M42 single frame first effort

[Swoop1]

Here is my first proper effort at M42. taken on my Sony a6300 prime focus mated to my Skywatcher 150P Newtonian on a driven EQ3/2. ISO 800 15 second exposure at 23:43 30/11/2018.

Far from perfect but I'm learning.

I have others but the detail and colour in this image are the best in my opinion.

 

[Seanelly]

This is impressive.

[Swoop1]

Thanks Sean

[Nicho]

Great first effort

[oobydooby]

I'm Impressed, fantastic first attempt.

[Swoop1]

Thanks Nicho and oobydooby

[rickwayne]

I like that you didn't blow out the Trapezium. M42, like M31, is easy for a beginner to image but challenging for an expert.

[oyabuns]

@Swoop1 How did you achieve Prime Focus?

[cotak]

Good job!

[Swoop1]

6 hours ago, oyabuns said:

@Swoop1 How did you achieve Prime Focus?

@oyabuns It took some experimenting but, firstly I fit the camera T ring adapter to the camera body without a nose piece/ draw tube. Then I remove the 1.25 in ep adapter from the scope and undscrew the nose piece from it adapter. I then screw the ep adapter to the camera adapter and mount the unit in the ep receiver. Effectively the camera and adapter becomes the ep. I initially tried the camera with the adapter and T ring with the supplied nose piece but focus wouldn't happen. I thenstarted to unscrew things as an experiment and had a result.

[oyabuns]

@Swoop1 Really nice single shot! I also have this scope and had problems focusing. Now I am waiting for clear skies to try it the way you did. However, with this method it's not possible to use a UHC or CLS filter, right? How do you combat light pollution?

[eshy76]

That's a great first image. I was similar to you about a year ago - I was using an a6500, but with a star tracker!

When you are ready, the next step will be to take multiple similar images. You can push it until the peak of the histogram is between 1/4 and 1/2 way from the left. How long each exposure is will depend on the above or when stars start to trail, depending on your mount. Aim for at least 1 hour of images in total. A cheapo intervalometer will help massively here.

Then stack those photos on the free DeepSkyStacker to reduce noise and improve the signal...then tweak in Photoshop or equivalent to taste...

But all that is for later - a great start!

[tooth_dr]

That really is great, a few more like that stacked as said above and you are onto a real winner.

[Swoop1]

3 hours ago, eshy76 said:

That's a great first image. I was similar to you about a year ago - I was using an a6500, but with a star tracker!

When you are ready, the next step will be to take multiple similar images. You can push it until the peak of the histogram is between 1/4 and 1/2 way from the left. How long each exposure is will depend on the above or when stars start to trail, depending on your mount. Aim for at least 1 hour of images in total. A cheapo intervalometer will help massively here.

Then stack those photos on the free DeepSkyStacker to reduce noise and improve the signal...then tweak in Photoshop or equivalent to taste...

But all that is for later - a great start!

@eshy76- Thanks for the tips. I intend to start working on multiple frames and stacking eventually but, at the moment I am enjoying seeing how far I can push my equipment with single unprocessed frames.

[Swoop1]

On 07/01/2019 at 20:36, oyabuns said:

@Swoop1 Really nice single shot! I also have this scope and had problems focusing. Now I am waiting for clear skies to try it the way you did. However, with this method it's not possible to use a UHC or CLS filter, right? How do you combat light pollution?

@oyabuns- What you see in this (and all my images) is without light pollution filters or aids with the exception of careful set up location. I was fortunate that this image was taken towards the least polluted part of my outlook at the time it was taken. An hour before and I would have struggled as the area below Orion at that time had lots of lights illuminated (police station back yard!).