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Hello from Hertfordshire


Crater

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Hello, I have just joined SGL today.

I started my interest in astronomy a couple of years ago.

My main interest is in trying to make progress in Astrophotography while using only an Alt-Az Goto mount.

I know that I should be using an EQ mount, but I do not wish to change now.

I am a member of a local Astronomy society and I think that I am alone in trying to use an Alt-Az system for imaging.

My Telescopes elescopes are a SW 130PDS Reflector with Coma Corrector, and a SW 127 Mak. 

My Cameras are a modified Canon EOS 1100D DSLR together with a Philips SPC900NC Webcam.

I was first attracted to this forum because I noticed the thread entitled  'No EQ DSO Challenge', which was refreshing.

I hope to post some of my previous efforts on that thread shortly.

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Welcome to SGL. 

I started my astrophotography using a Alt-Az mount and it's quite capable, especially for the brighter objects. if you can keep your subs to between 1 and 2 minutes, capture a lot of them, than use a program like Nebulosity that can stack and derotate your subs, I don't see why you couldn't image DSOs. Alt-Az mount like the one that my NexStar 8SE came with, has a autoguide port so it's obviously made with imaging in mind. 

The thing you will have problem with is narrowband imaging, since this is where your subs will need to be 10, 15, 20 minutes or longer and there you will definitely have issues where the field rotation will show in the frame.

Planetary imaging should be no problem.

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Welcome to SGL. 

I started my astrophotography using a Alt-Az mount and it's quite capable, especially for the brighter objects. if you can keep your subs to between 1 and 2 minutes, capture a lot of them, than use a program like Nebulosity that can stack and derotate your subs, I don't see why you couldn't image DSOs. Alt-Az mount like the one that my NexStar 8SE came with, has a autoguide port so it's obviously made with imaging in mind. 

The thing you will have problem with is narrowband imaging, since this is where your subs will need to be 10, 15, 20 minutes or longer and there you will definitely have issues where the field rotation will show in the frame.

Planetary imaging should be no problem.

Thank you for your reply.

I find that if I limit my subs to 30 sec and use an ISO value of 1600, or even 3200, I can often obtain satisfactory stacking using Deep Sky Stacker, providing that I am selective with my subs.

This is all OK with the brighter DSOs, but recently I was very unsuccessful when trying to image the Heart Nebula using these sort of exposures.

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Welcome to The SGL Forums Crater.

It's good you are also a member of an Astronomical Society, the two activities are quite 

compatible. You will make friend on SGL very quickly, but it doesn't have to be at the 

expense of losing those you also have at the Astro. Society.

Alt Az Imaging can be difficult, but by no means Impossible, In fact some good examples of

Alt- Az work can be found on these Imaging forums.

Best Wihes.

Ron.

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