Let's see your 1st DSOs

[meade-jnr]

yeah. . with a lil help from my grandad. but he just let me do it .

[wrather1]

My first successful DSO taken with the RCX-12, a Canon 30D-Hutech, unguided, 30 seconds exposure @ ISO 200.

(click to enlarge)

[ngc2403]

hey hello all,

these are my first DS Images

double cluster is 5 stacked,

M31 and M45 are taken on film only last year but i seems like an age

[AllanJ]

Here's my very first DSO effort (M13 afocal) from June 3rd. Telescope is Celestron NexStar 4SE, with a Canon Powershot A85 (4megapixels, jpgs only). I stacked 14 shots in DSS, and tweaked the result with Gimp. The telescope was quite steady when I was viewing by eye, but I think the weight of the camera caused a drift which resulted in star trails. I've subsequently messed about with offsets in Gimp, but this image is the "real" first output.

Allan

(click to enlarge)

[661-pete]

Well - I suppose, to enter into the spirit of this thread ... albeit highly :oops: :oops: :oops: ! Here is my very first ever effort at - you've guessed it! - M13, done back in July 2005 soon after I got the kit. I had no idea how to focus! But I was chuffed enough that I could see more than one star in it! Cropped and resized I think (I don't have the records anymore) but not processed. Ooo-errrhh!

[ottUp]

I'm still working on perfecting drift alignment, tuning gear backlash, taking flat frames, etc. etc. Big learning curve. However, I can't resist taking the odd test image to see how things are coming along.

Here is my very first, M27. Single, unguided, 30-second exposure. SV-105 on G11, SXV-H9 (cropped).

And a few nights later, M13 (10 30-second exposures stacked with Maxim DL). SV-105 on G11, unguided, SXV-H9 (cropped).

- Richard

[meade-jnr]

nice cluster

[Psychobilly]

My First light image with last years crimbo present...

(click to enlarge)

Billy...

[RichieJarvis]

Heres my first effort - M42 through an ETX-105 with a Meade DSI...

Sometimes I get worse, sometimes I get better - I find this hobby incredibly exhilirating sometimes, and other times incredibly frustrating...

Right in the depths of frustrated right now, what with the weather, the Moon tonight, and everything else....

Ah well - it'll get better again, I am sure!

Great first images though - its good to see where we all started from - some of those first DSO's are excellent!

Cheers,

Richie

P.S. I second the 'great idea for a thread' - great idea

[saturn5]

Well after weeks of waiting i finally got round to taking my first prime focus DSO.Weather had been stormy all day then suddenly the sky cleared and the wind dropped(still gusting to over 30mph though).Lost quite a few subs because of the wind.

Canon350d(unmodded)

Orion Europa 150

HEQ5

10x120s,5x150s and 5x180 ISO 800(unguided.)

Stacked using DSS and butchered in PS CS3

Might as well post my second one as well.

Same gear as before.

5x90s,5x120sand 5x150.

[supernova]

I will promise to do better

I

[Andrew*]

My first: you can imagine my jaw dropping to the ground when this popped up on the screen after 30s exposure! :shock: One of those special moments!

(click to enlarge)

Andrew

[ribuck]

Well guys this is my first ever attempt at imaging. it's not very good but it's a start, and i'm pleased for my first ever attempt at imaging.

M81 - Bode's Galaxy, the seeing and transparency were pretty poor.

1x1m L, 1x1 RGB, 8" newtonian, starlight mx916 unguided.

(click to enlarge)

Rich.

[coatesg]

OK - technically not my first (somewhere there float a load of images taken with a society scope back in the mid-to-late nineties...), but these were the first taken when I got my own ccd+scope going. All ST2000+12"LX200 Classic (sometimes at f6.3, sometimes at f10) or TV Pronto for the wide ones. Guiding was entertaining (the drive wasn't the smoothest), but my first ever results using my kit. My processing skills have come on a bit since then (I hope) - if only I can hurry up and get back setup again - I miss imaging...

So... Sept 2004 NGC7331 (very first image with my stuff I think):

NGC 6946 with Supernova 2004et:

M76 (first LRGB I think...processing a bit harsh...):

M45 (RGB or LRGB - can't remember, through a TV pronto, hand focused, blatted during processing!):t

The Rosette (LRGB on same night, same result with the processing - Not a patch on the B/W version through my Tak with a HAlpha filter...):

And finally, an early one which I quite like: (NGC 2683 in B/W)

[themos]

M31, 10x30s, Canon 450D, Carl Zeiss Jena 135mm f3.5 MC, ISO 800, EQ1 mount, unguided

10 darks, 10 flats, 10 offset, registered stacked and processed in DeepSkyStacker

26 September 2008

(click to enlarge)

[paulobao]

Hi,

here my first one from Dec 2007. My AP addiction started with this photo.

4x30s unguided with Tak. FS102NSV @ f/8 + Nikon D70 + Orion SVP.

Glad I took it because since than I became a really addict to astronomy photography.

Cheers,

paulo

[Deneb]

Hi

This is my 1st DSO pic of Capella (slightly grainy), so go easy on me, taken with a SPC900N Webcam w/ ir filter @5fps coupled on a Meade 3x Barlow used with my new Skywatcher 200P.

sorry cleared the image up a bit:

[beamer3.6m]

The best thing about this thread is that some people's first DSO's are better than mine now!

[Coco]

My First DSO Image ever

M42...

[waynezilla]

Just finished fiddling with a SPC900 doing the SC1 mod.

Stuck it on my Meade 4504 114mm reflector (little more than a toy), struggled with the focussing and aiming (those CCD chips are very tiny!!) and was pleased to get find M42..

About 4 frames that weren't completely blurred (as my mount wobbles If I just look at it funny) of about 5 seconds were stacked in registax. Contrast and brightness tweaked in the Gimp..

I am soooooo pleased with this! Just wait until the missus gives me the okay for a real telescope!

Cheers,

Wayne

[psychobabbler]

Hi Folks

Below is my first ever DSO, and while i do not think the final image has been worth all the processing i'm pretty pleased none-the-less. I have followed the Pete Lawrence guide in the December S@N to the letter, and found it to be a really good guide for rookies like me. I did have real probelms enhacing the image with the layer mask and gaussian blur, so the picture below is without these aids. Any help with these tools would be greatly appreciated. I did use them but could not seem to improve th picture much.

Equipment was Megrez 90, HEQ5, unmodded 400D and a 2" extension tube.

The subs (4x 10, 30, 60, 90 and 120seconds) were taken on Friday 6th Feb under very light- and moon-polluted skies, out the back garden in Glasgow. Occasional cloud which passed to clear skies. I loved the whole process of taking the shots - amazed at wat i could get even from a 10 sec sub. I took all darks and flats at the same time. Processing took most of saturday - really hassly job but fun too.

Thanks for looking - next stop M31 or M45!

Psychobabbler

[dogfish]

Hi David,

Great start. Well done mate.

Martin

[dark knight]

Here's my 1st attempt. M42, non modded Nikon D80, 300mm telephoto, ISO1600, 27 sec exposure. 3 frames stacked in DSS. wish I could tease more out of this but truth be told I don't know what I'm doing :withstupid: .

[dark knight]

Doh, sorry image posted twice. Forgot to mention it was taken last night hence the light area to bottom right side, also shows some sodium light pollution.

[psychobabbler]

Nice one dark knight - try the december issue of Sky@night - very good instructions but a bit fiddly.

PB