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zcapp96

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Posts posted by zcapp96

  1. I have to say that Flo really disappointed me, they were clearly listed on the vendors list on the website but their presence just seemed to be a handful of leaflets with their website address. They could have mentioned here that they were going to be there in name only.

    • Like 1
  2. I decided to pop along anyway, picked up a load of zwo stuff at 10% off from 365 astronomy. I was shocked at how few stalls there were now. This was the first time I had been in years and there were only 2 pure astro shops, 365 and the wide-screen centre. I remember it being much better before, surely cannot last much longer like this.

    • Like 1
  3. Was wondering if anyone has been to astrofest today in Kensington and seen if any retailers are offering any good deals. I was thinking about going tomorrow and was wondering if it would be worth the trip, none of the talks really appeal to me (not for £50!). I might have considered a couple if I could have just paid for them!

    • Like 1
  4. The weather has been awful here and have had little opportunity to image anything this year. The clouds parted a bit on Monday, although still a bit of wispy cloud, so I decided to try and get an image of Ceres close to M100. Used my 72ed and a astromodded Canon 600d. 27x3min exposures. Not too bad considering the weather and I have tried to identify as many of the galaxies in the shot as possible!

    Ceres 27-03-23.png

    Ceres 27-03-23 labels 2.png

    • Like 4
  5. I could see the eclipse from my garden due to flats and trees blocking the low Sun so took my telescope and son to a local park and set up in the car park. Felt like I was on an outreach program as I let a few dog walkers have a look as well! Used my DSLR as I didn't have power for the laptop and 290mm. Got some good images before I got clouded out for the 2nd half. Taken with a Canon 600D through a 150pds with a white light filter. All are just single shots. Love how you can see the mountains on the edge of the moon!

    1.png

    2.png

    3.png

    • Like 6
  6. I used my new 2x Barlow for the first time last night with my c9.25 and it really seemed to help bring out some detail. Was a case of cloud dodging and grabbing frames when I could so I don't think I was 100% on matching the levels for each channel but turned out really well, I think. Best 45% of 5000 frames in RGB with a ASI290mm

    Jupiter 25-09-22.png

    Mars 24-09-22.png

    • Like 7
  7. Finally got around to processing these files into an animation from 9th August. This was just a test to see what I could get at the end of a session and with the Sun due to rise in an hour. I only used an IR 740nm Pass filter as I didn't have time to keep changing filters for colour. Turned out really well and is something I will have to explore as we approach opposition and I have more time! Best 50% of 5000 frames for each of the 30 images taken with a ASI290mm through a C9.25 at F10.

     

    • Like 7
  8. After what seems like forever, I was finally able to get the C9.25 out to try and image the Planets! All three are from using a ASI290mm through the C9.25 and were the best 35% of 5000 frames for each channel. An IR 742nm Pass filter was used as the luminosity layer for the Jupiter and Saturn images. 

    Saturn 1 09-08-22.png

    Jupiter 09-08-22.png

    Jupiter2 09-08-22.png

    Mars 09-08-22.png

    Moons 09-08-22.png

    • Like 7
  9. 15 hours ago, Pete Presland said:

    Have you tried uninstalling, then a fresh reinstall?

    I did, it didn't seemed to have much effect. I have noticed it seems fine for the first few avi's then slows down. Resetting the computer seemed to work for a few more avi's but I don't want to have to do that every half hour or so. It was slowest when processing white light solar images, I have moved on to HA images now and its much quicker, I wondering if the relatively blank WL AVI's are causing the difficulties.

  10. I don't know what's happened but Autostakkert has becoming really really slow recently, it how takes over an hour to process a single solar pane (1900x1000 with 5000 frames) It never used to be that slow. Don't think its the computer, has a 6 core Ryzen 5 processor, 16GB Ram and and 8GB Radeon RX580 graphics card. Has any one else had this problem and been able to solve it?

  11. I studied Astronomy and Physics at UCL in the late '90's and was lucky enough to use the radcliffe 24 inch refractor. It also features in the 'Look and read' BBC schools serial 'The Boy from space’ and also was the observatory that the scientists observe the alignment of the 3 stars that signify the second coming in 'The Omen 3'. It's a fantastic scope and so large that the whole floor has to be raised and lowered to enable you to see through it! 

    • Like 1
  12. I've been itching to try out my new Evostar 72ED but weather has been rubbish. There was a chance of some clear sky according to the BBC on Saturday and things did look promising as I set up but then patchy thick cloud came rolling in. Anything deepsky was out of the question so tried the moon instead. Was able to do the full disc image with just one panel using the 72ED and an ASI290mm, only because it was at 1st quarter otherwise it wouldn't have fit. Best 50% of 5000 frames. Decided to then get the C9.25 out and try for some close ups. It's slightly out of collimation but could not get on a star long enough to recollimate so decided to just go for it and the results seem good. Again, best 50% of 5000 frames. Considering the many false starts when the clouds would roll in before I had all 5000 frames I am very happy with the results!

    72ED Final 2.png

    SCT 2.png

    SCT 3.png

    SCT 4.png

    • Like 7
    • Thanks 1
  13. 3 hours ago, Pete Presland said:

    very nicely captured, the white light disc is excellent

    Thanks! I'm still learning with the HA telescope but the white light really benefits from being on the 150pds, I'm able to set the exposure length to the absolute minimum of 0.03ms without too much gain to get really good videos to process.

    • Like 1
  14. These are two mosaics taken with a 150pds for the white light and a Daystar solarscout SS60-ds for the HA. Both used a ASI290mm.  Around the best 40% of 5000 frames. Very pleased with the White light one and the HA came out okay but was difficult to make the panels match due to lots of small wispy clouds affecting the captures. First attempt at a full HA disc so a good experience!

    Sun HA Prom Final.png

    WL 3.png

    • Like 7
  15. This is the Hydrogen Alpha disc I took just after the white light disc on the 2nd. Taken with a Daystar Solar scout  SS60-DS and ASI290mm. Best 40% of 5000 frames and panels combined in photoshop. There was lots of wispy cloud around and that made it had to match the exposures of each panels. Combined with overexposed images for the prominences. 

    Sun HA Prom Final.png

    • Like 2
  16. Got the daystar solar scout and the white light filter for the 150pds out for the first time in ages to have a look at AR2975 and AR2976 as well as a prominence on the nearby limb, really pleased with the images I got. I even found something bubbling up further around the limb. Checking on spaceweather they say there is a massive sunspot just about to come into view early next week, worth looking out for. Each image around the best 40% of 5000 frames taken through a 150PDS for the white light and a daystar solar scout ss-60 for the HA, both using a ASI290mm. Forgive the weird orientation! 

    HA Prom 1.png

    HA Prom 3.png

    HA sunspot 2.png

    WL 2.png

    • Like 5
  17. Had a go at some galaxies the other night, started with the Leo Triplet and then moved on to M51 when they went behind a block of flats. Both done through an Astro modded Canon 600d on a 150pds. 30 x 300s second exposures with flats and dark frames. Think I'm going to have to have a good study up on processing as I'm sure there is more to get out of them, particularly with my 'wonder what this will do' approach!

    Leo Triplet 2.png

    M51.png

    • Like 4
  18. 13 hours ago, RoloFanatic said:

    Great picture, I think M81 and M82 might be my favourite objects in the night sky at the moment!

    Thanks, I only took this by accident really, I was hoping to do the rosette nebula but it took so long to set up my gear that it would have gone  behind a tree in the next hour so had a look at my list of targets to see what was visible and it was between this and the Leo triplet, but that was still a bit too low down.

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