:07 PM »

I keep meaning to photograph the moon sometime. I look out of the window and think to myself "I'm gonna snap that. Later".

I think my cousin go a telescope for Christmas once, that was motorized or something. He never used it...
Boy am I mad at that, I could've made use of it.

atomic7732 · « **Reply #17 on:** May 10, 2011, 04:33:13 PM »

Your moon is upside down! Fix it!

(Tycho is on the bottom of your image)

Ooooh! I see Theophilus and Cyrillus...

ChemicalBR0 · « **Reply #18 on:** May 11, 2011, 12:12:01 PM »

it's a UK moon

atomic7732 · « **Reply #19 on:** May 11, 2011, 05:17:16 PM »

It shouldn't be upside down though... It'd look like that in Australia...

Naru523 · « **Reply #20 on:** May 11, 2011, 07:07:18 PM »

Probably because that the inclination makes the moon appear different..

Just a guess.

atomic7732 · « **Reply #21 on:** May 11, 2011, 07:51:21 PM »

Wait... Maybe I'm too used to looking at it with a telescope...

Let me go outside...

I'm too used to looking at it with the telscope... Tycho is on the southern hemisphere...

ChemicalBR0 · « **Reply #22 on:** May 12, 2011, 03:22:22 AM »

Quote from: NeutronStar on May 11, 2011, 07:51:21 PM

Wait... Maybe I'm too used to looking at it with a telescope...

Lol

APODman · « **Reply #23 on:** May 12, 2011, 07:27:49 AM »

Quote from: NeutronStar on May 10, 2011, 07:32:06 AM

Quote from: ChemicalBR0 on May 10, 2011, 04:41:55 AM
what telescope was the CCD hooked up to?

I'm not sure...

I don't own a CCD, I was going to buy a $330 Imaging Source CCD, but I have no idea how you hook them up to telescopes, and I don't even have any laptop yet or anything. Most of the CCD's also have 2" nosepieces, which I assume goes into the eyepiece? I have a Celestron Nexstar 114, and that uses 1.25" eyepieces, filters, and everything.

Someone also said you need a much more sturdy telescope, and when you upgrade to the good ones... They are $3000, more than some of the decent CCDs out there... So you might as well then get an SBIG or something.

And the 114 is an AltAz mount, so it wouldn't work with the celestial sphere or something, it would move the wrong way. I'm not sure what mount I'd need then...

U$ 3000,00 !! Wow !

Dude, you do not need all this to start taking good astrophotos, look at the pictures that my friend got:

http://fsxsite.multiply.com/

Below the cost of all your equipment:

- SkyWatcher Explorer 150P EQ3-2 150mm Newtonian Reflector: U$ 463.436
- Canon EOS Rebel XS / EOS 1000D Digital Camera with 18-55mm lens: U$ 459,00 ( mean price, you can find it by U$ 209,00 )- http://www.shopping.com/Canon-EOS-Digital-Rebel-XS-1000D-with-18-55mm-IS-lens/prices#tabAnchor
- SkyWatcher Dual Axis Motor Drive for EQ3-2: U$ 170,00

total: U$1092,00 !

Astrophotography is technique and patience, you donÂ´t need to start with huge equipment is too costly.

[ ]Â´s

atomic7732 · « **Reply #24 on:** May 12, 2011, 07:48:23 AM »

How is teh camera mounted to the telescope? I'd rather do a prime focus type... Much easier than afocal. Or does the camera have a T ring or something?

APODman · « **Reply #25 on:** May 12, 2011, 07:53:15 AM »

Quote from: NeutronStar on May 12, 2011, 07:48:23 AM

How is teh camera mounted to the telescope? I'd rather do a prime focus type... Much easier than afocal. Or does the camera have a T ring or something?

The photos above are all got in prime focus.

[] Â´s

atomic7732 · « **Reply #26 on:** May 12, 2011, 05:13:36 PM »

That's what I thought.

Anyway, how is the camera mounted?

atomic7732 · « **Reply #27 on:** May 15, 2011, 09:51:03 PM »

18 Leonis and R Leonis image

18 is an A7V star, R is a red Mira-type variable.

Magnitude measurement: >6.5 (18 Leo)

Tomorrow I'm going to refine my measurement now that I know what stars I was looking at.

atomic7732 · « **Reply #28 on:** May 16, 2011, 09:27:31 PM »

I'm now a member of the American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO)