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First targets for a total noob?

LeeWilky

By LeeWilky
in Getting Started With Imaging

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LeeWilky

LeeWilky

Posted
Posted

Hi all.

Its looking like tonight i MIGHT actually get to use my scope and camera for the first time and i was wondering what you all reccomend as some good first targets for AP.

I live in the Wirral, North West with low light pollution and will be using the SW 200p on a standard EQ5 mount with an Unmodified Nikon D3200.

This is my starter kit so i will be getting the mount motorised etc as time goes on and money comes available but i am a total noob to both photography and Astronomy so the bigger and easier the better and if you could mention what camera settings too that would be great.

Not looking for hubble images here just something to have a play with stacking and editing to get me into the swing of things.

Any help would be appreciated :)

Thanks.

Lee

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PhotoGav

PhotoGav

Posted
Posted

How about M45, The Pleiades? Your field of view will be quite tight with the 200, but should look great. Good things are: t's pretty easy to find, in the right place at the moment, nice and bright, and even has some wispy stuff in there to pratice your nebulous processing!

Here's a useful tool for seeing what targets will be with your equipment: http://www.12dstring.me.uk/fov.htm. Also, stellarium or similar is essential to suss out what will be where when.

Good luck Lee, I hope you enjoy it!

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PhotoGav

PhotoGav

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As Stuart says, shoot loads and loads of subs, as many as you can tolerate taking! Then don't forget to shoot darks, lots of them too (20-30 if you can). And then there are flats and bias, but you can get something workable without them if you don't get round to them.

Have fun!

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poogle

poogle

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If your EQ5 don't have tracking (motors) then there's no real point in hooking up the camera to the 200p since you will get visible star trailing almost immediately. I'd guess that you will be limited to 0.5 sec exposures. The moon would have been a good target though, but it will set around 5 pm today.

You could let the D3200 ride piggy back on the tube (theres a camera connection screw on one of the tube rings) and take lots of shortish exposures with the stock camera lens, say 20 sec exposures at 18mm and then stack them in DSS.

I usually use ISO800 or 1600 with my D5200. Also make sure you set the image format to RAW (or RAW + jpeg) and use mirror lockup/shutter delay to reduce the effect of shake induced by the mirror.

/Patrik

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LeeWilky

LeeWilky

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If your EQ5 don't have tracking (motors) then there's no real point in hooking up the camera to the 200p since you will get visible star trailing almost immediately. I'd guess that you will be limited to 0.5 sec exposures. The moon would have been a good target though, but it will set around 5 pm today.

You could let the D3200 ride piggy back on the tube (theres a camera connection screw on one of the tube rings) and take lots of shortish exposures with the stock camera lens, say 20 sec exposures at 18mm and then stack them in DSS.

I usually use ISO800 or 1600 with my D5200. Also make sure you set the image format to RAW (or RAW + jpeg) and use mirror lockup/shutter delay to reduce the effect of shake induced by the mirror.

/Patrik

Ah so thats what that screw is for on the top of the scope!  Thanks mate i was wondering what that was all about :)  Ill definately try that. 

Thanks to everyone else too this has been a big help. 

I found a video on youtube with a gut who took 400 1.6 second exposures of Andromeda using a fixed tripod and after stacking he made a pretty incredible image out of it.

Will take all your advice on board and if the clouds play the game and stay away hopefully ill have something to show for it tomorrow and a lot more questions to ask lol.

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smudgeball

smudgeball

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Hi

Don't forget that it doesn't hurt to max out your ISO for a quick ten second exposure, just to check that you are framed on target correctly.

It'll be really washed out and noisey but you can pick out the target shape and realign as necessary.

Don't know if that will help

Regards

Neil

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LeeWilky

LeeWilky

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Also - how about the Moon?

No moon for a few days sadly :)

Hi

Don't forget that it doesn't hurt to max out your ISO for a quick ten second exposure, just to check that you are framed on target correctly.

It'll be really wahed out and noisey but you can pick out the target shape and realign as necessary.

Don't know if that will help

Regards

Neil

No i never thought of that thanks a lot ill definately try that :)

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