WilliamAstro

I use a Canon 600D which is modified with an Optolong L-Pro filter equipped, The lens that I use is a Tamron 150-600

What is causing these star halos and how can I resolve this issue?

Cheers

William

Jupiter's Rotation from 23rd September 2023 captured during the early morning hours.

EQUIPMENT

Celestron Nexstar 127 SLT

ZWO ASI120MC-S

Svbony 2X Barlow

ZWO ADC

Skywatcher SynScan EQ3 PRO

SOFTWARE

Autostakkert!3

Registax 6

WINJUPOS

Photoshop

PIPP

How to prevent dew from building up on the external parts of a dob? (e.g. the mount, the casing around the mirror)

I use a modified Canon 600D, a Tamron 150-600mm Lens and a Skywatcher Star Adventurer 2i Pro. When I use this kit for my astrophotography I always tend to have trouble finding what I want to look for. Are there any adapters/attachments so I can put my finderscope/red dot finder on my kit so I can find targets more easily?

Cheers

William

Are there any dew shields or alternatives for one for the Skyliner 400P that anyone can refer me to please?

Cheers

William

33 minutes ago, ONIKKINEN said:

Where in the sky?

Anywhere that I want to image, it could be the Orion Nebula, Dumbbell Nebula, or anything like that.

1 hour ago, ONIKKINEN said:

Sounds like your mount is one of the newer models with a USB port on the control box. If this is the case, connect that to your PC, and your 120MM directly to the PC too. Ditch the ST4 cable entirely, it is not needed (or wanted).

In PHD2 connect to the mount with either the Skywatcher driver or EQMOD. Connect to the camera with the ZWO Ascom driver (you need to install all of the above of course).

Then you need to tell us a bit more. Where in the sky are you pointing when calibrating? You need to point to a low declination and close to the meridian for calibration to work. If you tried to calibrate at the home position it would not work as the RA axis moves very little.

I am pointing the guidescope directly to where the telescope is pointing to.

On 16/07/2023 at 22:08, malc-c said:

Still doesn't explain in detail how things are connected.  Is the guide camera connected to the PC via USB or are you using the ST4 port ?  You need to give a more detailed reply so people can fully understand your configuration and also what your work flow was (did you run the assistant utility to calibrate PHD2 first ?)

I googled your mount and searched for any tutorials and found this  - Hope that helps

Sorry for not elaborating. Okay so here is the breakdown, I use a Synscan EQ3 for my 72 ED, not a Star Adventurer, The guidescope I use is a ZWO 30mm Mini GuideScope, The guide camera I use is an ASI120MM which is connected to the autoguide port on the motor control via ST4 and connected to my laptop via USB3, I connect my laptop to the USB port on the motor control with a USB port adapter via USB2 so I can also connect my main camera in another port as well. Upon using PHD2, I either have a choice of "on-camera" or "USB" operated with ASCOM. Upon attempting to calibrate, The steps go higher in number and a while later I am met with, "RA Calibration failed".

1 hour ago, malc-c said:

You need to provide details on how you have set this up.  How are the mount and computer connected, and the software (NINA, EQmod, GSS ??).  How you do your polar alignment would also help.  This should allow people to diagnose whats going on and how best to calibrate and start guiding

I use PHD2 with ASCOM installed, I polar align the mount via polar scope, The mount is connected via USB3 to my laptop using the motor.

One night I decided to try and use my EQ3 and so I did but my only problem was that I needed it to guide. I use PHD2 and when I start calibrating it tells me about setting the RA between -20 to 20+, Any help please?

Cheers

William

Equipment:

Canon 600D (Modified)

Canon EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III

ZWO ASI120MM Mini

ZWO 30mm f4 Miniscope

Skywatcher Star-Adventurer 2i Pro

Software:

PHD2 (For guiding)

APT (With dithering)

DeepSkyStacker

Adobe Photoshop 2022

Roughly 2 hour exposure time

121 lights,

64 darks,

20 flats,

80 bias,

Cheers and clear skies

William

I just thought about acquiring a larger telescope to get closer pictures of the planets, (hence the title) I am looking for a sophisticating size that has great optics and produce great light gathering and detail catching abilities. What is my budget you ask? £1500. It can be a dobsonian, a cassegraine or other type that meets the requirements.

Cheers and clear skies

William

The toolbar at the bottom is obscured even when I make the program window smaller.

So I was met with this artefact of this line protruding across the image and especially horizontal lined noise as well.

Here are some details to help puzzle what is causing this problem and how to fix this.

My single exposure subs are 20 seconds. (lights and darks)

497 lights, 101 darks, 30 or 15 flats, 30 or 15 dark flats, 50-60> bias frames

a portion of the lights contained clouds and I took them out of the batch and stacked those and still same thing, used less percentage and still same thing.

I used a modified Canon 600D, Star Adventurer 2i Pro, Skywatcher Evostar 72 ED DS Pro with guiding, 2 counterweights for balance.

My assumption is that it could be labelled as 'walking noise'.

Over the course of capturing the data I needed to reframe the image back to where it had to be as it drifted slowly.

358 x 20 second lights, 101 darks, 15 flats, 15 dark flats, 21 bias

Skywatcher Evostar 72ED DS-Pro, Canon 600D (Modded) with t-ring and backfocus adapter, Skywatcher Star Adventurer 2i Pro

speaking of counterweights are their any counterweights for me to obtain? (those tyre looking things)

Used the rig again, got this (40-60+ mins) 30 second subs i might still need another counterweight for this though

Is there a USB lead precisely for my ZWO ASI120MM Mini as the one I got from the product itself broke due to kinks.

Processed image

Animated GIF

Equipment:

Skywatcher Evostar 72-ED DS Pro

Skywatcher AZ-GTi

Baader AstroSolar Spotter Filter (80mm)

Canon 600D (Unmodified), Backfocus adapter, and 2" nosepiece with T-Ring

Skywatcher Stainless Steel 3/8" Tripod

Software: PIPP, Autostakkert!3, Registax V6, Adobe Photoshop 2022

-

Single exposures were taken at ISO 100, 1/800, Manual mode

50% of 60+ frames were stacked for the processed image.

-

Each frame of the animated GIF are single frame exposures taken at 5-minute intervals using an intervalometer.

Taken with Nexstar 127 SLT, ZWO ASI120MC-S, Svbony Multi-Coated 2X Barlow, ZWO ADC

Processed with Photoshop, Autostakkert!3, Registax V6, WINJUPOS

Data captured using Firecapture

Hence the title, are their any solar filters (especially with the Baader solar film that lets you view the sun in white color) for my Evostar 72 ED DS Pro?

6 minutes ago, rl said:

Might help if we could see exactly what was wrong with the subs...can you post one up?

If you carefully slack off the RA you will know straight away if the mount is. balanced or not.

Do you have any evidence that the mount was actually being driven?

Unfortunately I removed them from my camera as they didn't go well..

Sorry..

But upon viewing the subs, the stars just appear trailed

The mount is being driven and I did set the guiding to RA only.

It did stay in the field of view for a while before moving away.

Last night I went to attempt to image the Pleiades but didn't end very well..

I set up my rig which was my 72ED, ZWO Guidescope 30mm F4, a modified Canon 600D with a backfocus tube and 2" adapter, ZWO ASI120MM Mini.

I did polar alignment accurately but I think whilst I was balancing my mount I could have moved the polar alignment off, I think I need to polar align when the telescope is finished being balanced and operated.

Does any of you think I need another counterweight for the mount? When I set the dovetail higher the scope and other stuff would not stay still but I can't go to low otherwise the telescope will be bonked by the mount and my polar scope will be covered.

Guiding did go well but it couldn't help with the error of alignment.

I did 5 minute exposure subs, and I think I should've went with something like 2 minutes..

Upon receiving the lights, all the stars were trails for all images and Pleiades slowly moved away from the camera's FOV.

I used a SWSA 2i for this.

Loving the detail on IO.

You done marvellous!

I was wondering if my Nexstar 127 SLT OTA will be compatible with my Star Adventurer 2i in addition do my ZWO ASI120MC-S, Svbony SV182 6x30 Finderscope, 2X Barlow Lens and ZWO ADC.