WestCoastCannuck

I really enjoyed testing out the little 150 MAK.   Its a lovely scope to look through and image with.....  but perhaps unsurprisingly my 140 refractor achieved better results.

Be sure to look at full size!

Clear skies

Mike

I go through a few scopes here and there for fun.    Have a 150 MAK I just tried out - first light.   Views were nice. I like it!  Probably won't keep it as I have my 140 refractor,  but you never know.   Shot this morning in the wee hours a little before dawn.

Clear skies

Mike

So great to have something nice to share again.  Been a while. 

With my 140/7 APM and 183MM in green.    Shot at F11.2,  upscaled to F16.8 in processing.

Clear skies!!

Mike

10 minutes ago, astrolulu said:

Thanks, definitely don't give up on color! To be honest, lately I have had a tendency to limit my interference with color. Similarly to sharpening - I still think that I am acting too aggressively and one step back would improve the overall impression of the photo. For example here - I tried to sharpen very gently and minimize color manipulation. Someone may say that it is almost monochrome - but maybe the Moon is just like that?

When it comes to color, it is worth remembering the IR-cut filter. ASI 178 has it in a protective widow, ASI 183, which I am currently using, does not. And it gave a visible color difference. I took these photos using a Baader IR/UV-cut filter and the color returned to normal...

 

Yeah...  I have to put a UV/IR cut in my 678MC,  bot not on my  QHY 5III 485C.   I LOVE my 183MM and am still looking for a 183MC non cooled used.   They are out there.   I have grid problems with the 678,   and my colour sucks the worst with my QHY.    Other than the grid artifacts,  I got a couple of acceptable colour results,  but nothing great.

Thanks for encouragement....  I will learn one day.

I am in agreement to your thinking on sharpening..... though I prefer the slightly punchier colour you usually have - still VERY restrained in comparison to many and I think you usually hit it spot on.   You are correct I believe though,  I think the above lovely shot is likely more "real",   but I am in favour of a LITTLE exaggeration myeslf.  :)))))

Your colour processing skillz are awe inspiring as always.    Your results are the main reason I have not sold off my colour cams - I suck working with colour,  but for even the faint possibility of doing similar work one day,  I keep them.

Clear skies

Mike

4 hours ago, Space Cowboy said:

Thanks Mike! Why are you struggling with the QHY? 

One shot colour in general not specifically the QHY.   Just can't get colour I am happy with usually.   Occasionally,   but rarely.

Cheers

Mike

From Apr 27th.

First up,  the best 600 of 2500 frames of a single panel vid just squeezing in the frame.  140+1.5X,  183MM camera.  520nm filter.

A little soft to the south for some reason.  It is, what it is.

Next up,  a 15 panel  terminator mosaic with CPC1100,  290MM camera and 685nm filter.   Seeing variable.  Shared at 100% view

Clear skies to you all!

Mike

Super details of one of all our faves!

Such lovely work.   The last one especially pops.   Your images are so clean all throughout.   Mine ALWAYS have spots not so good,  or ringing somewhere...  something.    Possibly I am leaning more heavily on the "lucky" part of lucky imaging.   HAHA

So glad you are getting to put that 12 through its paces!

Very best

Mike

Lovely image!   Maybe I will try a couple more times with my QHY (same as yours) before giving it up.  (Me and one shots don't seem to get along)

Clear skies

Mike

Truly,  your colour is absolutely epic.   One day I will come close I hope.   I have given up on one shot cameras - will just have to learn LRGB combining.

With regards

Mike

15 hours ago, Roy Foreman said:

That's a nice sharp image. Excellent work !

Thanks Roy!! 

14 hours ago, neil phillips said:

The joys of getting larger scopes to settle. Good to have a quality refractor as a backup. Nice result Mike. Your usual high standards

Yeah...   wish it had vents for fans.  Sadly not.  And thanks Neil - in spite of some tracking issues it came out well.  (just more panels than usual)

14 hours ago, ONIKKINEN said:

Really sharp! Not sure i would call this oversampled no matter what the theory says. My eyes seem to like it very much!

Thanks Onikkenen!  As you say...  its only over sampled by the math - and not all THAT much.   I actually did the last sharpening at F22.4.....  then reduced back to what I hoped was a sweet spot.    

13 hours ago, michael.h.f.wilkinson said:

Very nice and sharp image. Like the very natural look, crisp, but not over-sharpened at all

Thanks Michael!   Like many of us,  I struggle sometimes to find the balance in sharpening.  haha.   We SO want to show all the detail we can....  but there is always a price.  haha

Crazy stuff Roy!  Fantastic resolution.  Some serious aperture well applied.

Mike

1 hour ago, symmetal said:

Excellent. That's one of the best Moon images I've seen.  😊 What's the bandwidth of the 520nm filter and the exposure used. I've used a Baader 10nm solar continuum filter at 540nm for the Moon with good results, FLT98 and 2x Powermate, but it doesn't quite match yours. Your extra 40mm aperture would make a significant difference I imagine. 🙂

Alan

Thanks much Alan for your kind words.

Off the top of my head, I don't remember the range of the filter, but its the Baader green ccd filter from the LRGB set.   

A 140 refractor indeed does capture much more than a 100!  .  I started with a 100.... Then a 120.  This is my last one.  I simply can't afford significantly bigger or believe me it would probably happen.  Lol

1 hour ago, Sunshine said:

Awesome image!

Thanks Sunshine!!

My C11 did not settle in time,  but my 140mm refractor came through!

140mm F7 @ F13.3,   2.4um pixels,  520nm filter, best 600 of 2000 frames,  4 panels

Clear skies to you!

Mike

Outstanding work Neil.   Truly wonderful as always to view your stuff.  Clavius is fabulous. 

15 minutes ago, Mandy D said:

Thank you! The Skytee 2 is amazing. Mine has quite a bit of slop in the azimuth drive, but the thing is so heavy and has so much inertia, you barely notice except when you reverse direction. The bigger problem I was finding was that with the Moon as high as it was last night, I was sitting on the ground to look through the viewfinder or at the LCD and could barely reach the altitude control knobs!

It really has become not-so-much-anymore "grab and go", but I have now cleared space where I can get west and north without being seen and it is not far from my door, so I don't really care as I keep it set up in the hallway and just have to unfold the legs, mount the scope and I'm ready to go. That sounds worse than it really is, but it takes no longer than dragging the 200P Dob out. I must really get it on the 2" tripod with the pier which needs a bit more machining to achieve that, but will give me more height.

It is never ending I have found.   Always something new or something you want to improve or change.  haha.   But its all worth it when under the sky. 

Great first effort!  I have a skytee 2 arriving this week for my not-so-much-anymore "grab and go"!   I am looking forward to it.   My previous lighter mount/tripod was too wobbly for my 102ED loaded with a 2 inch diagonal and heavy eyepiece.

Clear skies

Mike

Lots of detail!  Great result from a single snap!

I really like the earth tones in this.  Try a 1.4X converter if you have one for fun!

Mike

Lovely colour!

On 03/04/2023 at 00:02, neil phillips said:

Good to see you posting. Getting some nice results in with the C11. Its one of those scopes that is almost perfect in the ability to setup. Move around. Yet resolution is starting to get serious. 

A ideal combination. Particularly like your Clavius Moretus region. Some excellent fine detail coming through. 

Thanks Neil!  I finally got around to redoing the colour shot.   Not nearly as good as I have seen from many others,  but better than the first one!  haha

Clear skies!

Very nice.   I far prefer the colour from the first round myself!  They do not seem at all too green on my screen.   Its a tricky thing colour.  There is no right answer for the moon - all subjective.   Having said that,  I have the same camera,  plus a good QHY one shot,  and I can't get anything as good as these.   I will learn.   I don't have photoshop - maybe I will try paintshop pro.  Need to learn to use layers.

Great stuff!   Thanks for sharing!

Mike

Congrats on new scope!! (?)    I have a "new" mount on the way to me I am looking forward to.   Retiring my iOptron AZ Mount Pro and soon using an  AZ EQ6 GT.    It should handle my 140MM better (big moment arm).   I will continue to just use AZ....  but the EQ is there if I ever want.

Lovely first images!!   I like the processing.  :)))))

Very best

Mike  (I am still alive - just shitty sky)

Hey all.  Hopefully heading into my imaging season and out of the clouds soon.  I squeezed in a fun session this past Thursday after sunset in jittery seeing.   (Lucky imaging rules!)

First I did a quick 3 piece mosaic with my 140 refractor and 678MC.   Oversampled.  Don't ask me where the colour went...  I have trouble with it.    I will learn one day - I don't have photoshop or anything that can do layers...  considering Paintshop Pro.

New colour effort from same data.   At least now you can SEE colour!  haha  (2023-04-13)

Next up are my efforts with my C11.   I am happier with these given the wonky seeing!   I combined a bunch of them in 3 mosaics..... I rather like them.   Especially this first one for the views near the terminator through the Mares south of Copernicus.     All are done with C11,  290MM,  685nm filter,  and are comprised of 600 frames per panel from 10K vids.

Clavius and Southern Limb

Copernicus,   Eratosthenes and the Apennine Mountains

I wish the clearest skies to all!!

Mike

😎