Very successful night with new kit!!

[bradfrankshaw]

Hi all - Horsham skies were very clear with very good seeing until about 11:30 so I set up and went through my synscans DSO tour once I'd got the focus set on Capella (no live view).

I was blown away by the results! The Andromeda Galaxy, the Whirlpool Galaxy, M13 and even the Dumbell Nebula!! All on my first shoot!

I plan to process them tomorrow and will then post them online.

One question - although I was polar aligned it was not precise which I understand is required for long exposures. I tried to get the gold and blue binary - Alberino? - but I couldn't pin point it. I did notice though that there was star drift the more "up" the scope pointed. Is this down to the rough polar align?

Cheers

Happy Frank

[hobsey]

Im just across the boarder from you in Cranleigh and sounds like you had a much better night than I did.

Then again, it was my first time using my scope.

[CedricTheBrave]

Another beginner here in Billingshurst

It was lovely out last night.

[bradfrankshaw]

Ok, here are some pictures from last night, would appreciate comments and suggestions!

These were basically Bulb setting point-and-shoot shots with random guess on how long to do exposures for.

As I don't have Live View, I found the best thing to do for focussing was to find a bright star with my wide angle eyepiece and focus. Then remove the 1.25" adapter, release the holder, thread this onto the T-mount and then put this onto the camera. Then slip the camera into the open eyepiece tube and do a final check then use the shutter release for x seconds. This seems a little round about the houses - any suggestions on a better technique?

All of these images have been edited in Photoshop CS3.

One thing I don't quite understand is how magnification works with a DSLR/webcam. I understand a 10mm eyepiece in a 750mm focal length scope gives 75x - but how does that work with a camera? I've yet the photo the Moon with it yet, but how do you do variable zooming without a lens or eyepiece?

And I found the higher up the object the quicker star smearing began? Is this right if Polaris is not set currently?

Cheers

frank

Triangulum Galaxy

M13

Dumbbell Nebula

Andromeda Galaxy

[Zuben Elgenubi]

Congratulations on a very positive start with your new kit

I am new to imaging myself so I will offer what little advice I can. To help with focusing use a Bahtinov mask. Not having live view is a bit of a pain but not the end of the world - you will need to take a test exposure of a bright star and then zoom in to check the focus, and then repeat until perfect focus is achieved.

As for the star smearing you mention, I think that is probably due to a rough polar alignment. Obviously the better your polar alignment, the more accurate your tracking will be.

Don't think I can really answer your question about magnification other than to say that with your camera the telescope basically becomes a large lens.

Hope this helps, and if I've got anything wrong I'm sure someone will correct me!

Gareth

[Zuben Elgenubi]

Oh, and if you don't already have it, get yourself a copy of Making Every Photon Count...

[poogle]

Great start! As stated above, to get your focus spot on you should really get a Bahtinov mask (buy or make one yourself). Here's a good link explaining the process of making one. I used a thick piece of paper instead of plastic since it's easier to cut.

Re magnification, have a look at Olly's post here.

I used to image with an EQ3-2 mount, and to get 30 sec exposures or above without guiding you really need to polar align using the drift alignment method.

/Patrik

[bradfrankshaw]

Cheers for comments and to Patrik for mask link. I'll get one made. Every photon count - waterstones??

Frank

[Big Jim Slade]

FLO will happily sell you a copy of MEPC.

Excellent shots for a first time out too!

[MikeMc]

Nice shots

It was only my 3rd go at using my new kit tonight but I am starting to realise the, find and focus bits can be a 'challenge' especially as i don't have a Goto scope, but I do find the following helps (I know it's long winded but stay with me).

• Find bright target (Vega is good for me at the moment) and locate it in your finder scope
  
• Look in your eye piece and slowly move the scope until it is bag in the centre and focus
  
• realign the finder scope so it too is now centred
  
• Move scope to find target
  
• Confirm target and notice its position in relation to other stuff in the finder scope (Because you won't see it next time!)
  
• Move scope back to Vega, confirm in Eye piece, replace EP with camera
  
• look through camera view finder and you should just about make out the bright disk of Vega if not move the focus in, mine goes almost fully down.
  
• If your night vision is good you can get a pretty good focus but this is where live view really helps but it's not required.
  
• take a test shot I use 10 sec iso 800 for vega.
  
• Very slight refocus if required, best to get it right here.
  
• when happy move scope to target as you noted in the finder scope last time.
  
• take a shot and see what you get, with luck and practice (and no small amount of patience) I find this is starting to work.
  

I also find that I am learning the skies as I need to locate close brighter reference stars to start the finder scope alignment and focus stuff.

I also tend to try for between 15 and 20 lights at between ISO 800 and 1600.

Sorry if that is all very obvious but I have found that it really helps and can be a nice way to explore he skies while mixing observation and imaging.

Best of luck!