Chefgage

There are some good YouTube videos on workflows for gimp. Even with a quick 5 minutes of processing your stacked image it's surprising how much detail gimp can bring out.

Have a try with the GIMP software. It's free and gives you a good idea/practice at processing your images.

Don't expect a massive improvement of the image after stacking. Mine often look worse (image is a lot darker, detail lost). But this is why you then process the image using what ever software you use (gimp for instance). Which then brings out all the detail.

This drives me a bit mad when using my 75mm to300mm lens. You only have to look at it and the focus changes. I have read about using a wide rubber band over the focusing ring so it makes it more difficult to move, so that should help. Also using a bit of blu tack (but I would have thought as you apply the blu tack you run the risk of altering the focus). The rubber band idea seemed best to me but I have yet to try it.

What kind of processing of the pictures have you done after stacking them? It's a bit difficult to advise as you have posted the raw file in the first link. The last link you posted I am not sure what that's supposed to be? If you post the actual picture in say JPEG format it would help.

Thanks for sharing that great memory (even if the police did drink your coffee).

Depending on what you are doing (astrophotography for example) to accurately align to polaris, Polaris needs to be off centre in the polar scope. So yes using an app is a good idea to show where abouts Polaris needs to be on the clock face.

I presume you are looking through a polar scope? If so then use the star adventurer mini console. When loaded up, use the polar clock utility to show where Polaris needs to be in your polar scope (you need to put your location into the app).

M44 The Beehive Cluster taken on the 19-04-2020 60 lights and 10 darks. Lights were iso 800 and 60 seconds exposure. Taken with a 75mm to 300mm lens at 200mm on a Canon 200D mounted on a star adventurer pro.

Do you check the histogram on the camera?

There should be plenty of adjustment in all directions on the red dot finder so you can line it up with what you see in the eye piece. I do recall reading some people having problems with there not being enough adjustment though. This was fixed by 'shimming' the mounting bracket part of the red dot finder between the bracket and scope. This had the effect of tilting the red dot giving that bit extra adjustment. But this will depend on the mount design on your scope whether you can do this.

Good point 😀

Lovely image. I bet that location gives no end of great photo opportunities. Although you are braver than me, being so close to that old graveyard at that time in the morning 😀

When you say it was way off target are you referring to when you are aligning/setting it up? Another point to note is to make sure you do not move the scope when you have centred the object in the eye piece. I have managed to centre the object then adjust the red dot finder so it is centered on the same object. But when I looked again through the eye piece it was not there. This was because I slightly nudged the scope. Have you been able the centre an object in the eye piece and then adjust the red dot finder so it is centred on the same object?

Don't let it get to you, try and try again 😀. I too suffered from a similar situation. I set up for 60 subs of the beehive cluster. After about 5 subs I checked and everything looked good. I did not check until near the end when I noticed the images were very light/washed out. It was then I realised my lens was dewed over. So I got 12 out of 60 subs. Reviewing them on the pc you can see the dew getting worse after every sub 😂.

Regards it being way off I have replied to your other thread and described how to set it up. They are not set up ready to go when you buy them as everyone's scope will be different. You need to adjust it using the adjustment screws/wheels to align to your scope.

Did you align the red dot finder with the scope during daylight (it makes it easier). The object (something about a mile away) must be centered in the eyepiece. You then align the red dot finder so the dot is centred over the object you can see through the eye piece. So it's align the red dot finder to the scope and not the other way round. Then put in a higher magnification eye piece and then repeat the process. As a test move the scope around a bit then using the red dot finder, centre on the distant object. The object should now be in the eye piece.

Remove the screws from the plate on the right hand side. The raised collar under the screws head is the threaded part. The screws need to go through the hole on the left hand plate (in your picture) and the end of the screws should just come out through the raised collar on the right hand plate which is threaded.

I think the problem with taking a stash of flats would be that any dust on the sensor would not then be corrected for as you would have moved the camera on your next imaging session. Also additional dust may have accumulated since you last took the flats. That's my understanding as to why the flats need to be taken before moving/removing the camera.

I like the idea of the wide field images of the constellations along with the lines drawn on. I might have to have a go at getting a set of them myself.

They look good don't they. I saw some about three years ago.

I align my red dot finder (actually a quick finder), with a church spire that is only about 1/4 mile away. This gives me very good results. I agree with what has been said if, if you do not look through the red dot finder at the same angle each time the illuminated dot/circles can move off centre.

Sorry if this is stating the obvious but are you using the zoom function on the view screen to aid focusing. As in focus, then zoom in 5x and refocus, then zoom in 10x and refocus again.

I will try and try again then 😀

Very nice colour. I posted on another thread about this but I never seem to get the yellow colour when taking moon images (when the moon is yellow in colour obviously). Mine always turn out just as the usual black and white normal moon colours.