Let's see your 1st DSOs

[Alestrom]

Whoops, didn't see this before, I just posted these in a new thread. Anyway my first (and only so far) DSO's.

Both 5 x 30 seconds with same no. of darks and bias.

[RuiBranco]

my 1st DSOs lol

Short tube 80 with atik-16ic and CG5-GT

Edited March 11, 2010 by RuiBranco

[Steve 1962]

Here's mine - M31 - on 8 Aug 2007 - 138 secs (don't know why!?) ISO 1600 using my (still) unmodded Canon 400D through my SW 100ED Pro - unguided on an HEQ5 Pro

Steve

[jockeb]

First photo...

a sw150p scope in my livingroom through an open window. yupp.. first time in 3 weeks, since I bough it, when is wasn't foggy... or rained

a single 120s iso 100 shot, polar alignment... guessed.. can only see out my window strait south..

Well for my first scope... not that bad

need better alignment and alot better focus and I really need to collimate it...

(adds more stuff to buy)

Aimed for regulus... only star I could see with my naked eye.. (not dark yet + light polution)

Edited April 10, 2010 by jockeb

[astrovirus]

Hi my name is Tim and I live in The Netherlands. Just started out doing deepsky photography and here are my first 5 results.

Mostly unguided 60-90 sec lightframes, total intergration about 1 hour. Stacked with equivalent darks in DSS and processed in CS3.

Images aquired on March 6 (M51), April 6 (M81/M82), April 8 (NGC4565), and April 17 (M97/M108 & M101) 2010.

Hope you kike them.

Regards Tim

[yesyes]

These are great images, astrovirus! Especially for your first images. And you probably have a lot of light pollution in The Netherlands.

What camera did you use?

[astrovirus]

See signature

[yesyes]

Ah, of course! ;-)

I must have missed that...

[cloudbuster]

Hi All:hello2:

Here are my first 2 DSO's....theyre not good, and some of the M51's that youve posted put mine to shame! My M42 is also poor!

Both pics taken with a canon 300d, mounted on an orion europa 150 reflector, fitted with dual axis drives and no go-to....which made acquiring M51 all the more tricky:icon_scratch:

cheers

bob

[davy999]

ok, I know it is FAR from perfect but this was my first attempt last night with the Atik Titan and it is I believe M15, cant remember exposure settings etc.. but whatever I used it was obvioulsy wrong

[ashworthacca]

This is my first DSO image, pretty damn poor but I'm off and running and can console myself that it can't get much worse.

Some great pics on here from all you guys to say they are your first. Well done all.

[the rev]

My first pictures using a starlight xpress MX916. 10 x 15 seconds images stacked in Astroart

[davy999]

ok, I wil have another first )

If i keep saying all images are my first there will be no mickey-taking when i been doing this for years and not improved!

Did this tonight in what can only be called rubbish seeing conditions. moon was blocking most things out and a thin veil of cloud but my trusty scope managed to get this..

I was aiming for M16 but all I could see was a small collection of stars, no signs of any structure of a nebula. So I decided just to image what was there, I had promised Martiin from FLO that I would give M16 a go. trouble was I couldnt really align as no clear stars were easily visible so I aligned on the moon hence my worry that I was probably in the wrong area of sky completely but goto said it was there and I believed it.

So 20 subs at 30secs on Nexstar 6se using Atik titan, stacked in DSS and a few levels messed around. I stacked in DSS and thought ohhh pretty stars.. err.. I have a smudge in the middle .

So played with levels and it was no smudge, can you guys confirm if the splodgy bit in the lower half is what I think it is ( i know the whole image is splodgy but hey ho... I am a very slow learner )

[george7378]

It's probably the pictures of Mizar and Albireo I took this week:

http://stargazerslounge.com/observing-imaging-double-variable-stars/107522-mizar-albireo.html#post1467494

[EJno1]

Ok so I'm completely new to this sort of thing and a friend suggested that someone here may be able to help identify what I have mistakingly photographed while on my camping trip. What was just me mucking about trying to take a photo of the stars... (hence the lovely star trails) :

, I noticed this in the photo when I looked closely at it on my computer :

(Normal)

(Sharpened)

I have no clue as to what I have photographed and hope someone can help. The photo was taken on 05/08/2010 @22:38 from Whitby in the UK (54°28'40.00" N / 0°38'23.00 W) with a Nikon D80, exposure of about 3 mins.

[yesyes]

This is something that hasn't moved while you took the picture. Otherwise it would have a trail just like the stars.

So my guess would be that it was something on the lens....

[eddy]

Just brightened up the image (a lot btw) and look, its an ALIEN!!!! RUN!!!!

Seriously though, i just added a Levels/Curve layer in CS3

Eddy

[EJno1]

Cheers for the replies

@Aliens!

I'm not convinced it could be something on the lense because I'd of thought that would turn out blurry. I did think the same thought about the star trails. Any possibility it could be something in the atmosphere?

[yesyes]

Well, it looks strangely similar to what has been posted here:

http://stargazerslounge.com/astro-lounge/110692-anomaly-sky-aug-10th.html

[matthewota]

My first astrophoto ever was of this partial solar eclipse as seen from Lubbock, Texas. I found it in an old box last year. I was 20 years old at the time and stationed at an air force base. I shot it with a cheap refractor by placing a white card beyond the eyepiece and using a 35mm SLR camera. I processed the image myself in the photo lab as it was a black and white image.

I took the image on October 12, 1977. Amazing how you can place an exact date on a photo due to it's rarity in nature.

One cool thing about eclipses. No matter how long ago you witnessed them you can always research the time and date you saw it, even if you have forgotten over the years.

Edited September 13, 2010 by matthewota

[Skuber]

This is my first ever DSO (I'm just beginning!)

Taken with my TMB-80SS and 10x 2minute subs, unguided.

I think I need to make my subs a bit longer to get more detail - and centre the image next time.

M31 The Andromeda Galaxy (First Attempt) 04-08-10

[yesyes]

This is my first ever DSO (I'm just beginning!)

Taken with my TMB-80SS and 10x 2minute subs, unguided.

I think I need to make my subs a bit longer to get more detail - and centre the image next time.

M31 The Andromeda Galaxy (First Attempt) 04-08-10

There's a lot more detail than you might think. Hope you don't mind that I had a quick play with some levels and curves...

And you captured 3 messier objects in one image (M32, M32 and M110). So well done for your first DSO!! ;-)

[IvanT]

Here goes, my first attempts be gentle.

SWE 200P un-guided, Canon 1000d with Astromik CLS filter (un-moded) prime focus. All taken lastnight, couldn't pass up the opportunity of clear skies

M31 800 11x30 Light 0 Dark 0 Flat 0 Bias

M34 1600 10x30 Light 0 Dark 0 Flat 0 Bias

M103 800 10x30 Light 0 Dark 0 Flat 0 Bias

All stacked in DSS & processed as best I can (for now) in PS C5.

Spent all day today trying to figure out DSS curves & PS adjustment techniques. My head is spinning

I would really be interested if some of you processing experts fancied a go with the RAW files, I know 10x30 sec subs isn't a lot but I suspect there is more to be extracted.

I'm hoping that in years to come, I'll look back at these and laugh

[gary1968]

These are really good for a 1st attempt, and indeed your M31 is better than my best to date.

Keep em coming, I look forward to seeing more of your work.

gary

[Barry]

This was my first (and so far only) attempt at a DSO image. It was taken from my garden on a very cold night last January, with a Canon 1000D and a C100ED.

Barry