smr's Astrophotography

2004typer said:
Just about to get into this - after some tips.

Going to try and build up some decent gear.

Have ordered a Skymaster HEQ5 Pro and Baader regulated power supply (gonna stick to the garden for now).

Before I get a dedicated refractor scope, will start with my Canon 5D Mk ii and 70-200 F2.8L with a 1.4x tele convertor.

Hope I'm on the right path, but would appreciate some tips from any persons in the know (which software to use, exposure times, filters etc).

I'm competent with a camera, and love astronomy, so thought I'd take the plunge and mix the two!
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Good choice for dipping your toes into AP. With that kit I suggest using APT software (https://www.astrophotography.app/), it has worked well for me in the past.
 
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The Heart Nebula

This is 6 hours total integration, consisting of 5 minute single exposures.

Telescope: William Optics Zenithstar 73
Mount: Sky-Watcher HEQ5 Pro Rowan Belt Mod
Autoguiding Scope: Starwave 50mm Guidescope
Autoguiding Camera: ZWO ASI 120MM Mini
Camera: Canon 600D Astromodified
Optolong L-eNhance Dual Narrowband Filter

The Heart Nebula is in the constellation Cassiopeia, and is 6000 Light Years from Earth. Clouds of ionised hydrogen make up the Nebula.

Heart-Nebula-6h2m-73-Lights.thumb.jpg.638b0bcb79c81ec0121d4a066b16a917.jpg


Also a video featuring this image on my channel where I plate solve to find targets:

 
Amazing photo, smr. I love these images, they really make you think.

That distance is crazy. 6000 x 6 trillion miles. I watched a video tutorial last night (not that I'm about to get into attempting astro, just found the process interesting but complicated) where someone had captured with just a 60D, a tripod and something called a bodenav mask that he'd 3D printed, the andromeda galaxy and that's 2 and a half million light years away! That's zillions of trillions of miles way. Hard to get your head around these distances. Even 1 light year would take 37,000 years to travel in a space shuttle. I wonder what distance the heart nebula is from one side to the other, I bet it's a few light years across.
 
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Merlin5 said:
Amazing photo, smr. I love these images, they really make you think.

That distance is crazy. 6000 x 6 trillion miles. I watched a video tutorial last night (not that I'm about to get into attempting astro, just found the process interesting but complicated) where someone had captured with just a 60D, a tripod and something called a bodenav mask that he'd 3D printed, the andromeda galaxy and that's 2 and a half million light years away! That's zillions of trillions of miles way. Hard to get your head around these distances. Even 1 light year would take 37,000 years to travel in a space shuttle. I wonder what distance the heart nebula is from one side to the other, I bet it's a few light years across.
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Thanks! Yep the distances are surreal, I think it'd take a pretty long time for a 737 to fly from one end of the Heart Nebula to the other!
 
So glad i found this thread i have just started astrophotography this year.

I started with my old Canon 400d and a canon 50mm lens, the first time i saw that smudge of andromeda i knew i was hooked

I have now upgraded to a canon 6d and a samyang 135mm and managed to get out for the first time with this setup a few nights ago

I am still non tracking and as someone else had mentioned have been following Nebula photos guides about how to capture DSO using just a camera, lens and tripod

I still have a lot to learn about post processing, that's where i am failing at the moment, using DSS or Siril and Gimp

Just subscribed to your youtube channel, looking forward to seeing your images

Also looking to upgrade my pc to help with processing, would more cores help?

Siril took 6h.30m yesterday to stack 350 light, 50 darks, 50 flats and 50 biases. On my old laptop

Any shortening of this time would be fantastic

Have a skywatcher tracker on order so hopefully that will be my next progression

Cheers Rob
 
wrayth said:
So glad i found this thread i have just started astrophotography this year.

I started with my old Canon 400d and a canon 50mm lens, the first time i saw that smudge of andromeda i knew i was hooked

I have now upgraded to a canon 6d and a samyang 135mm and managed to get out for the first time with this setup a few nights ago

I am still non tracking and as someone else had mentioned have been following Nebula photos guides about how to capture DSO using just a camera, lens and tripod

I still have a lot to learn about post processing, that's where i am failing at the moment, using DSS or Siril and Gimp

Just subscribed to your youtube channel, looking forward to seeing your images

Also looking to upgrade my pc to help with processing, would more cores help?

Siril took 6h.30m yesterday to stack 350 light, 50 darks, 50 flats and 50 biases. On my old laptop

Any shortening of this time would be fantastic

Have a skywatcher tracker on order so hopefully that will be my next progression

Cheers Rob
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Hi. What tracker dd you order in the end and how did you reach your decision? I have contemplated one for a while but had spent most of my money on lenses this past year. For my setup I now believe I have hit 'peak lens' :p so it's time for the tracker. But I have no idea where to even start...
 
GMac11 said:
Hi. What tracker dd you order in the end and how did you reach your decision? I have contemplated one for a while but had spent most of my money on lenses this past year. For my setup I now believe I have hit 'peak lens' :p so it's time for the tracker. But I have no idea where to even start...
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Loads of youtube videos, looking at different trackers, i liked the look and function of the skywatcher star adventurer pro kit, it comes with everything i need, so no reason to buy other items, i ordered a month ago but i know they are struggling to get hold of them due to covid, but it should arrive octoberish i have been told, i just wanted something relatively cheap that i can carry around easily and just allow me to take longer images instead of 300 2 second subs

Can i ask what lens you are using?
 
wrayth said:
Loads of youtube videos, looking at different trackers, i liked the look and function of the skywatcher star adventurer pro kit, it comes with everything i need, so no reason to buy other items, i ordered a month ago but i know they are struggling to get hold of them due to covid, but it should arrive octoberish i have been told, i just wanted something relatively cheap that i can carry around easily and just allow me to take longer images instead of 300 2 second subs

Can i ask what lens you are using?
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I have a variety that I use for my astro currently - Samyang 12mm f2, Fuji 35mm f2 and Fuji 55-200 for the deeper stuff. I am also in the process of adding a 23mm f1.4 to that kit.
The primes on their own are very good for the wide sky shots however a tracker would allow just that little bit more.
I assume a tracker would really come into its own with the 55-200 for the deep sky shots?
 
GMac11 said:
I have a variety that I use for my astro currently - Samyang 12mm f2, Fuji 35mm f2 and Fuji 55-200 for the deeper stuff. I am also in the process of adding a 23mm f1.4 to that kit.
The primes on their own are very good for the wide sky shots however a tracker would allow just that little bit more.
I assume a tracker would really come into its own with the 55-200 for the deep sky shots?
Click to expand...

How well it works is dependent on how well you can get it polar aligned :) Without a fixed mount point you will need to go through that process every time you set the thing up. TBH, a small EQ mount designed for a telescope might be easier in that respect (to polar align it I mean). 200mm focal length is a big ask without guiding of some sort - that, or limit your exposure times to <1min. IMHO...
 
ChrisLX200 said:
How well it works is dependent on how well you can get it polar aligned :) Without a fixed mount point you will need to go through that process every time you set the thing up. TBH, a small EQ mount designed for a telescope might be easier in that respect (to polar align it I mean). 200mm focal length is a big ask without guiding of some sort - that, or limit your exposure times to <1min. IMHO...
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1 min would be a dream lol, i am doing 2 seconds currently
 
I've been looking forward to imaging this Nebula for the first time after imaging the Eastern Veil Nebula around this time last year.

Taken with my astro modified 600D DSLR and HEQ5 Pro

6h41m Lights
Bias
ISO 800
L-eNhance Filter
Bortle 5/6

The Witches Broom Nebula

Between 10 and 20,000 years ago a Star in a Supernova 20 times more massive than our Sun exploded. The Witches Broom is a remnant of that Supernova explosion. Oxygen, Sulphur and Hydrogen make up the emissions of the Nebula, at a distance of 2,400 Light Years.

The Witches Broom Nebula by Joel Spencer, on Flickr
 
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