vineyard

The textures in the Pelican and the Pacific coast of Mexico in the NAM are really starting to come through beautifully.  I'd be v pleased if I managed to get something like this! 👏🏾

That's a great image. Something to aim for w a homemade scope that will probably take another year to get finished (6" too, to go into an oversized cardboard tube methinks - but now I know that the secret is in the shower cap: 1/10th lambda w scent-of-lanthanum added right?).

Hello, I was wondering how this setup was performing for you a few months in? Thank you!

That's beautiful. The granulation surrounding the AR really enhances the image.

41 minutes ago, Newforestgimp said:

Thanks to all !

I may not be 100% decided  but my understanding has increased again thanks to you all, and I think I’ll go small APO direct to DSLR and stick to wide field for now. I can use that for twitching too. At a point in future I’ll review again and maybe get a cheap Newtonian to go alongside..

Thanks again

Andy H

I reckon you're making the right call & would concur w @vlaivsuggestions on the refractor side. I really kick-started my AP journey with a 72 APO.  Disclaimer: it is for sale in the Classifieds...but that's not a marketing spiel, b/c I switched to a 76 APO that works a bit better w the rest of my kit (ie, I'm definitely keeping a widefield in the kit cupboard).

Fwiw, I found that having a light widefield (a) got me using the scope more, even for quick visuals on an evening when I don't want to image (light, easy to set up, quick cool down), (b) is more portable, (c) is ample to start lunar & solar & still get pleasing images, (d) was better to start w guided/tracked AP since its typically over mounted by a decent mount, so I found it less sensitive than if I was pushing the mounting to its limits (or being buffeted by winds).

Whichever widefield you go for, its worth checking its versatility re whether you will need extenders or not, or if it will work w solar wedges or not (if you think you might do that).  Will defer to other SGLers w vastly more experience, but while doing background research I'd noticed that some widefields seem to be less versatile than others (I think its the amount of focuser travel available in both directions).

Enjoy!

That looks lovely.  I've not been able to set up my imaging rig for a few weeks now for logistical reasons, and am quite missing AP!  Will follow this w interest as one dayyear I would like to switch to mono - for the time being v happy with my colour ASI294MC Pro, so intrigued about the mono equivalent.  Curious to see how it compares to the Moravian C1+ but can't seem to find many reviews of that yet.

Enjoy the netflix stars!

On 06/11/2020 at 22:08, Taman said:

Some very promising results!

I have the same as you, the Evoguide and ASI294MC Pro. Just wondering what you have planned for the filters? I have a ZWO filter drawer on order, which may or may not solve this.

Tony.

Hi Tony, sorry for the v slow reply. There's a little T2-1.25" adapter that comes as standard with the ASI294MCPro.  If you buy it separately its this one.  I thread the 1.25 filter into that, and then thread the adapter into the camera.  There are still enough threads left in the camera to then attach the flattener.  I've tried that and found focus w v distant objects in daylight - haven't had a chance to use it at night yet though b/c some logistical reasons have meant I haven't been able to set up my AP rig at all for a few weeks.

I've never used a filter drawer but I don't think that will work b/c I think it will introduce too much distance into the path (the chip needs to be 17.5mm from the back of the flattener so unless you can remove the stubby 11mm T2 nose on the camera I think it'll be too far away w a filter drawer?).  Unless you're using the Starizona flattener which can work with more distance and does allow for filter wheels.

Cheers & good luck!

Thanks @Rusted - those are v helpful tips! Btw I don't know what you did to my image but the difference in definition is palpable. I like the granulation on your image - it drives home how big the Sun actually is when you see the granulation just stretching out forever making the spots look quite small (the Sun just feigning indifference to a couple of freckles on its face 😄).  As for Bianconi's image, wow what on earth (?) did he capture that with - stick some stalks on it & it could be a Van Gogh study.

👏🏾I love seeing the texture around these spots - you can imagine it rippling & breathing! Is the second image upside down from the first one or am I discombobulating myself?  Cheers.

Hello,

Hope everyone safe & well. 🤞🏾for this vaccine.

I went back to this region as the Sun rotated on a few days.

TV76 on a Solarquest mount, Lunt Herschel wedge, Baader Solar Continuum filter, 2.5x Powermate, ASI120MM mini. Best 5% of c 5k frames. AS!3, imppg & GIMP.

Flipped to make it properly oriented (as per @Rusted suggestion!).

Makes me wish I could capture more of the granularity or texture around the region, but I guess that would need an Ha etalon.

It's safe to assume the Earth could be swallowed whole by the spot on the right?

Stay safe all!

Vin

WOW! Just WOW! There are some breathtaking images in there. 👏🏾

V clear & delicate - lovely.  (For some bizarre reason the whole disk only appeared on my screen well after the little one!).  That IS looking good isn't it!  Great stuff.

Its so nice to read about TEC rather than Taks 😄 surely its show and tell time pls - am v curious! 🧐

Wow, bravo!

28 minutes ago, Alan White said:

Wow, quite an image Vin.
I took a peak yesterday and observed a lot of detail ,
but your image trumps my view by quite a margin, thanks for the post.

 

Thanks Alan, that's v kind of you. I'm glad it came out like that b/c I wouldn't have the skills to sketch it (that's a good sketch you did yesterday).

Was looking at it again this morning and it seems to have grown.  The clouds came in, unfortunately, to not allow imaging.

But there was one memorable view through a 40mm plossl as Sol came around a bank of tall houses.  A blurry line in the EP focused into a neighbour's chimney pot, and then the Sun and high trails of clouds behind it.  Was very striking w sharp dark geometry & the wispiness of the clouds - but sadly my 120MMmini has far too small a FOV to capture that!

Cheers & stay safe

17 hours ago, Rusted said:

The internal D-ERF focused a hot beam just outside the objective.
Nasty when it literally set fire to a temporary, cardboard aperture stop.

Yikes! How do you extinguish a lit telescope - fire blanket?

14 hours ago, Neko said:

very good results with the flattener! 

althought that pattern looks like walking noise. did you dither the frames? did it happen with other images ? 

Cheers!

Ah re walking noise (what is that?). No unfortunately I couldn't dither (haven't yet got a mini-guide cam for my guide cam 😂 but Christmas is approaching...).

Thanks @dhkaiser - I didn't know that about GONG and hadn't heard about Tilting Sun: will check it out!  Cheers & stay safe.

1 hour ago, Rusted said:

Well done!  You've captured loads of detail.

You could do a horizontal flip to get the orientation correct:
Not a criticism just something to try next time. 

Thanks @Rusted - that's a good idea.  Hope the high heating you were experiencing w the D-ERFs is still not an issue?  Cheers & stay safe.

That's a nice video.  I hadn't thought about solar with it.  I did get the Evoguide flattener and am quite happy with that as a v light & portable wide-field AP set for holidays.  (I figured out a way of mounting 1.25" filters as well - exactly as the gentleman in the video did with the little adapter ring!) 

My only other piece of Vixen kit. A first-gen (I think) Porta mount.  From WL viewing earlier this afternoon. I have tried to even put the 102M on this - it can handle the weight without a problem but my arms are not that long 😂

I think my first ever sunspot image. TV76, Lunt wedge, Solar Continuum filter, ASI120MM mini, alt-az mount, best 25% of c 1k frames. AS!3 & GIMP.

Stay safe all.

[PS: I'm guessing that spot on the left is big enough to swallow the Earth?]

Hello,

Finally got round to tinkering with a couple of images from the moon.  This is a mosaic of two halves - each one the best 25% of about 700-800 frames in AS!3.  Them merged in LR and then put through imppg & GIMP.

Just tinkering really w different techniques in GIMP.  Its crazy to see how bright/saturated some features get.  The left edge of the moon seems to be showing either merging or other processing artefacts?

Anyway, stay safe all.

Vin

Huh, I thought refractors did L-R inversion so while yes it looks like the SE limb, it means its the SW?  (GONG also shows it as SW)?  And of course now the clouds have come in...argh. Enjoy them across the pond!

Hello, nice little group of sunspots coming around SW limb. Cheers