Let's see your 1st DSOs

[PatrickGilliland]

Here is a couple I took the other night with very bright moon and no filter (CLS arrived this morning!)

Opinions welcome - only third time I have used scope so don't be too harsh but on steep learning curve so open to input.

All on my 120 - all about 5x30-45 sec lights, 5-10 darks, bias and flats also (first time I tried with all these!

Could not go for longer exposure as due to moonlight washing out image. 

Cheers

[tony210]

My first DSO encouraged me as I was told you can't do DSO s with a Mewlon  

210 - with a reducer and a very poor guide scope it still doesn't seem that bad !- Tony - sometimes you just have to find your own way I think!

[Shelster1973]

Put it on as a main topic, but will put in here as is my 1st DSO.

Whirlpool from 28 Jun 14.

Pre-proc done in Nebulosity and no post done on this one as yet.

40 x 15s subs with 5 darks

This is the JPEG as was a bit surprised with the 86 Mb sized TIFF file.....

[Phillyo]

This was my first image back in Dec 2011. Taken with a Nikon D60 through an Altair Astro 8" Newt on a NEQ-6...with no clue what I was really doing! Pretty happy though

[asmmargod]

Hi there. I'm very, very new to astronomy and astrophotography.

While looking for M51 and not being able to spot anything in the area I was just poking my nose round and found what I think it might be a NGC 5198.

Photo was taken with mintron, 50 frames stacked in registax and a bit of cleaning in photoshop.

I know it's nothing really spectacular but hey it's a first (what I think and hope) DSO I spotted and shoot.

[dazzauk83]

Hi asmmargod.

I can't help you with the object you have photographed. But it looks to me that you are not focused in properly. Just looking at the star to the far right it looks like you can see the spider viens in the star.

[wavydavy]

Im loving these 1st attempts.

[Shelster1973]

I know I have posted a first image but.......this is my 1st DSO with any form of guiding.

Dumbbell Nebula with 20 x 180 sec subs at ISO 200.  No flats on this as it started raining (shocker) so very obvious vignetting going on.

[x6gas]

I know I have posted a first image but.......this is my 1st DSO with any form of guiding.

Dumbbell Nebula with 20 x 180 sec subs at ISO 200.  No flats on this as it started raining (shocker) so very obvious vignetting going on.

That's a great 1st guided DSO - well done!

You should be able to take some flats to address the vignetting later so long as you can get the set up the same and roughly the same focus (the precise positioning of the elements in the imaging train is only required if your flats are correcting dust bunnies etc.)

[Shelster1973]

That's a great 1st guided DSO - well done!

You should be able to take some flats to address the vignetting later so long as you can get the set up the same and roughly the same focus (the precise positioning of the elements in the imaging train is only required if your flats are correcting dust bunnies etc.)

Am thinking of tasking some flats this evening as have not adjusted anything focuser wise since my rapid dismantle last week, so should be able to get away with them.

Wil be my first foray into the world of flats, so may try a few different methods to see which ones work the best for me...

[x6gas]

Yep it's well worth it.  I resisted for ages, trying everything to avoid dust on my optics and vignetting, but flats made a big difference to my images.  I still try very hard to keep my stuff dust free so I just shoot a set of flats for each scope / reducer / camera combination and use those.

The t-shirt method seems to work fine for me, but at some point I would like an EL panel...

Good luck, and keep up the good work!

Ian

[mballak]

Here is my first.  Sorry if you've seen it before, Its also posted in the "First M31 thread"  Comments/critics/tips welcomed.  

12X300s lights

12x300s darks

no flats

20 bias

[pmesquita]

I hope youi guys don't get angry but this was really my 1st DSO on Nov. 2012, I swear. It's # 0 photo as I've classifiend My DSP pics with numbers. 

An M42 with two different processings. Since then I've been diving more and more into DSO imaging and Pixinsight.

The reason for a "not very ugly" pic has really to do with my laziness. I just love the KISS principle. Murphy seems to be quite allergic to it :-) You see, I waited and learned, waited and learned, waited and learned...and finally when got to do my 1st image I actrually had learned one very simple but extremely useful Rule: It's not me...it's my gear that takes the photos!

what I mean by this is that if you actually hit straight on with the right setup...it's a whole lot easier.

Btw, here is my 1st year album (15.11.12 to 15.11.13):

http://stargazerslounge.com/gallery/album/2852-paulo-mesquitas-1st-imaging-year-gallery/

I'm currently processing my 2nd year album (after a lousy winter) and I'm also posting here on SGL.

[animal666]

My First light.

Atik Mono CCD

SW190MN

2x180s frames.

[animal666]

My First light.

Atik Mono CCD

SW190MN

2x180s frames Unguided.

[animal666]

meant to write 'unguided' and reposted it all instead.

[AstroAndy]

Here is one of mineI..I remember doing a session from my garden, and one in Albury (62x20s @ ISO1600). Beginning of 2013, and of course, I zeroed in on M31. I started out literally timing shots w/ my remote, then I found a software that would automate this process. One thing I remember, I shot a lot of subs (w/ darks, flats, bias), but it was so cold, I got into my car for warmth, later on I found the vibrations had put paid to a number of them, I ended up w/ around 60. Dunno rightly remember the stats, but must have been about 20-30 dfb.

[bomberbaz]

ok here is my first real attempt where I actually have the first idea of what I am doing. Ok not brilliant but onwards and upwards, using a PD1 astrocam and my 12" dob fitted a 0.5 reducer this time.

comet jacques eedit.bmp

Edited October 13, 2014 by bomberbaz

[bomberbaz]

sorrydont know what happened with the comet jacques picture, took that 3 months since, 5 second exposure using same PD1 and the mini dob 100p hand guided. I didnt count it as a DSO as it was only 53 million miles away at the time heheh 

Edited October 13, 2014 by bomberbaz

[Jonk]

Here's mine...a lot to learn and more data clearly needed!

Taken last night around midnight.

[tingting44]

Here's mine...a lot to learn and more data clearly needed!

Taken last night around midnight.

i wish my 1st dso looked like this! lol, nicely done, i can see you doing rather good at AP

[pyrasanth]

Hi everybody,

This is my first post in this section. I normally post in the getting started section but I think I have progressed a little by now. I have a very light polluted garden but I have started taking images with narrow band filters fitted in the filter slide of a hyperstar. My first attempts are posted below. I wanted to take the full spectrum with S2 & OIII but the filter jammed in the slide and not having any spares I stuck (excuse the pun) with the HA narrow band images. Whilst I would not normally use HA for M31 I tried it anyway to see what I'd get. I'm quite pleased with the fuzzines of the companion galaxy as I think that's detail beginning to show- what do you think?

I will order more filter slides as I guess narrow band is the way to go as I have 3 street lights around my garden (sodium) and a big glow from Birmingham airport.

The Hyperstar is great but as it is so fast needs careful use. Most of these photographs are 60-120 secs with between 10-20 subs at 2x2 bin on an Atik 460EX. The filter is a Baader high speed narrow band H-A.

[pyrasanth]

I forgot this shot of M45

Again shot with an H-A narrow band filter on the hyperstar

[Shelster1973]

To go all Strictly.....A May Zing....They are phenomenal pics for a 1st.....I really wish mine were like those. Looking forward to when u get the full data and process them....will be spec tac u larrrr

[pyrasanth]

Thanks for the kind words. It takes a lot of work & money to get to be able to take these type of pictures. I must have spent enough to buy a car!