carastro

I took a look at Siril, it looks a bit too much like Iris where you need a mathematical mind in order to get it to work. But I will mention it to the person i have been teaching as he is certainly more technical than me. Carole

Not sure where you formed that impression, but I don't/can't use Photoshop for registering. I actually use Astroart for stacking, and Registar for registering and do all my post processing in PS. I just gave a list of Registering software so as not to force my particular choice on the OP. I haven't heard of Siril, but will take a look at it if only for the sake of some-one I have been teaching who can't afford Registar. Carole

Can't advise on a CMOS camera settings or length of exposures. But basically you will want for broadband targets to use LRGB. Luminance will be the most important filter for detail as it is the most sensitive. RGB is simply used for colour. I always do much more and longer exposures for Luminance. If you are doing Narrowband, you will need Ha, Oiii and Sii (some people also use Nitrogen but I have never used one of these). In the case of narrowband it does tend to depend on the target as generally the most detail comes from the Ha so here again I do the longest and most exposures. In NB you can combine the filter in a variety of ways. 1. Hydrogen (as Red), Oxygen (as green), Sulphur (as Blue) HOS 2. Hubble palette Sulphur (as Red), Hydrogen (as green), Oxygen (as Blue) SHO 3. there are some targets with very little Sii so you can do bicolour HOO, and some targets with very little Oiii, so you can do HSS. Additionally some LRGB target will benefit from extra Ha, but maybe get to grips with the basics first. You will need software which will register the various stacked filters so they will exactly fit each other (I think that was my biggest obstacle when i first started Mono imaging). I believe Pixinsight, APP, Registar and Maxim all do this. I have made a few videos on You tube on combining filters: Adding Luminance to RGB HTH Carole

FLO are normally extremely helpful and co-operative. I am sure it will be fine. Carole

I would always prefer mono as it is so much more versatile insomuch as you can do narrowband whereas with OSC its really only broadband and with a bayer matrix it will be less sensitive. I did buy a OSC once to try to save on time, but found it funnily enough far more complicated to process due to the bayer matrox settings so gave it up and stuck to mono. Glad you are changing your mind, it is more expensive with all the "bits" and there is a bit of a learning curve to combine data (I have some You tube tutorials on this) but worth it in the end. Some targets really show off at their best in narrowband. Carole

When we go to local astro camp there are sometimes non astronomers on the site too and generally they are normally quite interested in what we are doing. they often ask if they can come back later and take a look through the scope but most of us have cameras in the back. Occasionally some-one has a scope that can be looked through and we give them a guided tour of what's up there. We also show them the planets when they are up, and the ISS if it is passing over and all is much appreciated. I only got one occasion (not at camp I hasten to add) when I pointed out to some-one the ISS and was told that it wasn't that it was something else ridiculous like a meteor lol. Couldn't be bothered to argue. Carole

What about a competition for new imagers only, say those in their first 6 months of imaging for instance. A competition for RGB images done in a LP location, say Bortle 7 and above. Carole

What a fantastic tutorial, thanks to David for all his hard work. I was on one of those "difficult to install" threads, I have it installed now, but not yet had it working, though the one time I tried it was due to user error. Thanks so much for all this. Carole

I had my bilateral laser iridotomy done today. Wasn't looking forward to it, but it wasn't too bad. Have to use eyedrops for two weeks and no contact lenses meanwhile. Fingers crossed this has done what it is supposed to. Carole

Wow the speed of the others videos, I had assumed your observatory was up and running. Anyway, look forward to the next stage. Carole

The best way to check the collimation is to look at a defocussed star. If the rings are all concentric and the width all round is even then the collimation is OK. Something like this. (N.B. The bite out of the star was before I had my focusser shortened, so ignore that).

What camera are you planning to put into the SW72ED? If you are planning to buy a new camera, I would recommend getting a mono camera so you can collect luminance on one camera and RGB with the DSLR. I have been using a dual rig for some years now and it certainly does improve the amount of data I can get. I too use a finderguider. You will need an efficient software for re-scaling and registering the images so that the different data matches. Getting the scope and cameras actually looking at the same thing and having the same orientation is tricky at first and needs to have no flex. I set up every time I go to astro camp, so have found the Skywatcher gudescope mount a real boon in doing this. Especially so as I have realised I have cone error and so each side of the meridian needs a little adjustment. I am also using an HEQ5 and it works well with my set up. I've attached a photo for your info.

Me too, not looking forward to it. The optician said to me that because of my astronomy hobby, I would probably get mine done sooner than most people, so hopefully it will apply to others on here. Carole

No there was no mention of this. I now have a date for my laser surgery. I guess I could mention it beforehand. Carole

Bit late to the party here. But I was told to add a type of grease to the bolts, I can't remember the name of it right now, but I know it has the name of the metal in the title. I think I know where it is and will look it up once I can get out to the observatory. After adding this grease I found my bolts on my NEQ6 (that I used to own), would turn more easily. Just looked up metals, and I think it might have been copper grease, but will confirm later. Carole

This thread is an interesting read for any-one likely to have cataracts operated on in the near future. I have to have this done in a few years time I am told, but on a recent eye visit I was told I have narrow angles in my eyes, this is the corners where there is a natural drainage channel for the fluid in the eye. I was referred to Ophthalmology and I am going to have to have eye surgery to make a hole in my Iris's to provide extra drainage (Laser Iridotomy). If I don't get this done it could lead to glaucoma. The one thing that was reassuring from my Ophthalmology examination, was the gel put in my eyes, I didn't realise this was to numb them, and while I was being examined, I thought, "hang on a bit, he's got a dirty great plunger thing stuck right on my eye (that he was looking through) and I can't really feel it". I asked about it afterwards, and he said yes, I would not have been able to tolerate it without the gel. So this at least has given me some reassurance that the numbing gel does actually work. Must chase up my "being put on the waiting list" for this as it is being done at Kings College Hospital, and I was seen at Lewisham. Must check that my referral has gone through OK. Carole

Wow that's a big leap forwards. Your next steps should be to increase the image length by guiding, (not necessarily on this target which is fairly bright), and to get learning to do Flats, darks and bias. They and in particular the flats will improve your images no end, and make processing easier. Carole

Wait a while, he's not properly moved in yet. Lol and neither have the spiders. I have to vacuum up all the dead spiders a couple of times a year. Guess they get in via the small gap between the dome and walls. Carole

Really excellent job. Carole

Wow, looking very professional. Carole

I am glad things are better, but is "manageable" good enough? Perhaps you could upload a stacked image (unprocessed) and let us have a "go" at it to see whether it is in fact "good enough". Fingers crossed it will be. We have all been there ourselves so we know what it is like, and benefited from other people's experience. Carole

I am pretty sure I read somewhere that to long as you tick a Canon camera of some sort it will be OK. I never had my camera listed when I used to use one and DSS and just ticked the closest match and was always OK. Carole

It looks like a grid pattern to me ? wrong bayer matrix. Did you select the correct camera in DSS. It's in the settings Options Raw/Fits box near the bottom. Carole

Ah, missed this reply, and just messaged you. Will need your e Mail address Gina, can you PM it to me. Carole