Hello from Valparaiso, Indiana

[jleach29]

I have loved astronomy since the first pictures started rolling in from the Hubble back in 1995 or so. I did not purchase my scope till about 5 years ago when a closeout sale brought one into my price range, and I have been hooked on astronomy since I got my first view of Saturns Rings through that meade 114mm. I have gotten into the astrophotography side of things in the last year or so, although on a very limited budget. Here is a list of my equipment for visual and astrophoto

Visual

Celestron Starhopper 8in Dobsonian

9mm-25mm eyepieces

Celestron LRGB filter set

Celestron 2x barlow

Astrophoto

Nikon D40 piggybacked on

Meade ETX 60AT

Nikor 18mm-55mm Lens

Sigma 70mm-300mm Telephoto

Celestron Neximage webcam

With the piggy back setup I can manage about 5-8min exposures at 300mm. The deepest object I have been able to image in M57, but at 300mm it is just a small green disc in a photo filled with stars.

Thanks For Reading

Jim

[Talitha]

Hi and welcome to SGL, Jim... i was born and raised in Chicago.

[david o]

Hi Jim,

A warm welcome to the forum.

[BAZ Senior]

Hi Jim, welcome to SGL.

[Brendan of Borg]

Hello Jim and welcome!!

[Breakintheclouds]

Hi Jim. Nice to have you here. There are some outstanding astrophotographers on this forum who are always willing to share their expertise.

[michigander]

Welcome to SGL, Jim!

I'm originally from Constantine, just over the Michigan border. Haven't seen a Hoosier for years now.

Dana

[phillc]

Hello Jim and a warm welcome to SGL.

phillc

[Rusty Strings]

Hi Jim, welcome onboard.

[Bizibilder]

Welcome to SGL!!

[brantuk]

Hi Jim and welcome to the group

[jleach29]

Thanks everyone for the welcome, I am loving the site, so much info and everyone seems really nice, a real change from the flickr group I belong to for years.

[Pete Presland]

welcome to sgl just a little green disc with stars ?well done that sounds like a nice photo to me

[jleach29]

here is the little green disk with stars all around, M57 is in the middle of the 2 brightest stars.

[Astro_Baby]

Big welcome from me too

[Paxo]

Hi Jim,

A very warm welcome to SGL. Valparaiso is not too far from an old stomping ground of mine, Lafayette on I65.

Steve..

[glowjet]

Hi Jim,

A very warm welcome to SGL, hope you enjoy the forum.

John.

[Astorix]

Hi from me:) welcome to SGL:)