Roy Foreman

Agreed about this hobby being frustrating, and in so many ways , but when it all comes together it can be hugely satisfying. We just have to stick with it and take the bad with the good !

Following on from the recent topic on daytime lunar imaging started by laurieast, I have now had the chance to put my newly acquired Pro Planet 642 filter to use on the crescent moon. This filter has a 200nm bandpass encompassing Ha and the shorter infrared wavelengths, and can apparently be used for deep sky imaging as well, which I intend to try. The image below was taken just after 6pm, fully 3.5 hours before sunset. Telescope was a 16" F/4.5 reflector and the camera a ZWO 183MM 50% of 1200 frames at 5ms integration. Maybe not as sharp as the 180 Mak would produce, but I thought the greater light grasp of the reflector would help, and I'm reasonably pleased with how it has turned out. I did do some shots using a Ha filter as well, but the sky didn't turn out as dark and so far I have been unable to process it out.

Excellent. Love it.

Like the colours. Very nice image.

Yes, from the description its seems like a very useful filter with multiple applications. Not sure about the improved guiding bit. I think the gains would be minimal at best. So, all we need now is clear, but not necessarily dark, skies to try out these new filters !

Agreed. Might try a colour version one day and see how that turns out !

Very nice image. I have long wanted to image this region but sadly from my location it is just too low down, so I'll just have to be content with admiring images like yours. Well done !

Yes the Ha certainly does block most of the blue sky. A #25 red filter works really well too, and is a much cheaper option than more specialised filters. Lets more light through as well ! I have just ordered an Astronomik ProPlanet 642 which has a 200nm bandpass and lets through Ha plus some IR, so I am hoping it will be useful for both lunar and deep sky imaging. I was really inspired by the Hubble image of the Horsehead in IR, but I doubt my efforts will even scratch the surface, but it will be fun trying, if a little ambitious !!! Lots of scope for experimenting, just need darker nights and more settled weather.

As promised here is a lunar image taken during the afternoon in April 2020 - i.e. broad daylight - with a Ha filter Telescope - 16" F/4.5 Reflector Camera - Nikon D810a Exposure 1/1000 sec at ISO 200 Filter - Ha (Lumicon 12nm bp I think) Lots of messing around in Photoshop ! It was only a test shot and I only took two images to see if it would work. Using a large scope with plenty of light gathering helped. I now feel inspired to experiment further !

Great image. Lots of detail. Well done.

I will try and locate my Ha image and post it here for you to look at. Let us know how you get on with Venus !

They have turned out really well for daytime images. I tried this a couple of years ago using a H-alpha filter and the end result was almost like a night time shot. But not quite. Your images have inspired me to give it another try.. Well done.

Thank you. Never been able to decide which area of the moon I like the best, its all great ! Glad you like the images.

Really like the colour rendition.

If you want it to rain, clean the car - or fit a solar panel !

Nice image and well done considering there is no true darkness at the moment. Speaking of which, although the longest day is around the 21st June, the latest sunset is on the 27th, so a bit longer to wait than you were expecting. The mornings started drawing in on the 15th June. Definitely should be the other way round in my view. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news !

Gives me hope for my bortle 4 skies. Well done.

So right. Took me a while to get used to mine but once I did I realised what an excellent performer it is. Glad you like the images.

Thank you ! I actually took some images on the 11th using my 150 ED and the moon skimming the tree tops. It turned out to be a futile exercise, so you were probably right in giving up on the 10th !

The seeing wasn't great and the moon was fairly low in the sky, so I didn't have high hopes, but I'm reasonably pleased with how they've turned out. Taken with a Skywatcher 180 Mak and a ZWO ASI 183MM 20 Mp mono camera and #25 red filter, just before sunset. 50% of 1200 frames at 19fps, 20ms integration. These are selective crops from the full frame images. Hope they are of interest.

Very nice image and good to see you back in the game !

Thank you, and yes I think I'll be keeping this one !

I've had my ED 150 Pro a few weeks now and have no issues with any of the mechanical fittings. SW must have made some improvements. It is a big scope but not as heavy as it looks. Works well on an EQ 6, but better on the AZ-EQ6 which is more sturdy. So far I have only used it to view and image the moon and the results are really impressive. I also intent to use it for medium angle deep sky imaging, but at the moment the skies are just not dark enough. My other SW ED's (72, 80 and 120) all have no trouble covering a full frame sensor using a decent field flattener (TS 2 or 2.5), so I have no doubt that this 150 ED will do so as well. Optically it appears to be noticeably superior to the SW 120 Equinox, and I have yet to see any traces of false colour - at least on the moon. Originally I wanted an Esprit, but this scope is so good for 1/3 the price, that I am glad I made the choice to go for the 150 ED. Hope this helps.

A thin crescent moon hanging in the evening sky is a very evocative scene to the naked eye but, as anyone who has tried to image it will know, it presents a few challenges. Shoot early and the sky is very bright, shoot later and the moon is low in the murk and turbulence. It is something I have never really had much success with in the past. This is my best result to date, taken on 2nd May with my newly acquired Skywatcher 150 ED Pro, an ASI 183MM (20mpx) flat out at 19 fps, and a #25 red filter. 50% of 1200 frames. The moon was skimming the treetops and there was thin cloud and much turbulence. Not good, but I'm reasonably pleased with the result. Thanks for looking - C and C's always welcome !

I'll take and post some images when sky conditions permit. I'm keen to see how it does on deep sky too, but that will have to wait for darker nights ! For what it's worth, the scope is lighter and more manageable than it looks, but the metal case it comes in is huge and weighs twice as much as the scope does ! Had to give the delivery man a helping hand to get the box up the 38 steps leading to my front door !!!