The Stargazing Thread!

[Endersmens]

It's starting to feel like there's no reason to attempt [astro]photography without at least a few kilobucks of gear.

Currently I'm using a Canon SD1100 IS with CHDK. Starfields are... problematic.

Lots of intermediate exposure lengths seem to have jitter, despite leaning the camera on objects, or setting it down with a 2 or 10 second exposure delay and then stepping aside. And of course, the sky glow can be nightmarish if there are thin clouds or lots of haze. Leaving the camera facing straight up when the plane of the milky way is overhead seems to be best. My biggest success would be:

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/463/19889501759_6c434baef3_k.jpg

That building in the way is shielding the camera from a waxing gibbous moon. I think this barely detected M13, M92, M56, and M29. If Source Extractor can deal with JPGs it might be interesting to see if it can find them? The image also split the AB-CD component of ε Lyr, but as I was at minimum zoom (f/2.8, 6.2 mm) to maximize light gathering, don't expect resolution beyond 1'/pixel. At 51s, there are noticeable (12-13 pixel, I think) star trails. Given the amount of sky glow locally (Bortle class 8-9) I'm not sure if a 5-30 minute exposure (for actual star trails) would be worthwhile.

How about something brighter?

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/VTBXY1DsZfNjwP5M1FLbZZCmNNJ-cGJX2RwklbwngAU=w483-h347-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Z2d1x2HeiS7TN8fhtr83NQE6Jl1_h3aE31pB-_F11Zw=w165-h168-no

It's certainly possible to get well exposed and in-focus images of the Moon, but with max zoom (f/4.9, 18.6 mm), the image scale appears to be ~20"/pixel. This does not lead to an interesting amount of detail, and practically speaking makes Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn unresolvable. Also, the red bit in the lower right is as best I can tell a bad pixel. Avoidable provided I don't aim directly at anything.

Okay, let's just have the Moon as a background object for a structure? Make the very wide FOV/poor angular resolution a feature instead of a bug?

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/548/20091850745_65dc85b3ea_k.jpg

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/508/19903830720_6f662061ac_k.jpg

The dynamic range just isn't there for both the Moon/lights and structure to be properly exposed. Now what? Only shoot during the day?

This guy used a phone pressed up to a telescope and got some really great pictures. Maybe you could try something like that?

http://i.imgur.com/eokLIcw.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/O8NUxAb.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/2Cyz4Sd.jpg

Saturn, Jupiter, and Venus taken with my phone through my telescope. I know they aren't much compared to some other pictures I've seen, but I'm pretty proud of these pictures anyways.

[UmbralRaptor]

This guy used a phone pressed up to a telescope and got some really great pictures. Maybe you could try something like that?

Tried that earlier in the thread.

Well, last night I was up on a roof with some people viewing the Venus/Jupiter conjunction. I'm not seeing the appeal of holding a camera up to the eyepiece (Nexus 5, 25x100 binoculars)

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/LIVNzOJEnNXmaR7QM-GgcXUrX-I7ODPwkEnIwe6j6AY=w801-h1067-no

Views through a nearby 16" scope were much nicer, but I wasn't able to get any sort of image with my phone, so...

Well, after various additional attempts tonight, a 322 s image have to do for star trails. Not sure if the brightness gradient vignetting or varying sky brightness from the near-full moon.

What else is left? Set a neutral density filter on top of the lens to try to increase exposure time? Improvise an r-band filter and hope for a clear moonless night in November so I can attempt an SNR 3 detection of M31?

edit: There was supposed to be a flickr link in an earlier post.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/39407198@N02/

edit2: Googling around for super resolution options suggests that I'd either need to code up something or buy photoshop. So much for getting a 135-180 pixel moon image.

Edited July 29, 2015 by UmbralRaptor

[KerbMav]

Dude, where do you live and do you have a couch to crash?! Even without a telescope the nightsky at your place must be breathtaking!

Forget the couch, I will bring a tent.

Last year we went hiking on Corsica - would have made for a beautiful nightsky for sure at 1000+m high, but we had really bad luck weatherwise.

[jmiki8]

Hi there!

I know this is an old thread, but I don't want to create a new one for a single picture. Got my "new" (used) Nikon D7100, and produced this result. I used a somewhat wide lens (18-70 f/3,5) at 18 mm. The aperture was set to the lowest available (f/3,5), and the shutter speed was 15 s at ISO 3200. Of course the picture is not a raw one, it went through some serious post processing.

Light pollution is clearly visible. I took the picture some kilometres away from Budapest. It was a nice location for a first try.

Edited August 12, 2015 by jmiki8

[Endersmens]

Hi there!

I know this is an old thread, but I don't want to create a new one for a single picture. Got my "new" (used) Nikon D7100, and produced this result. I used a somewhat wide lens (18-70 f/3,5) at 18 mm. The aperture was set to the lowest available (f/3,5), and the shutter speed was 15 s at ISO 3200. Of course the picture is not a raw one, it went through some serious post processing.

Light pollution is clearly visible. I took the picture some kilometres away from Budapest. It was a nice location for a first try.

http://i.imgur.com/klREC96.jpg

This thread is only 2 months old.

[Rareden]

Greetings, been using my celestron 8SE mount on a wedge with my 6D or modded 600d with 200mm 2.8 lens,

nothing spectacular, saving up for a avx mount so i can use my 8" scope with autoguiding.

[Endersmens]

Greetings, been using my celestron 8SE mount on a wedge with my 6D or modded 600d with 200mm 2.8 lens,

nothing spectacular, saving up for a avx mount so i can use my 8" scope with autoguiding.

http://i.imgur.com/aLRXohv.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/gPBmvkE.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/e41DGOn.jpg

What do you mean nothing spectacular? Those are amazing!

[Rareden]

What do you mean nothing spectacular? Those are amazing!

Well not compared to "kookoo_gr"

My mount has been restricting me unfortunately, cant use the 8" scope on the wedged SE mount because the mount cant take the weight.

[Endersmens]

Well not compared to "kookoo_gr"

My mount has been restricting me unfortunately, cant use the 8" scope on the wedged SE mount because the mount cant take the weight.

Nonsense. Yours are beautiful. And if those are taken while you're restricted, I can't wait to see them when you aren't restricted by a mount.

[yorshee]

The sun and moon, taken by pointing my phone through my telescope.

[CelticCossack51]

I'm truly amazed when I see these pictures. Unfortunately I don't have much for stargazing equipment, I only have a simple telescope when I went to Hong Kong many many years ago. I am thinking about getting a StarMax 90mm, but I am not too sure.

[kookoo_gr]

Greetings, been using my celestron 8SE mount on a wedge with my 6D or modded 600d with 200mm 2.8 lens,

nothing spectacular, saving up for a avx mount so i can use my 8" scope with autoguiding.

http://i.imgur.com/aLRXohv.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/gPBmvkE.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/e41DGOn.jpg

those are very nice pictures for a dslr, but you should pay more attention to processing, the lagoon nebula is black clipped and you can bring out more detail at your photos. At the ÃÂ ophiuchi you took, which is very impressive by the way, there is a green tint at your photo, there is a plugin for PS that can remove it (it is called asta la vista green) How many frames did you take for those DSO's? Also with which scope are you going to image?

P.S. Endersmens congrats for getting sticky for the month

[Endersmens]

P.S. Endersmens congrats for getting sticky for the month

Thanks! It inspired me to compile all the images into the OP for convenience.

[Rareden]

those are very nice pictures for a dslr, but you should pay more attention to processing, the lagoon nebula is black clipped and you can bring out more detail at your photos. At the ÃÂ ophiuchi you took, which is very impressive by the way, there is a green tint at your photo, there is a plugin for PS that can remove it (it is called asta la vista green) How many frames did you take for those DSO's? Also with which scope are you going to image?

P.S. Endersmens congrats for getting sticky for the month

The lagoon shot is 10 5min exposures, antares is 23 5min exposures, unfortunately they are in light polluted skies, havent had time to take a trip to dark skies.

The Dso shots are taken with my 70-200mm f2.8 lens, the shot of the moon is my 8" celestron scope with a 2x teleconverter on the camera, i intend to use the 8" scope when i get the new mount for Dso imaging using a f6.3 focal corrector.

For prepossessing im using the LRGB method and the photoshop astro actions plugin.

Edited September 3, 2015 by Rareden

[Endersmens]

The lagoon shot is 10 5min exposures, antares is 23 5min exposures, unfortunately they are in light polluted skies, havent had time to take a trip to dark skies.

The Dso shots are taken with my 70-200mm f2.8 lens, the shot of the moon is my 8" celestron scope with a 2x teleconverter on the camera, i intend to use the 8" scope when i get the new mount for Dso imaging using a f6.3 focal corrector.

For prepossessing im using the LRGB method and the photoshop astro actions plugin.

23??? 23 different exposures? 5 minute exposures? You spent nearly two hours taking pictures of that one thing?

[Camacha]

23??? 23 different exposures? 5 minute exposures? You spent nearly two hours taking pictures of that one thing?

Yes. If you want to know why, read up on stacking. In short, it is a technique that allows incredibly long virtual exposure times without many of the traditional drawbacks, such as noise.

Or did you mean two hours is too much time for taking pictures? If so, I believe astrophotography, and probably astronomy, are not for you

[Endersmens]

Yes. If you want to know why, read up on stacking. In short, it is a technique that allows incredibly long virtual exposure times without many of the traditional drawbacks, such as noise.

I already knew about stacking, but still, that's a lot of time taking pictures. It's a wonder it's so clear after 5 minutes exposures.

[Rareden]

I already knew about stacking, but still, that's a lot of time taking pictures. It's a wonder it's so clear after 5 minutes exposures.

If by clear you mean no star trails? im autoguiding my mount, when the mount decides to cooperate anyway

[kookoo_gr]

The lagoon shot is 10 5min exposures, antares is 23 5min exposures, unfortunately they are in light polluted skies, havent had time to take a trip to dark skies.

The Dso shots are taken with my 70-200mm f2.8 lens, the shot of the moon is my 8" celestron scope with a 2x teleconverter on the camera, i intend to use the 8" scope when i get the new mount for Dso imaging using a f6.3 focal corrector.

For prepossessing im using the LRGB method and the photoshop astro actions plugin.

LRGB method? Do you break the image into its lrgb components and process them? A method for processing one-shot data is to debayer the raw data (after calibrating them), break each frame into the LRGB components, stack each channel, process the L channel in order to reveal more detail and then combine the LRGB image.

yorshee, i love the sun image with the sunspot

[Rareden]

LRGB method? Do you break the image into its lrgb components and process them? A method for processing one-shot data is to debayer the raw data (after calibrating them), break each frame into the LRGB components, stack each channel, process the L channel in order to reveal more detail and then combine the LRGB image.

yorshee, i love the sun image with the sunspot

No i copy the RGB image and convert it to grey scale and work on that to enhance the DSO then apply that to the rgb image as the detail layer, the rgb image is just for color.

[kookoo_gr]

Hey guys a new photo of the bubble nebula (ngc7635)

http://www.astrobin.com/210446/

[Endersmens]

Wow! Looks amazing!

Crazy how it can look like that.

[299792458 m/s]

Wow! That is amazing! May I ask what is in the picture?

Also, what is that black speck in the bottom right, next to the tear drop shape? It almost looks like gilly!

The picture is of M42 or the Great Orion Nebula, located near Orion's belt. The nebula is only visible during the winter.

- - - Updated - - -

Next Year I'm getting an 8inch Orion Astrograph. (Astrograph is fun way of saying "I'm using this for astrophotography") Orion is the company that makes it, has nothing to do with the nebula. But I'm gonna get the whole shebang, hopefully I can upload some of my pics to you guys later on

[Kozak]

http://imgur.com/wXEwbot

I made that.

Javascript is disabled. View full album

[Endersmens]

http://imgur.com/wXEwbot

I made that.

http://imgur.com/a/wXEwbot

How???

Also, your embed is broken, link works though.