Night photography with a DSLR and a Ioptron

[JackyDormaar]

Good day everyone, I've been looking for a group that I can get involved with that will be able to help challenge me to get more detail and get more creative with my night sky photography.  Currently my goals are to get some more use out of my ioptron skytracker and to do some 360 panoramas with star trails.  I want to do this

http://en.es-static.us/upl/2013/09/360-degree-3-hr-startrail-panorama-Vincent-Brady-Photographer-Logans-Pass-Glacier-Natl-Park.jpg

and then shoot some of the planets, galaxies and nebulas that I can get my lens on.  I have a 100-400 with a full frame Canon 6d and I'm looking at borrowing some extenders from a friend, so between all that and my tracker I'm hoping to get some good images.  Can anyone give me any hints on things to point at or things that they've been working on?

[Scott]

Hi Jacky and wecome to SGL. Thats a pretty amazing startrail isn't it. I think with your lenses there are plenty of nebula and some galaxy work you can sink your teeth into although I'd say 400mm may be a touch short for planetary imaging.

There's widefield images at short focal length such as the milky way or the constelations such as Orion which is loaded with nebulosity. there's also star clusters such as m45 which is stunning. stepping up in focal length you can shoot andromeda galaxy (M31)  and there's the galaxy clusters in leo.... the list goes on and on . good luck, ask questions in the approriate forums and above all, enjoy