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PembrokeSteve

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Everything posted by PembrokeSteve

  1. Hi, Just a BIG thanks to Vlaiv, CloudMagnet, and Ollypenrice, for their time and efforts in answering my question, (which has been bugging me for a while). I am sure that this valuable advice will also be absorbed by other forum members who are new to Astro Imaging. Again many thanks, Steve
  2. Hi, How dark should the background of a typical deep sky image be ? I notice that many of the experienced imagers on our forum avoid the too dark (black) background, and seem to prefer light to dark grey. However some imagers do seem to prefer the black/ high contrast background in their images., and I frequently see this when browsing images online. Is how dark you make the image background, down to personal taste? It seems what one person might like, will probably not appeal to others. When reading through telescope reviews, one often reads the comment about “pin sharp stars” against “inky black sky” which is a sign of a good scope etc. However the “inky black” background is not wanted in deep sky images. I have often seen images with a darker background and the person who produced the image has been advised that “the black point has been clipped”. I am now a little bit obsessed with trying to avoid the dark background in my images. However even this is not easy. Very often a different viewing browser can make your image background look darker than what it is. Is it me just being fussy or what ! Grateful for your views on this. Regards Steve
  3. Hi, Just a few of my better images from my session on 31/03/2020. Think I may have got some Apollo Landing sites, in two of the photos! Images taken using my ZWOASI178MC camera, via my Intes MK67 Maksutov. All Images were shot at about 2,000 to 2,500 frames via Sharpcap, then processed through a combination of Registax, GIMP and Affinity Photo. Regards to All, Steve
  4. Inspirational set of images! Thanks for posting them. Regards, Steve
  5. Hi, Excellent work as always ! I really look forward to seeing your lunar images. Regards, Steve
  6. Hi What a stunning Mak !! Would love to see the fantastic lunar images that it will give you !! All the Best, Steve
  7. Hi, Many thanks for your comments. Hi, CraigT82 - I gathered 2012 AVI image frames from my ZWOASI178MC camera and afterwards, via Autostakkert, then stacked 50% of them. Previously I never really went over the 1000 frame mark, because I was not certain if Autostakkert could handle the resulting large file sizes. However it does. In future I will now gather at least 2000 frames (and more) every time where possible. As per advice from this forum, the more frames you gather will give more image detail and less noise. Hi, Louis D - Yes a bit annoying some of "the highlights blown out". I always try to keep my exposure and gain down as much as possible to try to prevent this, but sometimes without success. Not sure if capturing larger amounts of AVI frames can make this issue worse. The term "lucky imaging" is often used when referring to lunar imaging, and I can see why ! Regards, Steve
  8. Hi A few lunar images taken on 06/03/2020, using my Intes MK67 Maksutov and ZWO ASI 178MC camera. Quite pleased with the results , because as usual, it was rather windy in my corner of West Wales, UK, while I took the images! I pushed my AVI's up to the 2000 frames mark, and it seems to have paid off, for me. Images shot via Sharpcap, processed through Autostakkert, wavelets in Registax, then tweaked in Affinity Photo. Regards, Steve The below photos show the Vallis Alpes, the crater Plato and the Montes Jura / Sinus Iridum Region (with a couple of close ups included)
  9. Hi, Excellent Image ! Regards, Steve
  10. Hi Wouter , Many thanks for your time in providing such a useful overview. The Lucy Richardson Deconvolution, is something I at present do not do, and this interests me greatly. I went and "googled" Lucy Richardson Deconvolution, and then viewed the "Wikipedia" page of information, on this subject. It showed a free software called "Raw Therapee" , ( I assume one can do deconvolution using this? ) which I downloaded. Wow! this free download seems too good to be true. Does anyone else use this software, which seems very comprehensive in what it can do in regards to noise reduction, sharpening etc. I am a bit suprized that I have never heard about it before. Regards, Steve
  11. Hi, I also today was looking at Amazon and came across the Orion EON 115mm Triplet APO Refractor. Also being sold as Used/Like New with prices which seem "far too good to be true" , via three sellers (2 from Germany and 1 from the UK). Don't know what to make of it, but very tempting! Regards, Steve
  12. Hi, Your work is Similar to what I have been doing recently. I thought I was doing a bit of overkill, in shooting “large” amounts of ROI AVI,s in order to ensure that I had covered enough of the lunar surface to give me a good full lunar image, but it paid off in the end. However it took ages to process each AVI individually via autostakkert, but it is worth it in the end. I suppose the saying “no pain no gain” can be applied to Astro Imaging as well, Lol Regards, Steve
  13. Hi Just completed my Moon mosaic taken on 02/04/20. Mosaic was imaged at 3096x2080, highest resolution on my ZWOASI178MC Camera, via my Intes-Micro MN56 Mak Newt telescope. 11 panes (each composed of approx 700 frames at 3096x2080 resolution), stitched together using ICE, then tweaked in Affinity Photo. The resulting main Tif image, that I saved, is a whopping 35.8mb and has amazing detail. Below is a medium 1.43 mb JPG. See also a few close ups taken on the same evening, using x2 barlow, of Copernicus and region and also of Tyhco and Clavius regions. Regards, Steve
  14. Hi, A few lunar images below that I shot on the evening of 4th February 2020. All images taken using my ZWOASI178MC camera, via my Intes-Micro MN56 Mak Newt telescope. Resulting AVI's stacked and processed through Autostakkert, and then refined and adjusted, using a combination of GIMP and Affinity Photo. Regards, Steve
  15. Hi, Jaw dropping lunar images ! Regards, Steve
  16. Hi, Superb Work, ( a nice selection of "mouth-watering" lunar images ! ) Regards, Steve
  17. Hi, I have the 178MC which I use for lunar. I use Sharpcap for this camera, and am also able to switch over to APT, which also recognises the camera. In order to pick up stars, I suggest framing and focusing on the moon, you will then know if your live view is working. Then turn up the gain and exposure levels. You might need to turn up brightness (offsett), as well. By doing this your moon image will now be extremely bright and well overexposed in your live view. Then slew to a star (ie) Sirius. You should pick it up on your live view no problem. You can then adjust/reduce exposure, gain levels, to get the star to appear smaller, and maybe then put on Bahtinov mask and focus sharply. If your APT recognises your camera, if you switch over to APT, you should also see the star, once you click on APT live view. Maybe then shoot a 30 sec exposure and experiment to see what you get. Regards, Steve
  18. Hi, Those are fantastic lunar Images ! Regards, Steve
  19. Excellent, inspirational Lunar Image! Regards, Steve
  20. Hi, Very Impressed by your image, will have to dig out some of my old 135mm and 200mm lenses! Regards, Steve
  21. Hi, That is a stunning lunar image - "Jaw dropping" is the effect it has on me !! Regards, Steve
  22. Hi Charl, Think this is one of my best Copernicus and surrounding regions Imaged on 17/11/2018 , using my Intes MK67 and ZWOASI178MC camera Regards, Steve
  23. Hi, That is a nice image ! Regards, Steve
  24. Hi, The weather has been terrible in my corner of West Wales, UK, for weeks now. Wind and unrelenting rain. When the rain has stopped and a clear comes in, it is still far too windy ! Anyway on Friday evening, 8th November, there was a break in the clouds and I thought i would grab half an hour of lunar imaging. Got all set up and then as I viewed the moon through my laptop, I could see clouds drifting across the screen ! ....Yes it had virtually clouded over. Most of my lunar images shot were a waste of time, but during a break in the clouds, I managed to get this. Equipment:- Intes MK67 NEQ6 Pro Mount ZWOASA178MC camera Imaged using Sharpcap, Run through Autostakkert at 20% of 1037 frames (2080x2080 camera resolution selected) Image tweaked and finalised using Affinity Regards, Steve Mare Humorum, showing the large crater Gassendi
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