So much to learn!

[Patty]

Bought a new Skywatcher  Explorer 150p on a goto mount a couple  of months back to rekindle an interest I had years ago. When I was a kid my father made an 6" f8 altaz newtonian from bits of junk in our garage! We didn't make our own mirror but I remember going to see the mirror being silvered at the place it was made.

Anyway that scope has left me with a permanent interest in "looking up".

First time out with the new scope I was so impressed with the image of the moon that I took an afocal image with my personal android communicator (I shoved my phone in the eyepiece) and got an image which looked half decent , to me at least.

The main problem I have had since that first night has been cloud! Since then I haven't had a single nights decent viewing!

So I hatched a plan and bought a solar filter for the scope. If the astronomy gods wouldn't play ball at night maybe I could sneak in some daytime shots? 

At this point I should own up and admit a sort of purchase fever has taken over and I have started to buy up every secondhand (and not so secondhand) bit of kit I can find on ebay.

So I am the proud owner of a Canon 450D camera body which fits on to an adapter thingy on the eyepiece which connects by an extended cable to my laptop which takes the photos which then processes them which then produces this! Phew!

It may not be great but seeing sunspots on an image I have created is as big a thrill as when I first saw Saturns rings through the scope my dad built.

I am looking forward to many more imaging sessions (when the sky clears) just got to figure out how to make my brain remember all the new information it's being fed!

[Alien 13]

Thats a very good start nice images.

Alan

[VigdisVZ]

Great start! And welcome to SGL.

[bruno]

I have the same problem patty,i think i've had my scope out about 4/5 times this year & i did the same & bought a solar filter BTW just wait  until set up to view the sun spots & there are none ( how dissapointing is that )

Hopefully with winter coming we should get colder clearer nights 

[PeterCPC]

Welcome and good start.

Peter