First ever Astro Image :)

[MeSeany]

I managed to grab some lunar pics in a dark Scotland sky last night - west coast Port Ban - my very first pics - Rubbish by your standards but its a start.

Set up = 200p + EQ5 + QHY5 II

Ive added them here.

Issues were - 

- wind shaking scope (think Ill attach my mount to my 4x4 post in the garden which is cemented into to the ground) 

- speed at which the moon passed across my screen

Ill need to start tracking using the synscan.

Thrilled to bits !!!

[ronin]

Got to ask this - where did the purple come from?

[laser_jock99]

Good set.

[Kropster]

Nice work.

First astro pics are a real thrill.

I think the purple comes from the setup of the camera in the capture software.

If I set it wrong, I get the purple caste... but I always forget the setting each session!

[tingting44]

Nice work.

First astro pics are a real thrill.

I think the purple comes from the setup of the camera in the capture software.

If I set it wrong, I get the purple caste... but I always forget the setting each session!

nice!

the cast is probably down to white balance, not a huge problem either way as the best way to sort it out is post processing which is a quick and easy fix

also its good to get in a routine of slightly cropping your images to remove any stacking artifacts you get around your images

[Digger1895]

Very nice for first shots!

Re settings, I'm no astro imager but would think that with so many variables it would be a good idea to keep a note of the settings etc to see which ones work a new which ones don't, and then concentrate on adjusting the better ones each time, thus narrowing down the field of what works. If that makes sense &0)

[MeSeany]

Got to ask this - where did the purple come from?

I upd the red green and blue gains so maybe that did it?

I was using firecapture

[MeSeany]

Good set.

Ive looked at your pics - wow - what is your favourite deep space set up?

[MeSeany]

Good set.

Ive looked at your pics - wow - what is your favourite deep space set up?

[MeSeany]

Nice work.

First astro pics are a real thrill.

I think the purple comes from the setup of the camera in the capture software.

If I set it wrong, I get the purple caste... but I always forget the setting each session!

Krop - funny - think you're right - I played with the separate RGB gains...Im going to use my gate post at home as a pier so I can really stabilise my images

[MeSeany]

nice!

the cast is probably down to white balance, not a huge problem either way as the best way to sort it out is post processing which is a quick and easy fix

also its good to get in a routine of slightly cropping your images to remove any stacking artifacts you get around your images

I use firecapture to well erm capture then registax 6 - are you saying to use software after the stacking stage? If so can you recommend any?

[MeSeany]

Very nice for first shots!

Re settings, I'm no astro imager but would think that with so many variables it would be a good idea to keep a note of the settings etc to see which ones work a new which ones don't, and then concentrate on adjusting the better ones each time, thus narrowing down the field of what works. If that makes sense &0)

Thanks Digger - the software saves my settings each time so Im working towards a best set up - it may differ for each planet though I think I can create a profile for each one

[Pete Presland]

congratulations on your 1st images, always nice to get some reward for your effort.

Firecapture is an excellent software programme and you are right, the software is capable of save settings for each of the main planets + moon/sun. you just select next time which you are imaging and the settings you used previously will be there.

with a rough polar alignment and mount switched on, you should easily be able to hold an object in the field of view for quite some time with only small adjustments.

how many frames did you take with your webcam?

[PeterCPC]

You might have a look at AS!2 for stacking - I think that it beats R6. You then tweak the image in R6 with wavelets etc. http://www.autostakkert.com/

Peter

[VigdisVZ]

Great first try!

[jaygpoo]

Good first effort just thought I would try to clean them up and have a little fun at your expense.

[glowingturnip]

Nice images.

Actually, jaygpoo's clean-up there has revealed a little problem - the tightly spaced rectilinear grid of darker dots you can see there is the bayer matrix showing through, which means that Firecapture is using the wrong codec for the camera.  

I'm not familiar with Firecapture so can't advise on the correct settings there (would guess at WMD webcam, with RGB24).  However I find that the bundled EZCapture that comes with the QHY5L works very well, is ready-configured for the camera so no bayer matrix problems, and it has a global white balance button to get you balanced very quickly.

I think the QHY is a great little camera, I'm very pleased with mine, this was my first effort with it:

Keep at it !

[MeSeany]

I took around 300 frames per shot but only needed a few due to the brightness and quality

[MeSeany]

Good first effort just thought I would try to clean them up and have a little fun at your expense.

Hi Jay - what software did you use? 

[MeSeany]

Nice images.

Actually, jaygpoo's clean-up there has revealed a little problem - the tightly spaced rectilinear grid of darker dots you can see there is the bayer matrix showing through, which means that Firecapture is using the wrong codec for the camera.  

I'm not familiar with Firecapture so can't advise on the correct settings there (would guess at WMD webcam, with RGB24).  However I find that the bundled EZCapture that comes with the QHY5L works very well, is ready-configured for the camera so no bayer matrix problems, and it has a global white balance button to get you balanced very quickly.

I think the QHY is a great little camera, I'm very pleased with mine, this was my first effort with it:

moon_detail.jpg

Keep at it !

Ill try the EZ - its on my laptop so - thank you

[Astrosurf]

Nice first shots! Once you get the settings sorted they'll be excellent. Then have a go at doing a mosaic of the whole moon and stitching them in the freeware Microsoft ICE. You'll need to have a good overlap of images. It's tricky (I lose track of where I've been!) but worthwhile.

This is my mosaic using a Phillips SPC900NC webcam and MS ICE:

http://www.astrobin.com/full/88253/0/

Alexxx