..... and visual astronomy to imaging

[sgazer]

following from Deneb's thread about moving from imaging to visual astronomy and asuming it's not been asked already, I though it would be interesting to find out why people have moved from visual astronomy to imaging and whether they focus (no pun!) on DSO's, planetary or someting else and the reasons why.

As a starter for 10; for me I was not content with viewing faint smudges in the night sky and longed for some colour in what I could see. I also like to keep my images and show them to people I know. I have a fascination with technology, photography, software and computers, so imaging fitted in perfectly. Although I like the outdoors, it can get a bit chilly at night in the winter so it's nice to be able to pop indoors whilst the camera is shooting. I set up my equipment each time (no obsy), so I've designed it to be quick to set up (<20mins) with a single USB connection to my laptop. It can be frustrating when something goes wrong (and there are many things that do), but the results are really worth it.

I focus on fairly wide angle DSOs, as I've not had much luck with planetary imaging and struggle with the long focal lengths necessary.

Saying all that, it is nice once in a while to do visual and it's almost a feeling of relief with the reduced setup time and less things to go wrong, but I still love the imaging....for now. Hopefully when I go to Oz, I will have a permanent setup which will be great!

[TheThing]

Someone offered to swap a webcam for one of my EPs and I thought 'Why not?' Simple as that really.

I concentrate mostly on Solar system items and probably split 50/50 between visual and imaging.

[Euan]

As a starter for 10; for me I was not content with viewing faint smudges in the night sky and longed for some colour in what I could see. I also like to keep my images and show them to people I know. I have a fascination with technology, photography, software and computers, so imaging fitted in perfectly. Although I like the outdoors, it can get a bit chilly at night in the winter so it's nice to be able to pop indoors whilst the camera is shooting. I set up my equipment each time (no obsy). I've designed it to be quick to set up (<20mins)

This actually sums up my same position as well

I started with visual but only lasted a few sessions before I realised to get to see what I really wanted (probably expected?) to see would mean taking pictures

I have a similar obsession with technology, it's what I do for a living. Imaging was like waving a banana at a monkey for me. It also completely replaced music production as my main hobby and the parallels were there: make something creatively with lots of tech, put it out for other people to enjoy, gain lots of satisfaction

...and I really can't handle the cold

[Parallax]

Back in the 60's my Dad bought me a cheap telescope, the kind that actually "telescopes". Like most 9 or 10 year olds I didn't really know what to look at (apart from the moon), so it stayed in its box for a long time (I still have it). Then in 1999, at work, we were involved in a project that used a webcam (Connectix, now Logitech). I thought; "What would happen if I hooked the webcam upto my scope?". Wow!...Saturn. The rest, as they say, is history.

Steve

[Earl]

When i had my telescope as a kid, I always wanted to take photos of what i saw.

Now as an adult I can afford to play with these ideas.

I want to build up my own moon phase catalogue. and as much of the solar system as i can do. then try my hand at other things.

And of course as im glued to a computer all the time , it has to be part of the fun

[Deneb]

It started a long time ago when I was just a meager 11 years old, always been interested in astronomy, I had a wish to image a Galaxy or a Nebula, like the ones showed in the glossy magazines, now that manufacturing is cheaper then what is was before & the digital revolution is here, little excuse is left now. I just wanted to be an imager....

Nadeem.

[jgs001]

Much the same... whilst it was great and satisfying spotting these incredibly dim faint grey blobs they were hardly things to describe... I decided I wanted to capture the view and get it better.

[yesyes]

More or less the same story here. I like technology, computers, the internet and so on; I even earn my money with that.

And I love astronomy. For years it was more of a theoretical interest, reading a lot about it and watching astro and other science related documentaries and so on...

Then I bought my first telescope, a Seben 140mm Newt. I was disappointed with what I could see the few times I actually used it. I didn't have a suitable garden then and I rarely made the effort to drive somewhere dark.

Then, September last year I upgraded to a 8" Newt with goto. We got a bonus at work and we now live in a house with garden so I decided to give it another go promising myself to use the new scope much more often.

I did see much more in a few months with the new scope than I did in years with the first one. But still, the galaxies and nebulas are "only" fuzzy smudges. I do enjoy very much to see them and imagine just how far away I can see in that moment. But I would like to see more detail.

Imaging allows me to see more detail. It also allows me to keep things. I like to keep little (sentimental) things that remind me of good moments. The same with astro imaging. I am able to keep a record of that night. For that purpose I would actually like to combine visual observing and imaging in one night; look through the eyepiece and then take a "screenshot".

Another reason for getting into imaging is that I'm a German living in the UK. My best friend back in Germany also has a telescope. As you can imagine there are not many occasions when we can share an eyepiece. Sending digital images back and forth is our only way of exchanging what we've seen/accomplished.

So far I have only done webcam imaging (Moon and Planets) with good results and afocal imaging with my compact digital camera through the eyepiece with disappointing results (to put it mildly).

I have an EOS 1000D on order which should arrive this week hopefully. This should (have the potential of) produce better results and really get me started with imaging. Can't wait.

But I'm sure I will not only do imaging henceforth. There will still be pure visual nights.

[ollypenrice]

I was a very reluctant convert to imaging - but now I'm an addict. I hate computers, though maybe a bit less than I originally did, and I never really liked the pioneer CCD images much. The seemed artificial.

However, I decided I had to get involved because of our business and, thanks to a lot of good advice from Ian King, the forum and guests I was able to get started. And now it is the heart and soul of astronomy for me. I would say that most of our guests are imagers but I have a small number of Belgian and French visual diehards for whom I have the greatest respect.

My great imaging mentor and buddy is Tom O'Donoghue (Tom O'D on here) without whom I would be floundering, especially on the IT/Photoshop side. I was thrilled to bits when he came in second in the Atik competition. (If he'd won I would have been obliged to give him a free weekend!!) But many others have helped as well. What I really like is the way the imaging community shares ideas, discoveries and advice. In such a community the inordinate complexities of imaging can, bit by bit, be controlled and mastered.

So I love it. I feel profoundly involved with the deep sky, more than I did visually, though that took a while to happen.

And one last thing on community; thanks to programmes like Registar we imagers can produce Team Effort Images such as the SGL M42 and images which Tom and I have had published (even if the last one in the French mag only had his name on it. He owes me a beer...) I'd like to see more of this. Giant mosaics. Hmmm.....

Olly

[LukeSkywatcher]

Due to my mobility issues (as well as financial restraints) i am really not in a position to move up from visual astronomy to imaging. The best i can do is fixed tripod photography.

But REALLY...............i have spent nearly the last 30 yrs (on and off) being a purely visual astronomer. Its what i know,its what i LOVE.

I am very happy to just set up my 450D on its tripod and image stars,the moon,constellations etc. Hell, i have even managed a good few photos of planets with my 300mm lens. Photos that by most standards of AP are laughable.................but i am happy and thats what matters.

[ollypenrice]

Dead right, Paul. That's the idea, after all.

Olly

[LukeSkywatcher]

Dead right, Paul. That's the idea, after all.

Olly

Here is an image i took of Jupiter using only my Canon 450D and 300mm lens. I think it is fantastic..............lots of detail.

I am more then chuffed.

Forget about keeping up with the Jones....................its all about your enjoyment and what makes you happy:

[Brunty12345]

thats too right! it doesnt matter about quality, you seen it with your own eyes, you did it yourself, so theres everything to be happy about =]

[LukeSkywatcher]

thats too right! it doesnt matter about quality, you seen it with your own eyes, you did it yourself, so theres everything to be happy about =]

Amen (to use a turn of phrase)

Here is another image i took of Jupiter which shows its main moons. I cant remember the settings but it was taken on the same night as the image above. Once again i love it and am MORE then happy with it: