smisy

Hi guys! I posted long -long time ago here. Before yesterday I had again some attempt, just for fun with my alt -az mount. I think, it's not bad. M100 stacked from 71 frames and M64 stacked from 45 frames. Both of them are 10 second exposures at ISO 40.000 with Sony A7s and Celestron Nexstar 8 SE. Stacked in Sequator, edited with PS. I used 0.63x focal reducer too.

I have so long not commented here. Nice to see the many new posts! I have already a SkyWatcher mini wifi mount, but still I do often pics/videos without that. I have a Celestron Nexstar 8 SE on Alt-Az mount and I made a short video before yesterday. I had brilliant sky conditions and I just took 300x1 sec exposure at ISO 51.200 with my Sony A7s. I used the C8 with 0.63x reducer to get more light, but the camera was in crop mode, to cut the vignettation. At the maximum (1040p) resolution you can see a satellite too, it comes at 0:17 from the right upside corner. The oroginal video is only 12,5 sec (24 fps), but I changed the speed to 0.5x, so its 12fps now. 

Thanks for that link, Happy Cat, now it's processed on the comet:

8 minutes ago, happy-kat said:

Love comets so really good to see Panstarrs there. If using DSS have a go if not alreasdy using the comet feature and I find best stack option is to use comet and stars.

wow Steve what a difference, so much more in there. I like the HDR either tame or reveal DSO centre.

I too have found some great stuff coming out the StarTools 1.6.686 beta, this is a crop from a few nights ago with an 85mm lens, first process of a mosaic I'm building.

I heared that, its possible to align on the comet, but I still didn't try that. Thanks for the idea 👍

I don't think, it's so special, and I 'm far from good in PS edition, but yesterday I tried the comet 2017 T2 PANSTARRS too. With the same gadgets and settings (ISO 20.000 and 10 sec long exposures) 120 frames and 15 darks. 

I'm just amazed, what I've done for fun tonight with my Celestron Nexstar 8SE, Alt-Az mount, 0,63 reducer, Sony A7s, 90x10 sec at ISO 20.000. Deep Sky Stacker and PS.

Amazing ❤️

13 hours ago, Whistlin Bob said:

That's really good! 

Any ideas what the bright light is that appears on the right hand side just below halfway on about 12 seconds?

It's a small moon, a reflection between the lenses (lens flare) 🙂

56 minutes ago, Mick J said:

Nice, and runs smoothly for me, good work. 

Thanks! I hate the clouds, but in moonlight they are also cool on a timelapse.

58 minutes ago, happy-kat said:

That's really clever.

Looks like two links to the same video.

I see that also twice, I don't know, why o.O If I click on  "edit post", there are also 2 videos, but at downside only 1 file to choose.

I just try to show the beauty of the night sky, and again the possibilities with a smartphone. There are already better applications at the google play to make the night lapse easy. At first I used the Gif maker pro. It's a good app to edit the frames, before creating video, but you can't save the videos in good quality. Now I use the TimeLab app (same developer, as Intervalometer app), in the editing it has not so many options, but with this app you can save the videos in 4K too, or full HD. This video is 360 frames (each 30 sec exposition at ISO 800) Huawei P10 monochrome camera, Intervalometer app, TimeLab app. Pictures taken in Kleinwalsertal, Austria 2019. 09. 23-24.  (The video is full HD, I don't know, why, but it doesn't run continuesly on my PC, when I watch that back on SGL. I hope, on your monitors you can enjoy it!)

At september 4-5 I made a timelapse with my Huawei P10, 280x30 sec exposures, monochrome camera. Processed in Gif maker editor pro application. ISO 1000. Big light pollution, but comes some pieces from Milky way.

2 minutes ago, The Admiral said:

I posted M31 comprised of about 160 x 30s fames. Any use? On page 39/40.

Ian

Thanks a lot! I work also with 30 sec exposures, but because of the alt-az its not so successfull, as 5 sec or shorter. Now I want to try with thousands of 1 sec's, with my phone.

Once I have seen here a picture, I think, that was tha Andromeda galaxy, stacked from hundreds of 1 sec frames. Can somebody help me to find this post? Thank you !

3 hours ago, iandownunder said:

Thanks for the comments, weather permitting tonight I will do as suggested and start at 30 seconds and work backwards, the Orion Nebula is unavailable at the moment ( too low and only comes up in early hours at the moment and the moon comes up as well ) but when it is up high and there is no moon I would like to take some test shots and see what happens, not sure if my set up will show anything other than a bright star but will see what happens.

Cheers for the Link, will read it now.

Thank you all,

 

Ian

To start this with the Orion nebula is the best way, because it's very bright. May you can use smaller ISO with 30 sec, for example 800-1000. That gives less noise and more contrast. Have a clear sky! 

3 hours ago, iandownunder said:

Thank you.

Am I correct to assume that the closer the object I choose to image is to the South Celestrial Pole the longer it takes for star trails to show?

i.e  30 seconds at the SCP and less the further away you go?

There was a big help earlier, this post: 

58 minutes ago, iandownunder said:

Hi Everyone,

First of all I will state the obvious, Fantastic Thread!.

I would very much appreciate some guideance, I have a Nexstar 6SE, wonderful little scope, and a Canon 450D camera.

I would very much like to try AP on the Great Orion Nebula, you guys have posted some wonderful images, absolutely amazing!

Now for me to image this nebula I take it that I should attach my camera to the scope with the prime focus method? Without a Barlow or anything?

My second question is, with this scope and the camera at prime focus, what would be the max exposure time that I could achieve before the stars star to trail?

Additionally if you have any suggestions as to what I could do with this very basic set up please let me know, such as what to image, use a EP or not etc.

 

Any suggestion and guidance would be very helpful.

 

Ian

 

N.B

Thus far I have only used my camera on a tripod for the Milkyway.

Hi! Welcome here! I work with my alt-az mount always with 30 seconds or less. With this mount it depend also on the position of the sky object, how long exposure you can take. Anyway if you work with raw files and you process them in Deep sky stacker or in another program, than better if you use 10-15 sec exposition. If you want only one shot, than use 30 sec! But in this case the align must be very precise. 

Clear sky! 

Very nice job, Calli! How did you stack the pictures? I think, over the sun and moon + planets everything is deep space object, or isn't?

6 minutes ago, happy-kat said:

The moving gif is really good it shows the speed difference of the comet.

Really like it?  It makes me happy!! I don't know, how can I get the angle, what I see in the eyepiece? This is 80x magnification with my 2000 mm focal lenght instrument, the diameter is 200 mm. 25 mm plössl eyepiece?

9 hours ago, happy-kat said:

Well captured.

Did you try any in colour to see if it was green?

Yes, of course, but the sensitivity of my color camera is very bad. I made a gif too from 20 monochrome  pictures, because of my alt-az mount its a little bit funny ?(the stars takes a round, but the comet is moving between them), but I want to entry with this gif into imaging challenge #17. The 20 frame was taken with my phone, and Celestron Nexstar 8 SE with 25mm plössl eyepiece, in every 10-12 minutes in the intervall 00:16-03:53 2018.08.16.  Do you think, is it a good idea? Or better to entry with a single shot? 

I tried again the comet 21P Giacobini-Zinner, Celestron Nexstar 8 SE, Alt-az mount, Huawei P10 smartphone, monochrome camera, 25mm plössl eyepiece. 2018. 08.15. 23:52, Hirschegg im Kleinwalsertal, Austria. 30 sec exposition at ISO 1600.

At last friday my old dream came true, I took a picture about a comet ? Of course I used my gadgets as usually Huawei P10 smartphone with monochrome camera, 25mm plössl eyepiece, Celestron Nexstar 8 SE, alt-az mount. One frame with 30 sec exposition at ISO 3200. Comet 21P/ Giacobini-Zinner. 

1 hour ago, JGM1971 said:

Wow! This forum just keeps rolling!

Just popped back in the see how my baby is going. Love the images and the advice that is being shared.

The long summer nights have kept my kit well and truely in storage, but I'm looking forward to the dark nights again. John

 

 I just try to take pics with my phone, with okularprojection I don't need so many time to gather light. So its much easier with my alt-az mount. Of course I plan to buy an EQ mount too, but not now. Alt-az makes also lot of fun and good to show the objects for my friends too. Have a good sky!!

My last effort with my Huawei P10 smartphone, Celestron Nexstar 8 SE, 25mm plössl eyepiece, alt - az mount. 

18 hours ago, Manners2020 said:

Hello smicey.  How do you manage to get such good alignment with your phone and scope? I've tried 3 different brackets and wasted a lot of time which  could have been spent viewing before I bought a dslr.  The one out of the three I had most success  with  was still far from good. 

Hello! I think, it strongly depend on your phones possibility, what you can do with the telescope. I have good manual options on my Huawei P10. Must to know, its working good only with my 25mm eyepiece, because of the angle of the light, what comes out from the eyepiece. Try with more eyepiece or with barlow/focal reducer, maybe it helps.