PembrokeSteve

Jaw dropping image Neil ! Best Regards, Steve

Many thanks to Mike & Martyn, for your comments. Yes Mart, I am looking forward to seeing what it can do deep sky wise, and will def post something to the deep sky section as soon as I can. Regards, Steve

Hi, On the evening of 14th March I tested out the optics on my new telescope, a TS Optics Photoline 115 f/7 Triplet APO (which is going to be used for deep sky imaging only) and I am pleased to say everything looked great. In fact when looking through the 115, what I saw, reminded me of the views my Intes-Micro MN56 give me, everything was pin sharp, inky black sky etc. The moon was free from colour with no apparent CA on its edges. So I am a happy man! I only got the telescope out for the star testing, but after viewing the moon, I just could not resist attaching my ZWOASA178MC camera, to do a quick two panel mosaic. Camera Resolution : 3096 x 2080. Two 630 frame AVI's processed through Autostakkert and stacked at 30%, then stitched together via Affinity Photo Panorama, some levels adjustment and a small amount of unsharp mask. Regards, Steve

Hi, Would like to praise Altair Astro (UK) for their recent excellent service. I had been pondering on getting the TS Optics Photoline 115 f/7 Triplet Refractor for the last 3 years. However getting hold of this scope from a UK dealer did not seem possible, until I noticed that AltairAstro.com had it, and a few other TS Refractors on their website. The price looked good to me at £1,198.00 inc VAT and only an extra £7.20 for delivery. So I contacted Altair Astro via Messenger on 4th February to ask was it in stock. They gave me a prompt reply that it was out of stock, however, if I placed my order with them, then they would obtain it for me in approx 7 to 10 days. Anyway I placed my order the following day 5th February. I then received my 115 Triplet safe and sound on 15th February. The scope was delivered by Fedex, and I am pleased to say it arrived in perfect condition. Who ever packed the scope, did a superb job indeed. It is a can be very worrying experience ordering a telescope, and paying out a lot of money etc. But all I can say is Altair Astro were excellent in their communications with me and provided me with an excellent service. Regards, Steve

Tuesday of this week was a Happy Day for me, but not for my wife (when she saw what had arrived LOL). I had been pondering on getting the TS-Optics Photoline 115 ED Triplet for the last 3 years, however after Brexit the shipping/tax costs from dealers in Germany put me off pulling the trigger. Then recently, I noticed that the UK website of Altair Astro Limited had the scope listed under it's refractors (£1,205.20 inc delivery), so I put my order in, and I am pleased to now be the proud owner. It is a beautiful telescope indeed and mounted on my NEQ6 , I have a BIG problem in that I just can't stop looking at it !! It is very heavy towards the objective end and I will need to take some careful time in getting it balanced right. The objective lens looks perfect. I am going to get a carry-handle for it, which I can then slot a guide scope onto as well. So if you are wondering why we have this stormy weather, you can blame me !! Regards, Steve

Hi, Superb Image, Regards, Steve

Hi Beautiful image and the way you have framed (composed it) it is superb. Regards, Steve

Hi Fedele, Very nice images. I like the way you keep the colour saturation subtle. Regards, Steve

Hi Reggie, Many thanks for your comments Cheers Steve

Hi Neil, Stunning, awesome work mate, Regards, Steve

Hi, When it comes to processing, I am a bit of a slow-coach ! Here are a few images that I have just completed. I have started shooting 1 minute and 20 second AVI's on Jupiter and up to 3 minutes on Saturn. Before I was only doing 45 to 50 seconds on both. As a result I think there is a bit of an improvement. Thanks to Neil on this forum, I am also hitting RGB Balance button in Registax, which I was not doing before ! Lol Trouble is where I live the seeing always seems turbulent, mainly due sea breezes from living close to the coast in West Wales UK. The planets are virtually bubbling on my laptop screen. Never mind "keep calm and carry on" as they say ! Equipment:- Intes MK67 Maksutov on NEQ6 Mount. ZWO ASA 178MC Camera. x2 Barlow used on three of the images. Processing:- Imaged at the scope using SharpCap in RAW8 mode. Afterwards processed through PIPP, AS3, Registax and Affinity Photo. Regards, Steve

Hi Mike, I always have great difficulty with noise reduction. (ie) applying it to good effect, without losing the sharpness. So a lot of the time unless the seeing was really good , I end up with grainy images, much like what 400 ASA 35mm film would give you. On my lunar, like the images a have posted here, I typically shoot about 1,350 frames and stack 20% of them in AS3. I only have the Freeware Neat Image, which does not always give a good results and only in the JPEG format. I also have Affinity Photo Noise Reduction and of course I regularly use Gaussian Blur, but again, I hate the way "de-noising" robs my images of sharpness. I suppose I will have to spend some money and invest in something effective like Topaz De-Noise. Would you suggest I shoot more frames? Regards, Steve

Hi Mike, Stunning Images, and I am mega impressed by your VC200L images ! Your work seems to have gone to a new level ! Regards Steve

Hi, After an evening's session imaging Jupiter on 21st September, I could'nt resist turning my scope onto the moon and taking a few images. I concentrated on the moon's edges and stayed with my favourite ROI (camera capture area) for lunar of 1920 x 1200. Quite pleased with the results, considering the moon was still low in the sky with a slight breeze kicking in and making the seeing unsteady. Equipment: Intes MK67 Maksutov on NEQ6 mount. ZWO ASi 178MC camera. Processing: Avi's ran through Autostakkert 3. Wavelets tweaked in Registax. Final adjustments done in Affinity Photo. Regards, Steve

Jupiter and Ganymede on 22nd August 2021 Hi, Just finished processing one of the many images I took on the evening of 22nd August 2021 at 23.49pm in the UK. Although this is quite poor compared to some of the fantastic entries here, I'm pleased to have captured the Red Spot in a "portrait mood" and that I also captured Ganymede as a distinct small disc ! Some Details :- Telescope: Intes MK67 Maksutov Camera: ZWOASi178MC . Mount: NEQ6 PRO Actual imaging at telescope done using SharpCap. x2 Barlow Lens used 4,207 RAW8 frames shot through my ZWOASi178MC., at ROI capture resolution 1040x1040. Processing:- Processed through PIPP, 20% stack of 4,207 frames ran through Autostakkert 3. Wavelets and colour balance adjusted / tweaked in Registax 6. Final touches to image done using Affinity Photo. Regards to All Steve

Excellent image Regards, Steve

Hi, Many thanks for your comments Regards, Steve

Very nice image. I like the way it brings more detail in, as you look towards the lunar horizon . What you have done processing wise is positive stuff indeed. Regards, Steve

Hi, A few images below of Jupiter, taken on the evening of 22nd August and early hours of 23rd August, between 23.12pm to 00.24am . Images one (23.12pm) and two (23.16pm) show the tail end of the Ganymede transition. As Jupiter got higher in the sky, the clarity improved. Hence my fourth image (taken at 00.24am) is a bit clearer and sharper than the rest. The sky background may look a little bright. This is because of the full moon being in close proximity. Also, it was my first attempt at imaging Jupiter this year and because of excitement and being out of practice, I probably had my camera gain set a little too high at 298, giving a brighter background. Equipment: Imaged through my Intes MK67 Maksutov (no barlow lens used) on NEQ6 mount, via my ZWOASI178MC camera. Image capture area (ROI) set at 1040x1040, using RAW8 format to produce higher frame capture rate. Images run through SharpCap at the telescope and afterwards processed through PIPP, and AS3. Only the smallest of tweaks in Registax wavelets, then onto Affinity Photo for some slight levels and curves adjustments. My train of thought at the moment, is to keep "sharpening at the minimum" too avoid creating noise. I prefer my Jupiter images to be more subtle than heavily processed. Regards, Steve

Hi, Nothing better than the smell of an Intes (not napalm) first thing in the morning Lol Love my Intes MK67 to bits ! Regards, Steve

Many thanks Nick. I always find the twilight crescent moon the most difficult to image and process. Regards, Steve

Hi Mike, Wow, when I see the VC200L in your photo, it makes me realise how big your Refractor is ! Regards, Steve

Hi, A few images here that I took very early in the evening on 14th July, not long after sunset. During very hot British weather! I was inspired by some of the recent daylight images that I had seen on SGL and thought I would give it a go! Equipment:- Vixen VC200L and ZWOASI178MC camera. Captured using SharpCap and afterwards processed via Autostakkert and then Affinity Photo. A lot of my images were complete failures, but I have scraped the barrel and perhaps some (these) are not too bad. The quality is a bit noisy, but I am pleased I salvaged something out of the Barbeque smoke. Images 1. Mosaic Image. Four 3096 x 2080 panes stitched together using Affinity Photo Panorama. 2. Large section of the Eastern Moonscape. (Imaged at camera resolution 1920 x 1200) 3. Another 1920 x 1200 res image. In this one the eye is drawn to Mare Crisium, with the Crater Condorcet just about visible at 1 o,clock. 4. An image crop showing the Mare Nectaris region and the interesting Half Crater Fracastorius. I am starting to enjoy labeling some of my images with the names. 5. Two pane mosaic converted to black and white. Mare Crisium on the the right and the distinctive craters Atlas and Hercules on the left. down below in the shadow is the crater Posidonius and Montes Taurus. Regards to all, Steve

Hi, One of my favourite lunar images, taken with my Intes MK67 and ZWO178MC.

Hi John and Craney, Thanks for the comments. The lunar landing sites fascinate me greatly, especially in regards to imaging them. Regards, Steve