Steve’s Astro

June 28, 2007

My first autoguided image – M51

I wasnt planning on creating anything worthwhile last night, it was planned to just use the OAG and PHD to learn how to get the auto guiding working. I wasnt even looking at the images being created, I was just watching PHD and the guiding application…. but then I processed the images this morning and thought it might be worth at least showing it.

OTA: Celestron NexStar 8 GPS + Wedge
Images: Canon 350D Unmodded, DSLR Focus, 10 x 3min @ ISO1600, 5 x darks
Guiding: Off Axis Guider, PHD + Meade DSI-C
Processing: DeepSkyStacker, Photoshop CS

Please note: As I had reinstalled DSLRFocus in the last few days, dumbass here didnt notice that I managed to take the sequence as normal/small jpegs, and not large/raw… doh! So not only are the originals small, they are also all 8 bit data… double doh!

for reference, here is a unprocessed single sub

Anyway, I`ll be returning to get more data for M51, with longer subs, and more time… and large/raw images!!!

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June 21, 2007

Wide Field Cygnus

Just thought I`d try this last night…. (please ignore the low flying house in the image)

Canon 350D (unmodded), piggybacked on my NS8GPS
Unguided
13 x 60s @ ISO800, 5 Bias, 5 Darks
Stacked: DSS
Tweak: Photoshop CS, overprocessed almost totally to death with NoelC’s Tools, but I dont care!

(Note: The sky was starting to lighten quickly towards the lower-left of the image)

And for reference, from Starry Night:

First time I have done this… I`m amazed at the detail! I`ll be doing this more often i think…… I need longer subs … again… 🙂

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June 10, 2007

Sunspot 960

Second time looking at sunspots, first time trying to image them. This was taken with my NexStar 8 GPS, full aperture solar film, Meade LPI, 500 frame AVI, processed in Registax.

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June 6, 2007

Wedge arrives!

Finally got my scope on a wedge (thanks to MartinB @ SGL for the “try before you possibly buy”)

Now all I need is a clear night or two to practise polar aligning this beast…. according to the weather forecasts, it doesnt look like that will be happening any time soon 🙁

Posted by Steve under Astro | Comments Off on Wedge arrives!

June 3, 2007

Celestron NexStar 8 GPS, f/10
Canon 350D (unmodded)
Unguided AltAz
20 second subs (varying from 20 to 40 shots depending)
DeepSkyStacker, Photoshop CS

M13 (again)