Bagginsies

I have re-installed DSS and took some images of M13 last night (10x90sec) I also spent some time looking at the backlash settings as they were fairly high, I have reduced them and it seems smoother. Not even sure if it makes a difference in actual tracking? I now know it isn't the tracking as M13 was fine. Image was stacked in DSS and turned out well. Will wait for a really clear night and try again on a comet.

Just tried a new stack with kappa-sigma clipping and this I took each light frame and increased the clarity (made stars and comet brighter) of each light frame. The final stack was better but had a double image. i.e. every star had another below it. Looking at it I may have even forgot tot stack the comet! Think I need to wait and get some good data and try again.

The top image didn't have flats, but even when added, it still comes out the same. I am thinking it is the software struggling to keep the comet and star positions right when stacking. When you go through the light frames, the stars jump around a lot. Although the pictures are clear, the stars move a bit each time (not in the same direction either so not tracking, it would be like taking a pictures hand held), so could be tiny movement from a loose gear or some other tiny movement in the setup. When stacking this then makes it hard for the software to keep up with position of everything in the light frames and this makes it put one or two frames in a different location thus creating the lines....if you get what I mean, not sure I even do LOL

I have used those settings and it didn't work (don't really understand it all yet, so just checking boxes half the time!). As for dithering, I don't think the box was checked, but that is something I have yet to understand/test. The learning continues...….. LOL I had the same with some working and some not, will try other methods to see what I can do, but like vlaiv pointed out, I think some better data in my light frames will help DSS in it's job. I had a great picture a while back, but could only stack on the comet, luckily the picture still looked good like that. I will use the next few weeks to try out some manual stacking etc. At least I will have something to do for the cloudy nights 🙂

When I look at each frame there is movement in the stars and the comet is slow so that could be a problem for the software as you say above. To be honest I had always just used the standard settings and not sure what I could/should tweak as it would just be guessing. Will have to look into it more, so much to learn and get my head around LOL. I was hoping someone would say "just click this button and hey presto" ha ha, if only! I have also just seen another thread on here about doing the two stacks (one on comet and one on stars) separately in DSS then blending myself in my photo editing software (Affinity Photo), again, so much to learn! ….but I know it will all be worth it in the end 🙂

Forgot, top image with trailing I didn't use flats or bias frames (only darks), but even when I use flats and bias I still get trailing.

An edited single image

Hey all, I have been using Deep Sky Stacker to stack my comet images. I have used the stack stars and comet before without problem, but for some reason this past few months, every time I stack now I get a slight star trailing as in the image below. I decided to have a quick go at Y1 Atlas last night (knowing the Moon and weather were not on my side) just to have some data to play with and test, but ended up with the same star trailing. I don't know what could be causing this as all my light frames (60sec @ iso1600) are clean, when I stack it as a normal star stack the stars are pin sharp (comet blurs obviously, but this tells me that the tracking is fine), I have made sure the comet selection is good checking each one thoroughly, I have even reset to default settings. I used to just click, save and stack and it worked fine. Not sure what is going on now? 20200505 C2019 Y1 Atlas.TIF

I have a few pic's on here in various posts, but most are on @photoncass if you have Instagram. I use a 2" barlow that is x2, but it is what you call non-telecentric. This means the closer I have it to the sensor on the camera, the less it multiply's the focal length. I also use a set of adaptors. This allows me to get enough 'in' focus. This sounds complicated, but to start with a standard barlow lens for your eyepiece size (not sure what it would be on yours? 2" or 1.25") should work fine (maybe see if you could borrow one before spending out any money?). The top of the forum has a link to the FLO webpage shop. You can find various ones on there. Do bear in mind that using a barlow will slow your telescope down and mean that you need to do longer exposures or higher iso. To get real 'prime' astrophotography, it is best to get a scope designed with astrophotography in mind. I was looking at moving my mirror closer, but I would probably break something LOL I am looking at a PDS or Comet Hunter next. Below is my barlow setup. I have a Canon t-ring adaptor, an svbony converter (eBay), an additional svbony extender (eBay) and the barlow lens itself taken off a revelationsastro kit. By attaching the barlow to the one converter I get about x1.5 magnification which allows me to fit the moon in shot. If I am imaging galaxies etc I use the second extender and get true x2 magnification. I also recently cleaned my mirrors and then took a picture of Capella with a bahtinov mask showing good focus (see bottom image)

I have a Celestron 130 SLT which doesn't have enough 'in' focus, but it is achievable with a barlow lens. I also use Iso 6400 and the lowest shutter speed (30) in video mode on a Canon 60D until I get it focused on a star. I then put it into bulb mode at Iso 1600, for my 1-2 minute exposures. Without the barlow I cannot get focus.

There is a guy on Instagram @nightskydan who caught a good one last night going through The Plough. I was out last night and saw it, but my camera was pointing lower at the trees 🤣

With the break up of Atlas, I decided to go back to comet T2 Panstarrs (don't know what it is, but I just love the idea of comets flying around the solar system!). Having learned more in this hobby (thanks all 🙂 ) I am getting better images as I go. My newest image is of Panstarrs. This seems to have stacked better and came out cleaner. I am now using flats and being more picky with what light frames I keep and what ones I throw away. Final image is 59 x 90 second lights, 10 x dark, bias and flat @ Iso3200 on the Celestron 130SLT. My best comet image so far and didn't take me so long in post processing. I have also started to learn more about time-lapse video editing with my main success being figuring out how to keep the stars still when the comet is moving. Hope you are all well and staying safe! Enjoy! 👍

Was a bit of a dampener. I saw about 6 or 7, but only caught one (right hand side of pic). I am thinking just getting one in any frame was a good result 🙂 Loving the star trails! I did have what looked like a good frame with a really bright one, but turned out to be an iridium satellite as it was in 4 of the 13 second frames before as a faint line! Fingers crossed for the next one!

Just packed up and noticed the secondary was completely fogged up so moisture was the problem! Couple of questions; I normally image with the scope on a concrete driveway, but tonight I stayed in the garden and had the scope setup on 3 blocks of wood (to stop it sinking in which worked fine), but with it being over grass, could this cause more moisture? I would have thought the main mirror would get more moisture as it was pointing upwards, would a fan at the back help this?

I am currently outside now taking my dark frames for M101. I have just tried to take 60 x 2 min subs @ Iso 3200. At first they seem fine with the histogram at about the 1st line (1/4 across), but on checking as I went through, they slowly get darker and darker until the histogram is on the left side? What is causing this? Scope pointing upwards and moisture on the mirror? (There does seem to be a lot of moisture on the outside) Sky is still clear! Camera is a Canon 60D attached to a Celestron 130SLT. I did exactly the same last night and got a great image of M51. Can't think what else would cause it.

As already said, great first image! You should be very pleased with that.

I have seen an image on Earth Sky showing it has broken into 4 smaller fragments 😞 Not sure I can post the link here, but a google search should find it.

Not the best images, but a big difference in the shape of the comet and I am no expert so not even sure what all the elongation of the tail really means. I was hoping it was getting bigger as it got closer to the Sun?

My second JCB image came out much better 🙂 Same settings, but I think the extra light as the Sun had not long gone done in the West helped.

Inspired by a YouTube video from Nightscapeimages I had a go at light painting the JCB last night. Not too shabby with a standard 18-50mm kit lens. 10 x 13s images F4.0 @ Iso1600 for stars and 3 x 13s light painted on JCB F7.1 @ Iso 400. Stars stacked in sequator and all images blended in Affinity Photo as per YouTube tutorial. Also took a quick picture of Taurus, Orion, Venus and Pleiades with my GooglePixel3a. Hope everyone from SGL and FLO are well! Stay Safe!