Remembering back to when I first started dabbling in astrophotography I remember all to well the frozen fingers, uncomfortable sitting positions, difficulty finding a guide star, even more difficulty guiding and (shudder) those long exposures it took to get enough photons from those faint fuzzies to register on the film. And now it's so much easier (albeit at a higher cost). Specifically I'm referring to tonight's play time with my brand new, self guiding, imager. Sitting warm and cozy in my library I pushed a few buttons and 10 minutes later the following picture of M-95 appeared on the monitor: http://www.trilobyte.net/paw/temp/M9510MIN.JPG Or if you'd like the FITS image so you can play with it yourself: http://www.trilobyte.net/paw/temp/M9510MIN.FIT Note that these are just as they came out of the camera. No flat field, no Photoshop. Just the raw image shot through the C14 at f/11 (3,900 mm focal length). Patrick
WAY TO GO, PATRICK! What type of autoguider are you using? And why are you awake now? Thanks, Joe
Oops, I noticed the time you sent it -- I simply got it in the daylight, but you sent it at 3:14. So you ARE in bed! That's the Patrick I know. -- Joe
Patrick, While you're trolling, see if you can hook M104 -- I'm after that one myself. I took four views of it at the Wedge, none of them worth posting. But I'll try again soon. Also, have you angled for M51? Joe
Joe Bauman wrote:
Patrick, While you're trolling, see if you can hook M104...
Happy to oblige. I have an awfully high southern horizon so 104 never got very high in my sky but I was able to get off a few shots varying from 1 to 7 minutes, all unguided. This one is 6 minutes: http://www.trilobyte.net/paw/temp/M1046MIN.JPG Again, like yesterday's M95, this one is just the light and dark images. No flat field and no post download processing. Any other requests? :-) Patrick
Doggone it Patrick, I've stayed away from astrophotography because I've seen all the work it takes. I just don't have the time. When you make it look so easy, you're not helping ;-)
I have an awfully high southern horizon so 104 never got very high in my sky but I was able to get off a few shots varying from 1 to 7 minutes, all unguided.
MichaelCarnes wrote:
Doggone it Patrick, I've stayed away from astrophotography because I've seen all the work it takes. I just don't have the time. When you make it look so easy, you're not helping ;-)
Thanks, but while taking the picture was easy, first paying for the equipment, then figuring out how to set it all up and operate it was (is) a royal pain in the neck... :-) Patrick
Quoting Patrick Wiggins <paw@trilobyte.net>:
Sitting warm and cozy in my library, listening to late night talk radio and dreaming about buzzing SPOC, I pushed a few buttons and 10 minutes later the following picture of M-95 appeared on the monitor:
Forget M95, that contrail looks mighty suspicious! Would someone please call Art Bell? ;)
participants (4)
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diveboss＠xmission.com -
Joe Bauman -
MichaelCarnes -
Patrick Wiggins