Nigella Bryant

Hi all, Thought I'd start a new topic after gaining some first spectra. I've read the helpful comments on my first post under, "First Spectra" and am at the stage of trying to calibrate the image and spectra. I've attached the chart of Vega and an AOV reference star. My work flow was first to load the image, crop the image to exclude background but include the star and spectrum (Vega). Next on the produced chart I calibrated by setting the left hand spike to zero and the main spike on the spectrum to HBeta. It seems to have calibrated right but not sure. I've attached the chart. Appreciate all your input, many thanks. My last attempt after refining my work flow seems to be more on target after I cropped nearer to zero. Am I on the right track?

Many thanks, much appreciated. I'll get there, eventually, lol.

Thanks Andrew, appreciate your help.

Been struggling with BASS project but managed this today. Not sure if this is correct. Spectrum of Vega analysis. Any comments welcome, gulp, lol. Just posted for any input. Thanks again for looking.

The Aply 600 is around £650 so is doable in the future for me. The Shelyak Alpy 600 is the core element of the ALPY product line, with a 600gr/mm grism (grating + prism), Alpy 600 offers compactness, low resolution (resolving power R~600) and a dispersion compatible with current CCD cameras in astronomy. Specifications F/4 spectrograph slit/slitless modes (25µm hole; 25µm, 50µm, 100µm, 300µm slits; 3mm hole / 5µm tolerance) R~600 (resolution around 10A) light & compact: weight less than 200gr M42 camera thread; backfocus 10.5-21mm standard 1.25" telescope adapter with filter thread A 1/2 inch or larger CCD camera with less than 21mm back focus and M42x0.75 thread is required for use with the Alpy 600. There is an optional C-mount adapter which replaces the M42x0.75 adapter of the Alpy 600 to work with a C-mounted camera. A Barlow lens element specially designed for the Alpy 600 extends the back focus to work with a DSLR camera; it enlarges the spectrum too.

Hi John, I'm new to this but I to am using a star analyser 100, I've only used my zwo asi 224mc at the moment but plan to use my zwo asi120mm too. No need for darks or flat's. Shoot 2 mins avi and stack 50 frames in autostakker3, I saved to tiff. I've still yet to process the four Spectra I imaged a few night's ago but Merlin66 is great when you need help. I'd say don't get hung up on which camera. Capture Spectra and learn the work flow in processing that. I found capture the easy part, lol. I'm using BASS Project as recommended by Merlin66 and others.

I use an ordinary 3x Barlow in the eyepiece end of the blocking filter and works well with my zwo asi120mm. Image attached of results.

Yeah, I realised that, lol. Thanks for your ingenuity.

Thanks Robin, appreciate your input. I'd love one day to get a slit spectrograph but I'm new to this and learning the ropes with the star analyser 100, lol. If I progress well I'll consider more expensive equipment. To be honest it's great to do something scientific and eventually when I'm good enough contribute to science. I've imaged b4 but honestly don't see the point in producing, although lovely, images just to post on Facebook forum's, etc. But as they say, to each their own, lol.

Thanks Andrew, that's great news, I can do something even when the moon's up.

Hi all, can you image spectrum during moonlight or does this affect the results? Thanks for looking.

My first digital image using my telescope. Not aligned properly but it was a combination of 30sec iso 1600 subs and 5sec subs. Used a modded Canon 1000d.

Yeah, don't give up, I've just started this journey. I too use the star analyser 100 but with my 12inch f4 Newtonian and zwo ASI224mc. It's easier if you get the grating horizontal I've found. I'm still a newbie but hooked on it already.

Very much appreciated Ken, I'll have a go myself when I get back home later today. Thanks so much for your help.

lol, Ken, thanks, attached is the original input. I just used the original nose piece to the asi224mc. What would be a typical work flow in BASS project? ALPHERAT22_35_50_e11111111_ap1.tif

Thanks Ken, it has been streached. Tbh I'm struggling to work out bass project at the moment. I'll post original spectrum sometime today. I've looked at the recent videos on the BAA website on the subject, I can get a chart OK but when I calibrate the calibration points are way off. Anything between 2.5 to 230+ with four calibration points and suggested wavelengths. Any help would be much appreciated.

Thanks, lol. Pretty chuffed what can be done with the star analyser 100 and a 12inch f4 Newtonian. Considering Alpheratz is 97 light years away.

Not scientific but a comparison of my first efforts processing some spectrum. Top spectrum is produced from my image and the bottom spectrum is of a reference star. pleased that absorption lines pretty well match.

Thanks Ken.

So just a question. I used a zwo ASI224mc to capture the spectra. Do I process the avi file's in the same way as normal in autostakker before I use BASS Project?

Thanks very much Ken, appreciate this, will be doing the profiles and calibrations tomorrow, off to the land of nod now, lol.

Thanks Philip R, didn't know I could do screen shot like that, I'm a numpty, lol. Yes I'm using the star analyser 100 and BASS software.

Thanks Merlin66, I did find capture rather easy, I guess the hard part will be calibration and getting some data from the spectras.

So excited, my first spectra of a star. Just a screen shot as I'm off to the land of nod now, lol.

Wow, I could get hooked on this, lol. Just did a run on Three star's, Gamma Casseopia, Deneb and Alpheratz. Just a screen shot for tonight, but could clearly see absorption lines on each and in different positions with each star. Will try and process tomorrow. It's all a new learning curve. Another gain from this, is I'm learning the star name's too, lol.