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First Images - advice welcomed!

Fordos Moon

By Fordos Moon
in Getting Started With Imaging

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Fordos Moon

Fordos Moon

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Hi all, after a fun session outside last night and this evening on the laptop I have produced my first images using my ED80 and unmodded 1100d. ( unguided HEQ5).

I would much appreciate constructive criticism to help me improve my images.

I've saved and attached them as JPegs as wasn't sure what the norm is to upload on here.

The first is the moon, a dozen shots and then Registax and GIMP.

The second M42 was 20 x 30 seconds (too long?) saved as tifs to put through DSS ( honestly enjoyed using this software).

I followed various tips online, some from here. Please don't be too harsh I've only just begun ( as the song goes!)

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springbok

springbok

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Hi, well done, it's a great start.

I am new to imaging, so take the advice with a pinch of salt :grin:

Re M42, you may be able to stretch out a bit more data, but maybe not as the total exposure is only 10 minutes.

With M42 you need a combination of short exposures for the trapezium and longer for the nebulosity.

On advise and searching the ne, I did my 1st M2 with a combination of 10 sec, 30 sec, 2 mins and 5 mins exposures, totalling around 2 hours of exposure.

Even then I still had a blown core, more to learn :grin:

This was wih an unmodded 1100D.

8369431217_cd8fb9b565_z.jpg

The below link was my guide on settings / inspiration. Keeping in mind it was a modded DLSR.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/46302893@N02/8269396740/

HTH,

Cheers,

Grahame.

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ollypenrice

ollypenrice

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M42 is a popular beginner's target but maybe it shouldn't be because it is one of the hardest objects in the sky. The dynamic range, the range of brightness, is astounding. You need three exposure times, I think, to cover the whole range in a natural colour image. How long they are depends on the F ratio of the scope and the sensitivity of the camera but this is the best way I know of to combine them; http://www.astropix.com/HTML/J_DIGIT/LAYMASK.HTM

With a sensitive CCD and an F ratio of 3.9 (fast) I used 10 secs, 50 secs and 10 minutes for my own version. http://ollypenrice.smugmug.com/Other/Best-of-Les-Granges/i-R4v6bFN/0/X3/M42%20WIDE%202FLs-X3.jpg

For a good tutorial on stretching try this one; http://www.middlehillobservatory.co.uk/articles-primers/Levels%20and%20curves.htm

Olly

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Fordos Moon

Fordos Moon

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2 great links there, thanks Olly.

Am liking your pics Fordos. We have the same equipment more or less so it's good to see what does what if you know what I mean.

Very much do Richie, good to see what CAN be achieved with our level of equipment!

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Fordos Moon

Fordos Moon

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its a great start! as people have said, you need a nice mixture of exposures... but never the less your on the right track. Have fun and clear skies!

Thanks Stem. Yep I am pleased I am getting something that impresses me and it has given me more drive to do better. In fact the mixture of exposures will be the next thing I try, albeit I will have to read up on how to then combine the results of each batch in photoshop/gimp. Only having so far used something like 25 x 30 secs for the above image (lights and darks), what would you suggest in terms of a different length of exposure? Are we talking longer for the outer bits and shorter for the core = 3 different exposure lengths? (And I assume, darks for each exposure lenght too?)

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Astrosurf

Astrosurf

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To get pics without star trailling on the longer subs you'll need to autoguide. Mind you, my scope has a long focal length so I don't know how long you could expose for with your ED80 before trailing starts.

These are great pics, well done. More subs and some with longer exposures on M42 will give you more data, less noise and more stretching ability!

Last weekend I finally managed to autoguide on M42. I did a set of 30 sec subs to capture the trapezium and some 5 min subs for the nebula (only a few before the mist rolled in) and I was staggered at how much detail I got! You'll be amazed at what you can get.

Alexxx

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Fordos Moon

Fordos Moon

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To get pics without star trailling on the longer subs you'll need to autoguide. Mind you, my scope has a long focal length so I don't know how long you could expose for with your ED80 before trailing starts.

These are great pics, well done. More subs and some with longer exposures on M42 will give you more data, less noise and more stretching ability!

Last weekend I finally managed to autoguide on M42. I did a set of 30 sec subs to capture the trapezium and some 5 min subs for the nebula (only a few before the mist rolled in) and I was staggered at how much detail I got! You'll be amazed at what you can get.

Alexxx

Wow a 5 minute sub sounds like something i can only dream of right now! I need to find out about this autoguiding and what if anything would work with my set-up. Please post a photo of the results of your efforts on here! My subs were of 30 seconds yet the trapezium bit seems overexposed dont you think?

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Astrosurf

Astrosurf

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Has the HEQ5 got an autoguiging port? As my Pro does I would have thought so. I could tell you how I autoguide but I only plug things in, set up the software and hope for the best! There are other people on here who'd be able to advise you.

My 30 sec subs were on the verge of having an overexposed trapezium so I selected out that area with repeated selections over several iterations of stretching. I did the same for my 5 min subs. I can't upload pics at work as we're on an old version of IE but here's my thread, moaning as usual!

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Steve 1962

Steve 1962

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Those images are both great.

If asked to choose, I'd say that I prefer the first moon image because it's slightly less processed - you might want to back off the sharpening a little to get a more natural look (sometimes less is more!)

As for longer exposures - you'll certainly get more detail in the darker parts of the nebula - but only you can assess how long your kit can achieve unguided.

If you want to explore guiding - you already have most of the kit you need. When I started off I used a Philips webcam through a small scope (like your ED80) piggybacked onto a 200P by bolting the guide scope to a dovetail and then bolting this to the top of the main scope rings.

Because your webcam hasn't got a guide port, you'll need EQMOD and an EQDIR adapter to get the camera to "talk" to your mount through a free program called PHD.

You might find also yourself up against the weight capacity of the mount - but heyho - there's no harm in trying! If it works - you should be able to guide indefinitely - I regularly achieved 30 minutes guided with a webcam and HEQ5.

The other thing you could try is to use your finder as a guide scope and attach your webcam to that - it may only work on bright stars - but again - worth a go maybe?

Steve

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