Second light...it worked!

[msinclairinork]

woooohoooo!!! so chuffed it all worked last night! I took all your advice from my first light disaster and got it callibrated, focuesed and setup during the day and waited for a break in the clouds to grab some star fields and played around with exposures.

Managed to get 2 minuite exposures without star trails for a while but that didn't last, it ended up around 60 seconds. But I was still grining from ear to ear

So with all the clouds around, trees, and one really bright moon and my telrad unusable due..to..due...

I went for the easiest target up their i think...The Pleiades. I knew I wouldn't capture all that whispy nebulostiy and I didn't bother with difraction threads or anything nor did I even bother with flats, darks or bias frames...I was just having a good time watching it all working, plus the clouds were being a pain. That will all be for another night where the conditions are perfect.....CAN'T WAIT!!

So after ending my imaging run of just 17 subs @ 90 seconds. Which 11 of them were duff due to trails and clouds, and the final 6 weren't great either shouldn't of gone for 90 seconds. looked ok on the screen but when I opened them in Registax with that 100% view you really see the problems them...lesson learnt.

Anyway I know this is upside down, wrong way around, inside out, under exposed, photoshope too.. and just generaly rubbish but.......I DON'T CARE just so pleased that my imaging career has finaly started

Learn't loads too, can't wait for the next clear night!

Thanks to all for your help and support thus far, so this ones for you guys!

Cheers,

Michael

[JonH]

Goodonya Michael, congratulations on producing your first image.

[Dave Smith]

Good one Michael, it great when it all comes together. What went wrong with the Telrad? Misting up?

Dave

[ollypenrice]

Good; nice round stars and probably a lot more to be had with practice at processing. I'd say ease the saturation and lift the green a little for starters.

As you say, what a buzz when it all starts to work.

Olly

[Specman]

Great start Michael! Not a bad shot considering the moonshine last night. I would be well chuffed with that

[msinclairinork]

Thanks guys, it is an amazing feeling!

Thanks Olly will give that ago, This was just a quick process, weather isn't looking good for the rest of the week so I will have some fun playing around with this.

Dave- Yea just misted up, going to invest in a dew shield, it was fine for a good hour but i think a dew shield should do the trick.

Cheers,

Michael

[mark7331]

Congrats Michael, you're off to a fly start. Really nice clear round stars!

It's an amazing feeling when it comes together and you see the image pop on the screen. Words can't describe it.

Instead of buying a dew shield get a cheap camping mat (you can get them from supermarkets etc for about £7) and cut it to the right size. I've done exactly this with my scopes and it works a treat. Use the width of the mat and cut enough to wrap around the scope then add a little duct tape to keep it in shape. Save's a few quid for the next filter/coma corrector/[fill in this space will the next gizmo]

Mark

[msinclairinork]

Thanks Mark,

Thats a great idea! I have one too that i picked up for £2 from Tescos That will do the job

and the next gizmo will be a focal reducer/flattener

Cheers,

Michael

[mark7331]

I have one too that i picked up for £2 from Tescos That will do the job

£2!!! That's it - I'm not shopping in M&S any more.

[msinclairinork]

Here is my re-work, don't know if it is any better. I don't think there is much data in this to be worked but it's fun to have an image to play with that is mine for a change.

Lots of photoshopping going on here probably more that i should of but its all a learning process. croped and roatated it the right way around this time and added some diffraction spikes and a frame for fun.

Sudgestions and tips very welcome. But i think we all know this was never going to be a great image, WAY to noisy, did this at ISO 1600 and only 6 useable subs and no darks or anything like that.

Anyway still on a high so here's my post

[cardconvict]

for your second image i most say that is impressive alot better than my second try

[msinclairinork]

Thanks mate, just can't wait to get out and give it a proper go

Michael

[Beyond_Vision]

A very encouraging start Michael. Sounds like you are hooked too

Regards

Kevin

[Coolhandjo]

Good one! Nice start!

[msinclairinork]

Hooked...oh yes!!

if i feel like this from this poor image imagine how i would be if i produced somthing like your recent M45 Kevin!

thanks paul

[rawhead]

Nice one Michael

Cheers

[msinclairinork]

Cheers Jon!

[ollypenrice]

Okay, much better colour and lovely sharp, round stars. To find out if you have any of the fainter nebulosity you need to apply a non linear stretch. Some packages have log stretch or in Ps you can do it by hand in curves. The idea is too boost what is faint without boosting what is bright.

Olly

[msinclairinork]

Cool, i will give that a go Olly. Do you think there could be some with just 6 x 90seconds?

I will give it ago anyway.

Thanks,

Michael

[msinclairinork]

Infact...... if i could find a free server to upload the TIFF could you show me your take on it if you had time??

Thanks,

Michael

[MarkF]

Woohoo, glad it all worked out in the end for you, fingers crossed for some clear skies and more time grabbing data, great start.

[SlipperySquid]

Well done mate... Now all you have to do is sell a kidney and spend all the proceeds on imaging equipment ......then sell some one else's and spend that to

[msinclairinork]

MARKF- Thanks mate! very happy bunney now. Yea weather is not looking good just now and i'm back to sea for a month soon. fingers most defently crossed!.

Slippery- Yes this is not a cheap game is it?! Need an obbsy though! and pack it with some nice big scopes and of course a top notch SBIG one day!

Thanks.

Michael

[MikeWilson]

Awesome first go My first go with more subs wasn't even as good as that

I recommend once you've gotten a single sweet image just doing a whole heap of them and go for an hour's worth of subs. Stack 'em in deep sky stacker and look up "stretching the histogram" (I used Photoshop for this). It all then starts to come together

[msinclairinork]

Thanks Mike. I defenetly intend to have a proper go at this one and like you say give it a good few hours and of course include some darks, bias & flats. and do it at a lower ISO too.

Thanks for the tips, all is welcome!

Michael