First Uranus

[JohnnyD333]

I haven't posted any pictures in a long time, I think we can all agree the weather has been horrible for quite some time. I went out on a somewhat cloudy night to image Jupiter and ended my night looking at Uranus. Not much to see through my scope, but when I took a picture I was much happier. Saw a very similar image on an old program called "The Planets" on the Voyager missions. It was the picture shown before Voyager was sent. Thanks for looking.

[Neilius]

Love it! No disrespect to anyone, but I find this a refreshing change from all the Jupiters - Not that there is anything wrong with those either!

[Cordulegaster]

I agree, good to see something different.

[JohnnyD333]

Thanks guys, my Jupiter shots pale in comparison to the images people post on SGL so I dont even bother posting them. Had to change it up a little.

[Jove]

Nice image - I wonder are those moons close to the diffraction spikes?

[JohnnyD333]

Hey Jove,

Thanks, those are two moons, I havent checked Stellarium but Im almost positive its Titania and Ariel (those are the brightest). Miranda might be in there but its Mag 16 so its dim. This is why I like taking images of Uranus, my scope isn't big enough to see moons in an EP, but 20 sec exposures bring them out. Plus, I like the blue diffraction spikes it gives off.

[jimmythemoonlight]

a really great picture johnny and a nice change as well can you give me any tips as i am new to imaging i have a skywatcher 130 and a canon650 to take pictures with so any basic rules i should follow to get pictures of your standard many thanx jimmythemoonlight

[JohnnyD333]

Hey Jimmy,

Thanks for the compliment. Your camera is awesome and you can do quite a bit with it. I dont know what equipment you have but imaging varies depending on your target. I would get a t-adapter and t-ring if you dont have one, prime focus imaging is important to learn. Uranus looks like a blue dot through scopes of our size, so if you take a picture and leave your lens open for about 10-20 seconds you can bring out more detail. Thats where the moons and the diffraction spikes come from.

If you mount can track, you can get pictures and push them to about a minute in exposure. Since you have a Canon650, you should push the ISO up to 800 or 1600 because your camera can handle the noise. I would recommend focusing on the brightest star you can find before finding a DSO. People tend to target the Orion Nebula, Seven Sisters, and Andromeda to start because they don't require long exposures to get descent results. The moon is a good target but you probably went for that already. Most people use webcams on Jupiter and Saturn so I would wait on those.

Now, of course longer exposures are better. Im not sure what kind of mount you have, or if you have an autoguider. But I am assuming you might not and if that is the case I would do what I listed above. If you do have these items, then we can go into a whole new conversation. But for now, start with these targets and see what you get. Remember to focus in your live view (find a bright star, zoom in, and use the focuser until the star is as tiny as possible).

So some basic tips to start. Focus as good as possible. Take many images of your target. Push you exposure time as long as possible without star trails. Play around with the ISO settings. Download some processing software like DSS and Pixinsight (you can get a free trial) and play around with the settings. These are the basics and believe me, I am still learning everyday. I warn you now that it is very addictive but the results of your work will be amazing. Good luck and read the threads on this site, its the best place to learn next to going to a class or star party:)