Let's see your 1st DSOs

[chr1s]

Here's mine, taken this weekend just gone, on the first clear night in ages.

I learnt sooo much in one night taking this!

[yesyes]

WOW, that's an amazing image. Hard to believe it's your first one..

[Chiefwiggum]

M42 with Skywatcher 150p and Canon 400D

[turbolord]

Just got my first Telescope. This was taken in my flat Car Park looking over the lights of Edinburgh. Taken with a Skywatcher Skymax 127 on a Az Goto Mount with a un-modified EOS 10D

Edited February 20, 2012 by turbolord

[hot_ice]

Started Astronomy in January 2012. Decided to do imaging

Second go at Astrophotography

M81 and M82 with Canon 550d unmod SW200p newt on HEQ5 unguided

[hot_ice]

Started Astronomy in January 2012. Decided to do imaging

Second go at Astrophotography

M81 and M82 with Canon 550d unmod SW200p newt on HEQ5 unguided

[cspindley]

My first attempts with my scope and webcam just not sure how long to set it to capture for.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[hot_ice]

My first was M42 and the second is M81 and 82 Canon EOS 550d HEQ5 Mount 200P Newt 15 sub frames, 15 Darks, Bias and white Stacked

[1981suede]

My first attempt is pretty poor compared to some crackers in this thread. Never the less here is my first DSO. The Lovely Leo Triplets. 11x75s with Dark's and Bias's but no Lights as i haven't figured out the best way to achive them as yet.

[eddy]

Here's mine, taken this weekend just gone, on the first clear night in ages.

I learnt sooo much in one night taking this!

That is amazing! lol What are the specs on the image?

[yesyes]

That is amazing! lol What are the specs on the image?

The specks are called "stars"

[red dwalf]

that is very good for a first image, you`ve managed not to over expose the center of the neb which is a very common problem for first timers to do.

well done indeed.

here`s my first effort of M51. forgot to use the reducer and also forgot to use a uv/ir filter which might of helped with the bloating alittle.

[sanmatt]

Great first pics everyone. How are you focussing? Especially on M42 - all the images seem so clear and focussed. I seem to fall down there.

[earth titan]

Great first pics everyone. How are you focussing? Especially on M42 - all the images seem so clear and focussed. I seem to fall down there.

A bartinov (probably spelt wrong as I've just drunk home made elderberry port) mask.

Easy enough to make or you can buy.

Edited March 7, 2012 by earth titan

[sanmatt]

Ah, yes, I bought one of those on eBay earlier. Hopefully it will sort me out then. cheers

[Cath]

Here's my very first DSO using a Celestron NexStar 6SE and a Canon EOS 500D at prime focus. I think I had a TAL 2* barlow (not a very good barlow) inline but can't remember now.

It's a single raw down sized image (of which I took a few), unprocessed (Registax 6 keeps locking up when I try to stack), 15 sec exposure, ISO 3200 (too high, hence the noise and saturated stars).

I'm finding the Nexstar 6SE mount to be not very good at tracking, although it does keep whatever I'm trying to image in view it has a lot of randomness as it tracks and so a high percentage of images have to be trashed .. I'd love to do some long exposures but it doesn't seem like that is going to be possible.

Edited March 8, 2012 by Cath

[chr1s]

That is amazing! lol What are the specs on the image?

Thanks, I was so pleased with how it turned out!

It's really spurred me on and I can't wait to get another go at something... just waiting for the clouds and moon to disappear!

The photo is around 20x 30 second exposures at iso 1600

I used an equinox 80 on a heq5 (unguided)

I used Deep Sky Stacker to align and stack everything and then Photoshop to finish it off.

[chr1s]

Great first pics everyone. How are you focussing? Especially on M42 - all the images seem so clear and focussed. I seem to fall down there.

For my M42 photo all I did was turn on Live view with the iso set really high, zoom in to 10x and adjust focus till the Stars appeared smallest... seemed to work ok...

[sanmatt]

Thanks Chris, if it's unguided, how did you get away with not having trails?

I just got a Bahtinov mask, so hopefully that will really help me

cracking, cracking pic!

[chr1s]

It's unguided, but, the mount was still tracking, so my 30 second exposures seemed to work ok.

[sanmatt]

Oh I see, I thought you meant un tracked. But you mean, not using a GOTO? gotcha

[Mike Hackenbacker]

the neighbours must think say i gone potty as i did let out one home simpsom whoohoo when i saw these shots.these are my first real deep space objects or DSO'S.each was shot with my canon 350D on 30 second exposures,,but still could be a bit sharper.but not bad for my very first DSO shots

[Penguin]

Lovely Mike. As a fellow 350D (borrowed) user, I am impressed. What lens did you use and how was it mounted? Did you track by hand? You say it could be sharper but you've got individual stars in the center where I just have a big white splodge: orion nebula adjusted | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

--- Alistair.

[Mike Hackenbacker]

i just mounted the camera to the rear of the nexstar 4se there was no lense attached.

Edited March 12, 2012 by Mike Hackenbacker

[bcfcciderhead]

Posted mine last night in "the lounge" but i guess i could start posting here now.

16, 5 sec subs, no darks and lights (dont know what to do with these), and ISO set to Auto,

not guided just tracked on my EQ5.

Cropped on Photo shop and added a bit of colour.

Stacked using deep sky stacker.

The first shows one of the subs,

2nd all 16 subs stacked

3rd cropped and a bit of colour