Imaging with the 130pds

[Adam J]

3 hours ago, Uranium235 said:

I've just been browsing a few images from the 130pds (as you do), just to see how many of my images turn up via Google when I noticed a couple of what seemed like my images with a watermark on.... errr... whats going on here?! (I thought) as quite a few of my colour images have a very distinctive colour scheme.

So, I've taken a closer look and yes - indeed they are mine. Any AP'er will usually know their images as well as their own kids, so its a bit of a silly idea to try and nick something then slap a watermark on it, because sooner or later it will get found out. Fortunately for them, I'm not overly precious about vast majority of my images - I'd only get seriously miffed (and take action) if one of my competitive images turned up in a similar way.

They could have at least asked me if it was ok! But, on the other hand I'll take it as a compliment that they've used it to try and sell something  

It looks like a Malaysian version of gumtree or fleabay, and probably the ad is a little misleading since the images were taken with a modified 130pds, and not with the actual scope on sale (if selling a scope, I awlays use images taken with that exact telescope).

http://www.mudah.my/Sky+Watcher+Explorer+130PDS+EQ3+Steel+Telescope-55553369.htm

Not sure I would be so accommodating. Using your image is one thing placing their own water mark onto it is another. 

[Galen Gilmore]

Yay! I can finally join the 130pds club!

[Stub Mandrel]

Good stuff, Galen, nice red Ha halo outside the blue.

[Galen Gilmore]

Thanks, I was suprised to get it at only 3 mins of exposure time.

[alacant]

33 minutes ago, Galen Gilmore said:

only 3 mins of exposure time

Amazing. Just imagine if you took 2 and stacked them. Almost twice as good; take loadsa snaps, stack them and see how the image improves. HTH.

[Galen Gilmore]

9 minutes ago, alacant said:

Amazing. Just imagine if you took 2 and stacked them. Almost twice as good; take loadsa snaps, stack them and see how the image improves. HTH.

Thanks, I need more darks and flats though.

[al-alami]

On 7/4/2017 at 15:50, Uranium235 said:

Its also designated as IC5070 (Pelican Nebula). Another panel above that would be NGC7000 (North America Nebula)

4 panel mosaic - 130pds.

Now that is a work of art!

[dyfiastro]

Quick shot with the new DIY Solar filter. The film used was seymour solar film donated by a mate and fellow sgl user.

This was the first time I have attempted solar imaging so still a long way to go.

Shot using ASI120MCS-S

[dyfiastro]

Managed to grab a quick session this evening after work.
I could have done with letting the scope cool down a little more but due to how low it is, there was a chance of it going below the walls of the observatory.

Saturn - Stacked using 80% of 1000 Frames
ASI120MC-S, Revelation 3x Barlow

 

Edited July 17, 2017 by dyfiastro

[Galen Gilmore]

Here is my second real image. I originally only had 15x30 seconds exposure, but I had time to go out the next night and grab another 15 exposures.

M27

30x30 seconds exposure time.

fujifilm xt-1

[Stub Mandrel]

16 hours ago, dyfiastro said:

ASI120MC-S

They are good aren't they! Delighted with mine

[Stub Mandrel]

12 hours ago, Galen Gilmore said:

30x30 seconds exposure time.

Keep going, there's lots of nice detail there, if you can get loads more frames the detail will leap out and the noise will fade away.

[Galen Gilmore]

10 minutes ago, Stub Mandrel said:

Keep going, there's lots of nice detail there, if you can get loads more frames the detail will leap out and the noise will fade away.

Thanks, I was suprised how much the noise reduction tool in PS helped.

I have a question though, if I wanted to collect more data for this target would I just add the new images to the image I have now, or would I add it to the original un stacked images? Or is there something else I'm supposed to do?

[Galen Gilmore]

Just now, Galen Gilmore said:

Thanks, I was suprised how much the noise reduction tool in PS helped.

I have a question though, if I wanted to collect more data for this target would I just add the new images to the image I have now, or would I add it to the original un stacked images? Or is there something else I'm supposed to do?

Sorry, replace the word "add" with "stack"

[Stub Mandrel]

When you have stacked in DSS, you get the option to save the file list.

If you get more images, load the file list and all your old files will reappear. At the bottom you will see a tab called 'main group' and next to it is 'group 1'. Select Group 1 and add your new files, and any updated flats, darks etc. (not essential if nothing has changed, but you can do things like add, say, 1-minute subs to your 30s subs). If you don't add new ones, it will use the main group ones.

Then stack as normal, and it will choose the best across both sessions.

You can re-save the file list and add more subs if you have another session.

I have combined sessions a year apart to get improved results, but they must use the same optical setup (scope, any lenses, and camera) as it won't stretch images at different scales to match each other.

[Galen Gilmore]

1 minute ago, Stub Mandrel said:

When you have stacked in DSS, you get the option to save the file list.

If you get more images, load the file list and all your old files will reappear. At the bottom you will see a tab called 'main group' and next to it is 'group 1'. Select Group 1 and add your new files, and any updated flats, darks etc. (not essential if nothing has changed, but you can do things like add, say, 1-minute subs to your 30s subs). If you don't add new ones, it will use the main group ones.

Then stack as normal, and it will choose the best across both sessions.

You can re-save the file list and add more subs if you have another session.

I have combined sessions a year apart to get improved results, but they must use the same optical setup (scope, any lenses, and camera) as it won't stretch images at different scales to match each other.

Ugh, ok thanks I'll keep that in mind for future astrophotos. DSS puts auto save files in between every photo in my files, it makes it really hard to put it back into DSS and re-stack it.

[Stub Mandrel]

6 minutes ago, Galen Gilmore said:

DSS puts auto save files in between every photo in my files

Click the top of the 'date column' and your subs will all be grouped in the order taken, and separate from the stacking data files.

(Don't feel foolish - I have been through all these problems too!)

[dyfiastro]

17 hours ago, Galen Gilmore said:

Here is my second real image. I originally only had 15x30 seconds exposure, but I had time to go out the next night and grab another 15 exposures.

M27

30x30 seconds exposure time.

fujifilm xt-1

Well done.
Out of interest how are you dealing with the fuji RAF files in DSS? Are you converting them to DNG's first or are you converting them to TIFF files before hand?
IridientXTransformer may be worth looking at if converting before hand as the DNG files that it produces seem to play a lot nicer than the standard adobe ones when importing to DSS.

 

[Galen Gilmore]

5 hours ago, dyfiastro said:

Well done.
Out of interest how are you dealing with the fuji RAF files in DSS? Are you converting them to DNG's first or are you converting them to TIFF files before hand?
IridientXTransformer may be worth looking at if converting before hand as the DNG files that it produces seem to play a lot nicer than the standard adobe ones when importing to DSS.

 

I'm converting them using Adobe DNG converter. Before it wouldn't work because I had it set to RAW 7.1 or later, I set it to RAW6.6 and later and it worked. 

I'll take a look at iridient and see if it works any better for me, I doubt I'll be able to tell the difference though.

[Galen Gilmore]

A quick reprocess to make the sky a little bit darker.

[Susaron]

Dear all,

Last Friday I went out to the outskirts of Madrid (85 Km Northeast), just to practice with some guiding issues I had in June. While testing I was able to shot a couple of test images, first one is the Tulip Nebula (Sh2-101) along with the NGC6781 cluster in Cygnus (3 subs of 4min, with no calibration frames), the second one is well-known, M11 (13 four min. subs), with no calibration frames.

Pictures taken with the QHY168C at Gain 10, Offset 4, RGGB Debayer, Temp -10ºC

 

Cheers.

Edited August 1, 2017 by Susaron

[al-alami]

This would be last night's partial lunar eclipse from Jordan.. The first two shots are a bit soft, but I blame the heat for that! It was around 40C yesterday.

I love this scope.

 

Fakhri

[Stub Mandrel]

The eclipse was lost in cloud here :-(

[al-alami]

2 hours ago, Stub Mandrel said:

The eclipse was lost in cloud here :-(

Sorry to hear that

 

[TareqPhoto]

I wasn't interested in that eclipse, but i did shoot it quick, but not this scope, nice images above you did.