DirkSteele

Are you sure they are not already saturated? Perhaps warm them in the oven and see if they change to different colour when dry.

Nice, that definitely improved it.

Thanks. Just been lucky to be on some great beaches which have presented the photo op.

There are over 1,100 known Open Clusters in the Milky Way (and a lot more hidden by dust). There are around 100 just in Cassiopeia which is a high amount considering its is only 25th by area. I set myself the observing challenge to view every single cluster brighter than magnitude +12 in a single session. I compiled the list using Sky Safari 5 Pro data which made it a more manageable 44. However, I did run across some which should have made the cut but have an unknown magnitude. The report is on the link below: http://alpha-lyrae.co.uk/2020/09/16/observing-all-open-clusters-in-cassiopeia-brighter-than-mag-12-part-1/ I have split into two reports as it is quite long. There is a link at the end of part one which takes you to the second. It was a rather enjoyable challenge and I viewed several new to me DSOs, many of which I will return to in the future. Quite a busy part of the sky. This is just Open Clusters to 12th magnitude. Benefit of being on the arms of the Milky Way! Feedback always appreciated. Hope you enjoy the read, and maybe have a go yourself.

Apparently I take a lot of photos on holiday I then don't bother processing. Taken in 2015, but only processed in the last couple of weeks (thanks to no vacation abroad due to Covid). The Milky Way setting over Benguerra Island in Mozambique. Almost all dinners are served on the beach and that night the staff set up all the tables in line and I thought it would make a good shot. I ran back to the villa and grabbed my camera. Composite of two images. Foreground was a 2 sec exposure at ISO 800. The nightsky was 25 seconds at ISO5000. I actually think I pushed the ISO too much on this holiday and have only used 3200 ever since, as it came out a bit grainy. Using an un-modified Canon 70D and Canon 14mm L lens at f/2.8 (effective 22mm due to crop sensor).

Perhaps I have observed something that is not real, but it seems to be that the results of the competition swing from "artistic" one year, and then "proper" astro-images the next, and back to artisitc after that. This is year for art I guess. However, it does seem that to stand out these days, something unusual needs be part of an image to stand out.

Excellent achievement, well done.

Still working my way through some of the night sky photos I took while on vacation on Benguerra Island in Mozambique last year. A borderline Bortle Class 1 sky means it was amazing for stargazing (and I made use of it a lot with my Tak FC-76) but also allowed for some great compositions like this. This is one of the 12 Villas in the &Beyond resort. Shot with unmodified Canon 70D using. A 14mm lens at f/2.8. The foreground was a 2 second exposure at ISO800 and the sky was 25 seconds at ISO3200. Processed in Lightroom and blended with a layer mask in Photoshop.

Excellent. My wife's parents own a place not far from the eclipse path so think I know where I will be!

Awesome.

That is a very attractive scope. And quite the performer from what I have read. Enjoy!

Wow, a lot of yummy glass there @garryblueboy Your TMB 115 is even older than mine (no 142).

To quote a famous jedi - "An elegant weapon for a more civilised age"

Great report. Makes me anticipate my next session under the stars

That sucks, sorry to hear that. We cancelled our plans for the year back in April as I was rather pessimistic about how this year would play out. We are doing a staycation later this year. Hoping we do not fall foul of local lockdowns, as will be packing a scope. Won’t be the Bortle Class 1/2 that the island above benefits from but will be nice to escape central London light pollution.

Amazing!! @mikeDnight

Been digging though old photos of trips away (unsurprising in the current difficult environment) and found myself looking at our 2015 trip to Benguerra Island in Mozambique. On the beach is an old Dhow fishing vessel which came ashore during a typhoon and they converted it into a bar. It is pretty amazing place to have a drink. We also visited in 2019 and this time much earlier in the year when the central Milky Way was rising rather than setting. Provides a nice contrast. The canvass has expanded over those 4 years and the girl at the bar was now my wife rather than girlfriend. Both images are composites with foreground and background images taking moments apart. The 2015 image was 2 sec foreground at ISO800 and the background was 20 secs at ISO5000. Both at f/2.8 and 22mm focal length. I think I pushed the ISO a bit much and the sky is a bit grainy. The 2019 image was 2 sec foreground and 25 sec background at ISO3200 with the same camera and lens. All processing in Lightroom and combined with a layers mask in photoshop.

Taken about 55 mins after sunset, this is a 4 pane panorama of the Zodiacal Light on vacation on Benguerra Island in Mozambique in early July 2019. There was a tourist fishing vessel moored in the bay which had a bright light point towards the beach which was illuminating the sand. Each image was 25 seconds at ISO3200 and f/2.8 using a Canon 70D and a 14mm L lens (equivalent to 22mm on the crop sensor). Stitched using Microsoft ICE and processed in Lightroom.

My wife not only selects places around the world with access to very dark skies, but she will ensure we travel between 3/4 and 1/4 moon to minimise its impact on my stargazing. Its a win - win in her mind, as she gets to go to amazing places, and I get to stargaze under Bortle Class 1 and 2 skies. Even our honeymoon was timed to match that lunar calendar (and by extension our wedding as that was a week early around full moon)! Worth it though....View above our villa.

California Nebula as well. i own a 2” Thousand Oaks H-Beta. Used to spot the HH with an 11”.

I am not sure I possess the superlative in my vocabulary to praise this image adequately.

That is great. Where did you source the 16" pillar from?

Yep. I saw it too. Perhaps I have also been licking one two many (if that is possible) lenses.😁

Ha! Snap. Been there, got the T-shirt. Certainly panic for a second or two until the penny drops.

I do similar when I am down there. Once I am orientated I can usually work my way into the Southern constellations. Though I will never get used to Orion being upside down!