The Italian Job

[PhotoGav]

I have just returned from a wonderful trip to Calabria in Southern Italy where I have a small house, thanks to my wife's parents. I have always wanted to try a bit of astrophotography out there and this year gave me the chance as I went out there with my family in our motorhome, so had enough space to take a few bits of kit with me.

I have put together a very short video that features the three time lapse sequences and two still images that I managed to take. Everything was shot with a SkyWatcher Star Adventurer mount. The time lapses were shot with a Canon 1Dx and 15mm lens. The Milky Way still was shot with a Canon 1Dx and 24-70mm lens at 22mm. The Lagoon and Trifid Nebulae image was taken with a modified Canon 60D and 300mm lens.

I was pretty horrified at how much light pollution there is along the coast down there and the general level of heavy damp humid hot air at night. The other main issues were that the neighbouring holiday appartment block car park had two huge floodlights - far from ideal - and the very tall TV aerial in exactly the wrong place - we didn't even turn the telly on the whole time we were out there. The one big advantage was that it was absolutely lovely on the roof terrace in shorts and t-shirt at 1am, enjoying clear skies night after night with plenty of meteors!

Here is the video:

The Milky Way image (shame about that damn TV aerial!):

 

And the Lagoon & Trifid Nebulae:

Finally, here's a still from one of the time lapses that captured a late Perseid meteor:

Much learning went on and I hope to get out there again with the kit before too long.

Clear skies all.

 

[MartinFransson]

Not bad, shooting at 22mm with a 24-70 lens

Jokes aside, very nice work with the limited mount! Sounds like a great trip. 

[PhotoGav]

23 minutes ago, MartinFransson said:

Not bad, shooting at 22mm with a 24-70 lens

Jokes aside, very nice work with the limited mount! Sounds like a great trip. 

Doh! Well spotted... I think it must have been the 16-35mm lens as the shot was definitely 22mm!

[wimvb]

Great result.

You next astro investment should include a hacksaw.?

[Mick J]

'damn TV aerial'  not part of the ISS then ?

Nice work Gav, enjoyed.

[gorann]

Great presentation! Were those lights moving in the bottom right corner in the first video airplanes? One seems to fly rather low.

[PhotoGav]

2 minutes ago, gorann said:

Great presentation! Were those lights moving in the bottom right corner in the first video airplanes? One seems to fly rather low.

Thank you Goran. Those lights are ships.

[Rodd]

Nice

Rodd