Single shot DSO's

[Peco4321]

I am still learning stacking techniques but have found I can achieve fairly acceptable results with just single shots of about 1.6 sec exposures. Here's 3 that will not change the world but prove it can be done. Get ready to be blown away!!  I give you M13, M51 and M31  

[Bonnylad]

Very interesting. Any details on lens used, F-stop, ISO etc.?

[cjdawson]

Just wait until you get your stacking techniques under control.

I give you M13 single exposure.

http://astronomy.cjdawson.com/gallery/M13.html

 

M42

http://astronomy.cjdawson.com/gallery/M42.html

 

And M45

http://astronomy.cjdawson.com/gallery/M45.html

 

All of these were single shot.

 

After that lot I went back to the drawing board and have assembled my setup, rather than guiding with K3CCD tools I'm now struggling with a SynGuider II.  And taking multiple shots and stacking.  Haven't published anything yet though.

[Peco4321]

2 hours ago, Bonnylad said:

Very interesting. Any details on lens used, F-stop, ISO etc.?

Canon 1100d at prime focus ISO 6400. Skywatcher 150p. 

[Bonnylad]

1 minute ago, Peco4321 said:

Canon 1100d at prime focus ISO 6400. Skywatcher 150p. 

Many thanks.

[Peco4321]

2 hours ago, cjdawson said:

Just wait until you get your stacking techniques under control.

I give you M13 single exposure.

http://astronomy.cjdawson.com/gallery/M13.html

 

M42

http://astronomy.cjdawson.com/gallery/M42.html

 

And M45

http://astronomy.cjdawson.com/gallery/M45.html

 

All of these were single shot.

 

After that lot I went back to the drawing board and have assembled my setup, rather than guiding with K3CCD tools I'm now struggling with a SynGuider II.  And taking multiple shots and stacking.  Haven't published anything yet though.

Really nice shots.

I'm getting motors at Xmas so all what I'm doing now is great practice. In fact, I think it's sometimes good to wait and get my technique improved before having all the kit. 

[cjdawson]

Having the motors will let you have slightly longer exposures, but not as long as the shots that I took.    The key to getting really long exposures is being able to guide the camera.

Programs like Deep Sky Stacker will do an align and stack, so there's not really anything stopping you from taking lots of images and stacking them now. ;-)

[Peco4321]

10 minutes ago, cjdawson said:

Having the motors will let you have slightly longer exposures, but not as long as the shots that I took.    The key to getting really long exposures is being able to guide the camera.

Programs like Deep Sky Stacker will do an align and stack, so there's not really anything stopping you from taking lots of images and stacking them now. ;-)

I've tried and not really achieving much better than the above pics. Need more practice with DSS I think. 

[cjdawson]

Are you shooting in Raw or JPG?  If JPG, switch to RAW, it will make a difference.

[Peco4321]

11 minutes ago, cjdawson said:

Are you shooting in Raw or JPG?  If JPG, switch to RAW, it will make a difference.

Ok will try that next time. So much to learn and practice, at least M13 aint going anywhere. 

[FrenchyArnaud]

Interesting. Just to understand, you have the body on a t-ring without a lense , the T-ring onto the focuser and no eyepiece in the focuser, or you somehow have a lense on the body ? or lense AND eyepiece ? That is unclear to me. 

[Peco4321]

40 minutes ago, FrenchyArnaud said:

Interesting. Just to understand, you have the body on a t-ring without a lense , the T-ring onto the focuser and no eyepiece in the focuser, or you somehow have a lense on the body ? or lense AND eyepiece ? That is unclear to me. 

T ring on camera and straight onto focuser. I reach focus about 1 finger width from right in, if you know what I mean. 

I do sometimes use ep's as well, known as eye piece projection photography, but not for DSO's, only lunar and planetary. 

[FrenchyArnaud]

1 minute ago, Peco4321 said:

T ring on camera and straight onto focuser. I reach focus about 1 finger width from right in, if you know what I mean. 

I do sometimes use ep's as well, known as eye piece projection photography, but not for DSO's, only lunar and planetary. 

Ok, and you obtain this result without goto or stacking, just one plain shot with a budget DSLR... I think this is quite remarquable. Makes me want to try !

[Peco4321]

1 hour ago, FrenchyArnaud said:

Ok, and you obtain this result without goto or stacking, just one plain shot with a budget DSLR... I think this is quite remarquable. Makes me want to try !

First 3 are single shots, only been doing this a few months so really chuffed.  Jupiter and Saturn are video clips then processed in PIPP and stacked in Autostakkert. 

[cjdawson]

1 hour ago, FrenchyArnaud said:

Ok, and you obtain this result without goto or stacking, just one plain shot with a budget DSLR... I think this is quite remarquable. Makes me want to try !

Give it a go, it's really rewarding when you get it to work.

To start off with you don't need anything special at all.  A DSLR, Tripod and cable release (Ideallying one that you can program, they cost under £20 off amazon)

Put your camera on to the widest field of view (like for landscapes) point to the sky and open the shutter for 20 seconds on the highest ISO setting that you camera can do.

Take a look at the image and enjoy.   After that just keep trying stuff out and ask lots of questions.    Post up your pictures and you'll get people giving hints and tips on how to improve them and get more from your equipment. ;-)

[FrenchyArnaud]

I have a Celestron 114 computerized, and I know my way around DSLRs and photography in general... I never considered stitching the two. I guess I will give it a go if the cloud coverage breaks on day...

[Peco4321]

+1 for simply giving it a go. It's so rewarding getting any shots of the cosmos, widefield shots help me loads in navigating around, like my own personal Stellarium!  

Then you'll notice the odd fuzzy in your 30sec widefield shots, and hey presto, your first DSO image. 

One word of warning though, even the most professional experienced Astro photographer is always looking at ways of improving!  For me, there's loads of areas to improve so always something in my process to tinker with. 

All of it is great fun and very rewarding and frustrating in equal measures. 

[SilverAstro]

9 hours ago, Peco4321 said:

and M31 

 "nothing ventured " etc ! I like them. Amazing what you can do in such a short exposure.   And look on the bright side - at least you've not blown the core of M31 everybody is looking deeper and deeper for more dust lanes, no one looks at the core anymore !

and you have M32 there as well to add to your score.