Let's see your 1st DSOs

[yesyes]

Looks like M<the_answer_to_Life_the_Universe_and_Everything>

[palebluedot]

My first image. Taken on a full moon. 16 frames of 5 sec exposures at 800 ISO from my 20D directly mounted to my 150P. Stacked in Registax.

I'm rather excited about it and can't wait to get back out there.

[Edit] Cleaned up a little in Lightroom.

Edited March 20, 2011 by palebluedot

[NickK]

M81 - my first DSO using Pentax 105 SDP and ATIL 16ic (659x494 pixels) as the imaging camera.

This is a raw single 5 minute frame, no guiding, no filters, bad alignment, by-eye focusing, targetting using an eyepiece before replacing the camera and refocusing then pulling the ciggy connector out and having to realign the EQ6.

Using nebulosity 2 demo, hence the diagonal lines.

Edited March 24, 2011 by NickK

[rocketandroll]

Hi all

Ok, thought I'd throw my M42's into the ring as well :-)

First one is my first ever astro-photo, taken on March 18th, the second was a second set of data captured on the 23rd (last week).

These were both taken from the carpark of my workshop unit just north of Ipswich, Suffolk... the carpark overlooks an industrial park with 24hr security lighting (right below Orion) so LP was horrible... but I'm pretty happy with the results. Looking forward to getting shots of M42 from a trully dark location maybe later this year.

Both shots taken with a Meade S5000 127mm triplet Apo on a HEQ5-Pro unguided with an Eos 350D modded.

Shot 1: about 16 min of total subs, mostly 30 seconds at ISO 800 with just 5 darks:

Shot 2: better focus and more darks, about 22min of data inc 5min or so of subs at 20sec ISO400 to get the trapezium without burning it out... a definite improvement:

Cheers all!

Ben

[IvanT]

Lovely results, second one is as you say much better. Look forward to seeing more from you.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[nightvision]

First shot with a 300D attached to an old Meade goto-EQ mount, full moon (03/2011) about 30 degrees to the right. 18-55 zoom set to 18, 5 x 8 second exposures, stacked in DSS and curves tweaked to remove street light pollution. Good practice while I wait to buy a mount....

[jonathan]

I just had my first go last night, quite surprised at how relatively easy it is to get basic star constellations. Anyway, here are my efforts! No stacking, just a few tweaks with curves in GIMP. Canon 1000d on an old camera tripod, kit 18-55 lens & 55-250 for Saturn.

I tried to get some foreground objects in this one, the neighbour had a security light on which lit the tree and our buildings a bit, but they're still very dark in this picture. Couldn't really get any longer exposure without getting star trails.

Not bad at all for my first real attempt! I had a go with film years ago but I didn't have a clue what I was doing and barely got anything back from the developers (they didn't bother to process half of the 'empty' negatives, hmph!)

Not a DSO but on the same night had a quick go at Saturn too..

At least, I think that was Saturn.. it was in the right part of the sky and I think I can make out the shadow of the rings.

Edited April 11, 2011 by jonathan

[mrmoo]

I WILL KILL YOU EREYBODY

[mrmoo]

HOW ERER IS ON THIS THIN i wll kill them

[mrmoo]

HOW ERER IS ON THIS THIN i wll kill them

[red dwalf]

here is my first effort taken at SGL6 with alot of help from "Glider" and "Ibbo" using a meade dsi pro mono, scope used was a Celstron 8" sct with 6.3 focal reducer and guided with a st80 and phd, 20 5 minute subs and 12 darks, stacked in dss and alittle processing with photoshop cs3, the image is only mono as i`ve yet to get some colour filters for the camera.

Edited April 11, 2011 by red dwalf

[Bellyeye]

My first attempt - M13 - C9.25 on HEQ5 unguided (and unfocussed it seems). 30 sec at 1600 with Nikon D80.

http://stargazerslounge.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=56139&stc=1&d=1302563552

Edited April 11, 2011 by Bellyeye

[Stinky_Pete]

Ok [takes a deep breath]

my first propper attempt at an astrophoto from last feb (i say proper because im not counting photos of the sky from holidays etc..), the newbie favorite M42. Unguided and i think 90s subs (i cant remember how many) and flats, darks and so on have not happened yet. Suffice to say i was dead chuffed with the result.

[NickK]

M81 - my first DSO using Pentax 105 SDP and ATIL 16ic (659x494 pixels) as the imaging camera.

Same target from SGL6 taken a few weeks later, it's amazing how much you learn in a short period time - more so from a star party!

So if you're just starting out and have a hesitation about attending a star party - don't, I was gobsmacked by how much I learnt in a very short period of time!

Edited April 24, 2011 by NickK

[Freff]

Other than a couple of practice images, this is my first serious attempt to capture M81.

[Roy@Aldermaston]

This is my second attempt at M82. In my hurry to capture the image before the clouds rolled in I forgot to take dark frames. Rather puzzled by the vivid star colours, but I suppose that may be due to over-enthusiastic processing.

Ten 2 min subs using a LX modded phillips SP 900 NC mounted on a SW 200PDS

[spider72]

This is my first attempt to DSO, M13 globular cluster. I'am limited to bright DSO's as I have slow planetary scope Mak 127.

Just two stacked frames at 60s. each + darks taken with Canon 1000D at ISO 1600, and processed in Gimp.

Edited May 3, 2011 by spider72

[Mamsoth]

These are my first 3 DSO's, taken from the light polluted skies of my London suburb. 1st pic was using my Celestron 120mm Omni refractor, 2nd has for some reason become blocky on my monitor (it isn't blocky at all on my laptop screen so not sure what it will look like on everbody elses monitors ). 2nd was using my 12" Skywatcher Skyliner as was the 3rd which is of course the Eskimo

All are taken with my Atik 2-HS but can't remember the specific camera settings/exposure times.

Edited May 11, 2011 by Mamsoth

[RiadH]

The moon and M7

[blackparticle]

My first specific DSO attempt. The sky was pretty bright with the moon almost full and somewhat cloudy. I did manage to find M13 and had my camera piggy-backed with a 250mm Sigma zoom lens set at f3.5 : ISO 1600 : 2 secs exposure

169 images / 78 darks

After getting this first one manually.. I've treated myself to a motor.

[Mto]

Cheers from Finland again,

Don't know if this qualifies as a DSO, but this is my very first attemp at getting a comet imaged. This image from last October of comet Hartley. It's a stack of 8 15sec ISO800 exposures at f2.5 taken with a Canon A530 mounted on top of my AstroMaster 130. The comet is located left and down from Mirfak near the star HIP17963.

The first real DSO I tried was with a Canon 1000D the target was the Great Nebula in Orion. The tracking was was wayyy off. But we were talking about first tries ... right

Taking the first images has really been a great adventure and it still continues. Working with an AstroMaster 130 on a CG-3 mount everything seems a challenge, but the challenges are more than welcome.

~ Clear Skies

[MjrTom]

Hello,

I have only been imaging since last autumn but here are a few of my first attempts

Great Galaxy in Andromeda (M31)

Orion Nebula (M42)

Heart & Soul Nebula in Cassiopeia

IC1318 in Cygnus

And lastly a lunar shot

All shot using the kit listed below.

Still got so much to learn.....

Hope you enjoy

Edited May 24, 2011 by MjrTom

[cal1985]

im so happy, i finally got my first DSO m13. need a bit of focusing and a few more subs but i got it!!! happy days. now cant wait for the sun to go down.

its m13 11subs 30secs ISO1600 (way to high i think )! unguided with eq2 mount with motor. skywatcher 130/900, canon 300d barlow x2

ohh need to learn the processing now as well !!

[jimness]

OK here's my first ever attempt at any sort of galaxy...good old M51, of course. Took 11 exposures of 120 secs at ISO 1600, unguided, with a Skywatcher LP filter from SE London. DSS appears to have lost any colour there may have been in stacking, but I guess this is all part of the learning process!

Next steps - sharpen up my alignment -> longer exposures -> upgrade LP filter -> autoguiding -> move to Hawaii. One thing at a time though eh chaps.

[Space Cadet USA]

First ever attempt taken February 2011, 6 or 7 frames stacked (somehow) in Registax (which I no longer use, trying to master MaximDL). Used Canon 30D with eyepiece projection on a Konus 120mm refractor (was unable to shoot at prime focus at the time due to equipment restrictions).

Edited May 30, 2011 by Space Cadet USA