The learning curve....

[Blazar]

Hi guys,

Not been around in a while..kind of lost my way a little (life getting in the way). To remedy this, I took it upon myself to force Knobby out (therefore forcing me out) to go and try to start looking at my pathway into DSO imaging. I do a lot of Lunar (favourite), planetary (2nd favourite) but DSO's have been on the back burner for a while. I had started to get the equipment together a year or so ago. I bought a WO star71, pole master etc, borrowed a DSLR (from my daughter)...but have never had the impetus to go out and use it all. I remedied that this past week....and found it to be quite an interesting path from a technical standpoint. Making sure the equipment functioned, setting up & configuring the alignments. choosing the targets, then configuring the camera, focusing etc. then planning the shoot. Obviously there were a few mistakes....as you would expect. The camera had been used previously for terrestrial imaging...and I forgot to change the format (so no RAW files for me)...a few other things as well. however this all leads to greater understanding (and the creation of a checklist in future).  So the efforts from the nights imaging (and remember even though darks were taken, they were not much use with JPEGs)...i give you M45 & M31....my second attempt at this aspect of the hobby. These are around 13 light frames of 60 seconds each. Iso 800 for M31, ISO1600 for M45. Stacked in DSS (with no darks or other bias), then finished in photoshop. Taken on a Canon 600d mounted to a WO Star71. No guiding (something I really have to nail...)  Maybe next year I will try again ? I also know now I need to practise my DSO processing skills....any advice greatly recieved.

[knobby]

Hi Steve, it's all about learning, if you can get images that good when things aren't going to plan (jpeg) think what you'll achieve when it all comes together one night !

Mrs Knobby said your M31 is better than mine ...

As for check lists, try Astro photography tool, it has a customizable checklist when starting program.

[Blazar]

Cheers Knobby (and Mrs K ;-))....I will have a look at APT. I guess this is going to take a while to figure it all out. I think I might need to look at whats needed in terms of any other kit (filters etc) for the DSLR. Not sure I want to spend anything extra though a the moment, just use what I have access to to get it nailed is my current thought. So lets try and put a night in the next month?