moonlight

[funkysandman]

What do people image when the moon is out? (other than the moon).

Is it a waste of time even if you're pointing to a darker area of the sky for DSO's?

If not and Ignoring city lp what magnitudes are reasonable to consider?

I see the moon will cover up Aldebaran tonight

[JR1987]

Planetary is the only thing worth doing really.

DSO's are hard enough to capture at the best of times, let alone when the moon is near full. Although I was out imaging at a 36% waxing the other night.

Just give it a go anyway! prove everyone wrong

[RSM]

I've had some success with Orion Nebula when the moon is less than 50% (and not right beside Orion as it is tonight!)

Pleiades is also an option, but you might struggle to get the nebulosity.

If all that fails, then mucking about with reprocessing images you've taken before, inside, in the warm!

[funkysandman]

I decided to wait for the moon to set, went to bed and set the alarm for 3:30am. 

[ollypenrice]

If you use a monochrome CCD (or, less effectively, a DSLR) then you can image through an Ha filter quite well other than in the week or so of full moon itself.

Personally I don't image in natural colour if there is any moonlight at all.

Olly

[tomato]

My own view is that there are so many aspects of imaging that need practice to get right, coupled with the UK's miserable clear night count, that I will not let a moonlit night stop me from imaging. Even if the quality of the subs are poor, you can still verify guiding, focus, framing etc.

Work gets in the way also, so for me, clear nights no matter what celestial objects are present, are precious.

[funkysandman]

My own view is that there are so many aspects of imaging that need practice to get right, coupled with the UK's miserable clear night count, that I will not let a moonlit night stop me from imaging. Even if the quality of the subs are poor, you can still verify guiding, focus, framing etc.

Work gets in the way also, so for me, clear nights no matter what celestial objects are present, are precious.

This is actually an excellent point - mastering the gear and techniques ensures it's done right when the conditions are perfect.  I'd like to be proficient and know my way around my equipment when there's no time to waste.  The only way to get that is through practice.  It will pay off on those nights when it's crystal clear I hope.  I'm surprised at how many issues pop up when I try to get some images - everything from alignment, tracking, seeing, darkness, clouds, focus, collamation, temperature, frost, wind, power, location, storage, wires, flash lights, cell phone, time, mistakes, forgetting things...

[Interstellarshaw88]

I tried to image last night with the moon nearly full didn't think it would make much difference but I must be completley wrong as I've got about 30 mins of data on my first Galaxy (andromeda)and all I can pull out the stacked pics is the over blown core...

Will try again when the moon goes away.

[goose35]

Ive imeaged the 3 time this last week and as pointed out the images got more and more gradients as the moon got fuller. But i have ironed out my set up proces and improved guiding set up and as a relative begginner the images have been my best yet. My first full winter im glad i got out and practiced my routine.