Just realised that I dont have any pictures of the current kit setup on here… so here goes
This is the basic setup, with my NexStar 8 GPS sitting atop my wedge, and a William Optics ZenithStar 66 SD piggybacked on top with ADM rings
And this is the borg-like imaging monster it transforms into under clear dark skies.
Posted by Steve under Astro | Comments (1)
Right, time to get to work on “My First Comet”
Comet 17P Holmes
OTA: NS8GPS @ f/10
Guiding: WO ZS 66 SD + DSI-C + PHD
Imaging: QHY8 + MaximDL, 26 x 60s (damn the clouds!)
Stacked: DeepSkyStacker (comet mode)
Post Process: MaximDL + PSCS2
Colour Version
Then a Mono Larson-Sekanina filtered version (do NOT do this on a colour image, your eyes will appreciate you for it :))
And now using the mono version as a luminosity layer on the colour version
Posted by Steve under Astro | Comments Off on Comet 17P Holmes
Not knowing how long the clear spells will last (nor if there were any stray clouds on their way last night because the Met Office Sat pics went t*tsup), I just stayed out until the sky turned light… I think the processing went well, considering I`ve been awake for 32+ hours now..
Anyway, here we go:
OTA: William Optics ZenithStar 66 SD
Guide: NS8GPS@f/10 + DSI-C + PHD
Capture: 18 x 600s, QHY8, CLS Filter
Processing: DeepSkyStacker, PSCS2 + Noels Astro Tools.
Ready for this? Now you know why I`m still awake….
(Click on the image for a larger version!)
Posted by Steve under Astro | Comments Off on NGC2024 (Flame Neb) and B33 (Horsehead Neb)
My first delve into using a CLS filter last night… damn that was cold out there!
First off, IC5146 Cocoon
OTA: NS8GPS@ f/10
Guiding: WO66 + DSI-C + PHD
Imaging: QHY8, 9 x 600s (plus bias and darks), CLS Filter
Process: DeepSkyStacker, PSCS + Noels Tools
Note: I just couldnt get the focus right on this image, kept chasing it back and forwards.
Then M33 appeared over the roof, so I moved on:
OTA: NS8GPS@ f/6.3
Guiding: WO66 + DSI-C + PHD
Imaging: QHY8, 12 x 600s (plus bias and darks), CLS Filter
Process: DeepSkyStacker, PSCS + Noels Tools
I took about an hour of Ha as well, but cant quite get my head round how I should use it on my RGB image.
Posted by Steve under Astro | Comments Off on IC5146 Cocoon Nebula + M33 Triangulum Galaxy
Attended the Kelling Heath Star Camp over the weekend, and managed to do some imaging between the observing/drinking/eating.
M42 Orion Nebula
Imaging: William Optics ZS 66 SD (piggybacked), QHY8 Camera (Gain 50, Offset 120), MaximDL/CCD, 17 x 300s
Guiding: NexStar 8 GPS @ f/6.3 (FR), DSI-C, PHD
Processing: Deep Sky Stacker, Photoshop2 + Noels Tools
(Click on the image for a larger version)
M45 Pleiades
Imaging: William Optics ZS 66 SD (piggybacked), QHY8 Camera (Gain 50, Offset 120), MaximDL/CCD, 12 x 300s
Guiding: NexStar 8 GPS @ f/6.3 (FR), DSI-C, PHD
Processing: Deep Sky Stacker, Photoshop2 + Noels Tools
(Click on the image for a larger version)
Published in Sky at Night (Coverdisc), January 2008Â
NGC7023 Iris Nebula (Mono)
Imaging: NexStar 8 GPS @ f/6.3 (FR), QHY8 Camera (Gain 50, Offset 120), MaximDL/CCD, 17 x 300s
Guiding: William Optics ZS 66 SD (piggybacked), DSI-C, PHD
Processing: Deep Sky Stacker, Photoshop2 + Noels Tools
Posted by Steve under Astro | Comments Off on Kelling Autumn Star Camp – 15th September 2007
Finally got out of the “DSLR” mindset of worrying about hot pixels, and went the whole hog on long exposures with my QHY8 last night. All went well, other than me kicking the USB cable during one of the M27 subs which caused PHD to go nuts, and wondering why my 4×4 binning repeat focus was creating trails (looked down, saw one of my cats rubbing themselves against the tripod in an attempt to catch my attention).
Right, first up…
All images taken with:
Camera: QHY8
OTA: NexStar 8 GPS @ f/10 (2000mm)
Guiding: PHD + DSI-C + WO66 piggyback
Imaging: MaximDL
Stacked: DSS
Tweaked: PSCS2 + Noels Tools
M15
10 x 300 seconds (Gain 20, Offset 120)
(Ignore the stray line across the top of the image)
M27
7 x 900 seconds (Gain 20, Offset 120) – lost one sub to the kicked USB incident 🙂
Note: I think this one may be approaching the “over processed” limit
M31
12 x 300 Seconds (Gain 20, Offset 130)
(Ignore the stray line across the top of the image)
Note: This one was imaged with the WO66, while the NS8GPS was guiding
This one REALLY IS over processed, I know that… it turned noisey, but I`m so tired that I have no energy to go back and start again
First DSO light for the QHY8, after a clear spell appeared over the house last night and stayed until at least 3.30am (which is when I decided I really needed to get some sleep!)
OK, so a few problems with this image: The colour balance is off, the stars are a bit “blobby” (due to the 10 minute exposures I think), and I am unable to remove the light pollution and/or radial gradient from the centre of this nebula with destroying the finer detail in the core… but i`m happy with it as a first attempt.
NS8GPS @ f/6.3, 6 x 600secs, PHD guided, no filters
Posted by Steve under Astro | Comments Off on NGC6888, Crescent Nebula
Not that much imaging recently, due to the appaling weather, so I was relieved that the weather was clear for 3 nights in a row over the weekend. Am just getting used to my new QHY8 Cooled CCD camera… yet another learning curve to climb, but am getting there slowly.
I managed to squeeze this one out on Friday night (click on the image for a HUGE version)
Posted by Steve under Astro | Comments Off on Moon shot, 25th August 2007
Despite the high thin clouds, I managed to get some failry decent sequences out of my setup. Last night was the first light for my William Optics Zenith Star 66 SD and the counterweight system…oh man, I wasnt disappointed 🙂
First up, yet another M57, and the first one I`ve captured with some nebulosity round the edges. (Almost cerainly due to my installation of Bob’s Knobs and collimating it to within an inch of its life!)
OTA: NexStar 8 GPS @ f/10
Guiding: PHD + WO66 + DSI (yes, was subpixel guiding at FL 388mm @ f/5.9 without too many hiccups)
Camera: Canon 350D (unmodded)
Sequence: 10 x 240 seconds @ ISO800 (+ 5 darks, no bias or flats)
Stacked: Deep Sky Stacker
Post Process: PSCS2 + Noels Astronomy Tools
(Note:This is cropped but not reduced from RAW image size)
Next M31, and I`ve been waiting for this one to peek its head over the roof/gutter for a few weeks now. For thisone, I reversed the imaging/guiding train, so the WO66 was imaging and the NS8GPS was guiding.
OTA: William Optics ZenithStar 66
Guiding: PHD + NexStar 8 GPS @ f/10 + DSI
Camera: Canon 350D (unmodded)
Sequence: 10 x 120 seconds @ ISO800 (+ 5 darks, no bias or flats)
Stacked: Deep Sky Stacker
Post Process: PSCS2 + Noels Astronomy Tools
(A little distortion at the edges, but I dont have the 0.8 field flattener for it yet)
(Please click on images for a larger version)
Now I understand when people state that the WO66 can punch well above it weight… this “little” OTA rocks!
Posted by Steve under Astro | Comments Off on M57 and M31/M110
Despite the best efforts of the Moon to destroy a perfectly clear sky, I managed to get these:
All images taken with:
OTA: NexStar 8 GPS @ f/10
Camera: Canon 350D (unmodded), Images Plus Camera Control
Guiding: OAG + PHD + DSI-C
Subs: 30 x 30sec, ISO800, (plus 20 darks)
Processed: DeepSkyStacker, PSCS2
M2
M11
M13
M15
M92
Posted by Steve under Astro | Comments Off on 5 Clusters from Friday night
