wesdon1

@labtech1122 Yes the camera and FR etc all look to be properly connected, but that still doesn't necessarily mean it's in good focus. I would suggest, alongside my previous advice, that you find a very bright star, use Live-View on DSLR ( if you have it? ) and get the star perfectly focused, preferably with a Bhatinov mask. A Bhatinov Mask isn't a must, because you can get great focus without one, but they just make things a lot easier, in my experience. And if after great focusing, you're still seeing artifacts, then try imaging a target that doesn't have you telescope pointing anywhere near a street light, or garden flood light, etc ( maybe image something above 70+ degrees Altitude? ) Then again if you STILL have that ring/artefacts, maybe it's time to get that FR looked at? Ultimately it'll be a process of elimination, one after another, of all possible causes, until you find the cause. Just don't give up, you will find the cause and be that much the happier for persevering! ( I'm speaking from BITTER personal experiences!! LOL )

Although i don't own a SCT 'scope, I do know from my own personal experiences with using my DSLR camera on my Newtonian Reflector telescope, that you really benefit from having a selection of back focusing/spacer rings, to find the exact back focus/sweet spot, where the cameras sensor is perfectly focused, and you lose the image artefacts, like rings that you're seeing in images etc. Also, make sure that when you're imaging, your telescope isn't pointing closely at local street lights/garden flood lights etc, because some of those rings look like what I got when a street light was shining down my telescope OTA from an angle, causing ring like artefacts etc. I really hope you don't give in and keep going, I promise you you'll feel awesome when you work this issue through! Wes.

definitely out of focus, imo. Try getting your stars as tiny and "dense" as possible when focusing mate. There's tons of people on here who know the hobby inside out, who will give you amazing advice, so keep coming back here, and try YouTube vids aswell. In time, things you find difficult today, will feel second nature, you just have to stick with it mate. Best of luck!

@Elp Thanks Elp, I have been wondering how to deal with that colour casting better, and what you say about flats makes a lot of sense. I will try that out for my next sessions, thanks mate!

@Elp yes Elp I am planning to start doing longer subs with guiding, and a lot more total integration time. My PP also needs lots of work, but I know that will all come with experience. It's just frustrating because I'm desperate to start producing works as good as what I see on here most days!

@PeterCPC Yes I am planning to move into longer guided subs during my next outing Pete'. Hopefully with longer subs and more total integration, plus improving my knowledge of PP, I will then hopefully start to produce much finer images.

Hi all. here's my first ever shot at M45 / Pleiades open star cluster. I only managed 41 minutes total integration, and I'm still learning how to drag out finer details in PP, but I'm fairly pleased with result. One side note, it appears that I'm picking up some kind of wider red coloured nebulosity?? Or is that just my rubbish processing highlighting image artefacts!? Next time, I will go for at least 90 minutes total integration to try get as much of the beautiful blue coloured nebulosity you see in really good M45 images. * I have included two versions of exact same data/image, because I couldn't make up my mind on which one I liked best! lol. Camera - Canon EOS Rebel T3i Mount - SW HEQ5 Pro Filter - Optolong L-PRO 'Scope - ALTAIR 66/400 ED Apo Power Supply - SW 7AH Power Box Lights - 41 x 60sec Darks - 10 x 60sec Flats - 20 x 5sec Bias - 20 x 1/4000

Gorgeous image, and with limited data! Well Done my friend! Wes, Liverpool, Bortle 7

Hi old friend! Mate, I have found that whenever i'm imaging a target that has my scope pointing anywhere near the bright LED street lights outside my building, it plays havoc with my subs and final stacked image. The amount of artefacts, is unreal. I would also suggest, maybe do slightly longer subs, say 120-180 seconds, if your guiding accuracy will allow it? Finally, another member mentions cranking up your ISO from 400 to 1600? In my limited experience, shooting higher ISO's when there's substantial light pollution, that isn't properly dealt with by means of suitable LP filter/NB filter, will likely only make your subs blown out from excessive LP? Hope you find a solution! Wes

@Paul M Thanks Paul! Yes that's the exact reason I kept going, I didn't want all my efforts to go to waste! I don't know if you know, but imaging for me involves carrying all my gear, big very heavy HEQ5 mount included, down all the stairs from my 3rd floor flat, all at the same time ( no second trip upstairs and leaving my gear outside unattended! for reasons i'll explain! ) then not being able to go back inside my flat for any reason during imaging, for fear I'll have my expensive gear stolen! My neighbours are great, except for one, who's a drug addict, and he stole my brothers bike a couple months ago, but we couldn't prove it, unfortunately! So any time I want to go outside to image, it's a lot of effort and commitment! I spend on average 4 hours in the freezing cold, unable to leave my rig even for 1 minute, for reasons above! So I like to get as much data as possible whenever the rubbish British weather allows me too! Thank You again for kind words Paul! Wes

Thanks @PeterCPC It really was a hard won image! I learned a lot from all the bad stuff though! Thanks mate! Wes

Hi all. Well last night was one to remember, but for all the WRONG reasons! My goodness me, just about anything that could go wrong, DID!! LOL. The GoTo was playing up, my focuser kept slipping, I spent almost 1 hour imaging before realising I still had the cameras ISO on highest gain (3200 ) so had to stop imaging, and start again!! Then I tripped over the leg of the mounts tripod, knocking my polar alignment out, my GoTo setup out!! Grrrrrr!! LOL. It really did feel like a war of attrition! LOL. Anyway, I am proud of myself because I just kept going, despite on several occasions wanting to give up! and in the end I managed a few short subs on M42 Orion before my power box ran out! If I had given up and packed everything away before getting those few subs, and having nothing to show for all my efforts, then I'd have been really upset. So here is my hardest ever won image so far in my astro-imaging journey! I am most proud of this image, because of the sheer force of will it took to obtain it! Camera - Canon EOS DSLR "unmodified" Mount - Skywatcher HEQ5 Pro Filter - Optolong L-Pro Telescope - ALTAIR 66/400 ED Apo Power Supply - Skywatcher 7AH Mobile Power Station Lights - 7 x 1 minute Darks - 2 x 1 minute Bias - 30 x 1/4000th Flats - 30 x 5sec ( I did the Flats and Bias this morning, because power ran out in Camera when doing my Dark Frames! That's why I only managed 2 Dark Frames! ) Processed in Gimp, stacked and calibrated in Deep Sky Stacker. I did not use guiding, just precise Polar Alignment, and 1 minute subs.

My very first filter was a variable. I purchased it to counter effects of Venus and other very bright objects. I too can attest to their effectiveness!

@Scooot My goodness, I never even thought of that! Thank You for pointing that out to me my friend! Thanks so much! Means the world!

haha! Well all my family are from Brosna' County Kerry, southwest Ireland, so I might bump into you when I head over to my late Nannas cottage when i'm fleeing the next big Asteroid!! Haha!

@Glued Hi Justin! Welcome back! Mate, that 102 refractor is a brilliant little 'scope to get you back into the hobby! I totally understand your sentiments regarding the big heavy 10" dob, I live on 3rd floor of flats with no lift, just stairs, and I have to carry a really heavy Skywatcher HEQ5 Pro Mount, along with my 200/1000 Newtonian Reflector telescope, and my Power Box, Laptop, Cameras, accessories, cables etc etc etc all way down those stairs outside, then carry everything back upstairs again when finished imaging and/or visual sessions! So recently, I purchased a belter little 66/400 APO Refractor telescope, which is MAGNITUDES lighter than the big 8inch Newtonian Reflector! LOL. I'm planning to also purchase a lighter Skywatcher EQ3-2 GoTo Mount to use with the little Refractor for astro-imaging. Best of luck this time around Justin, just take your time and find your passion for the night sky again mate. Clear Skies! Wes, Liverpool ( Bortle 7 )

@maw lod qan Aww wow thanks for such kind comments Maw Lod Qan!

@Paul M hahah that's a great idea Paul! Thank You so much for commenting and such kind comments Paul.

@tomato Aww wow, that's so kind of you to say! Thanks! I am getting better with every session outside, and my only regret is I didn't pursue this decades old ambition of getting into astronomy/astrophotography. I have loved astronomy since primary school, but my parents could never afford to buy me a telescope. Then in my late teens and 20's, I was too busy chasing woman and partying after work at weekends. It wasn't until my early 30's that I settled down, stopped partying, and FINALLY invested in a decent telescope. I wouldn't swap this incredible hobby for anything now! Thanks again for such kind comments!

Yes apparently the blast wave rebounds from the ground, magnifying it's energies, making it even more destructive. That being said, if the asteroid was 1.5km in diameter, then it would reach the earths surface mostly intact.

Yes the thermal radiation caused by friction as it travlled through atmosphere, then subsequent impact, causing yet more thermal radiation, would vaporise people, much sooner than the blast wave would hit them! Utterly horrific! But very real!

I imagine it would be game over for 99.999999% of humanity, and the tiny number of survivors would face years of struggles and suffering. Really really not good!

Hi all, I wasn't going to post this, because I'm so ashamed of how awful it is, but I decided I might as well, because although awful, it was my first ever attempt at a comet, plus I'm still new to astrophotography, and still struggling to use editing software like Siril, Gimp etc etc. It also represents progress, because just 1 month ago, I couldn't polar align properly, I couldn't even use Deep Sky Stacker properly! LOL. So it is indeed progress! ( Please be gentle! LOL. ) Camera - Canon EOS DSLR *unmodified Telescope - ALTAIR ED 66/400 APO Mount - Skywatcher HEQ5 Pro Filter - Optolong L-Pro 1.25" 15 x 60sec LIGHTS ISO - 1600 Unguided Processed in Deep Sky Stacker, GIMP. *For reference, the bright Star to the lower left of image is Capella, in the Constellation Auriga. C/2022 ZTF was easy to find on 5/6 Feb. due to being so close to Capella.

I saw c/2022 ZTF on two consecutive nights, the 5th and the 6th. On the 5th, it was right next to the bright named star Capella. It was very dim, I needed telescope to get anywhere near a decent view. I even tried imaging it, but the results were awful lol. I don't care, I was just grateful to have seen it and attempted to image it. Every night I have practicing my polar alignment ( which i'm now getting good at ) and practicing imaging etc is a win in my book.

Thanks for great advice and suggestions, I have worked everything out now ( I hope! LOL ). Basically I wasn't doing flats, i'm using the wrong sized filter for my setup, and I wasn't doing RGB calibration in processing! Thanks again! Wes.