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I’m definitely going to get my old camera body (the one that died in Colorado) resurrected for astro shot.

Incidently, I didn’t use a reticle and I found I really didn’t need one, even with my focal length. There are 3 ‘prominent’ stars around Polaris, SAO 209, 460, and 75. If you imagine that they are ‘facing’ Polaris in a circle, take 209 (the brightest and between the other two in our ‘circle way of thinking. and head out toward Polaris, making a 125 degree turn when you get there. Then head that new direction twice as far from Polaris as is 209. This should put you within 1/4 degree of ‘true’ north, and worked fine for exposures of up to 4 minutes–even 7, if you play a little looser with the definition of ‘fine’ (I captured the Horsehead at those long exposure settings, though not ‘perfectly’ on the 7—that was a bit of a stretch.)

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Farktographer–I’m afraid it’s probably a victim of the 640w pixels. I think cropping in would have helped. One of the things I’m ‘unlearning’ as I branch out into other photographic pursuits and post larger files.

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fluffy that’s the basic rig, yes. I’ll lose about another 4 square inches of light gathering (beyond where the 2ndary sits anyway), but I’ll capture stuff in incredibly short times. I’ve seen uber-phuqing-fantastically detailed shots with frames at 15 seconds each.

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Yay! We’ll have to start an astro fark group!

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Thanks, Farktographer; I sent you a link via message.

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My noir-foo is weak. Honestly, if it weren’t for my streak of participation going nearly two years, I’d bow out. Can I get an OBO from someone? This week I’m working in photolithography, and I start a little earlier (I can’t WAIT for DST to start again!–gives me an extra hour!)

First volunteer gets the link to my posting code…

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I suppose if I had more (interesting) friends, the problem would resolve itself.

Tell me about it! I love all of my friends, but NONE of them are the kind of people that want their portraits taken. We’re all bookish types and no one is really all that into their physical beauty. I tell them I don’t want glamor shots, but they just smile and tell me to go to hell.

Yeah none of my friends would pose for me either. I get the exact same response. lol

I’m still working that angle. Slowly.

Preach it brothers and sisters!

My shots from ‘Strange’ all came from people I’d never met, at the local bar I’ve gone to for close to 20 years;–I have more than a few ‘friends’ who simply refuse to let me take their shots (even at private parties, one of them gets in a tizzy–his profile’s not seen my sensor in 5+ years).

I don’t get that. Is it time for “Our Bodies, Our Selves II”? Is there any reason in the world why we shouldn’t consider ourselves (and everyone else) as being beautiful?

Beuller? Beuller?

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If you don’t have my essay, I can do another one (essays are easy!).

I am happy to proof; my responses will all be in the a.m. after work (the next 4 mornings, incl. Sunday) due to my schedule. After Sunday, I’m all yours (don’t tell orionid; he might get jealous) ;-p.

Although I’m time-constrained photographically speaking (I know–I’ll go grave-digging in the vault and pull something up this week, and maybe next, and perhaps the one after…), this project is bigger than any one contest and I’m more than happy to contribute what meager time I have. I’ll sleep when I’m dead, or suffer comatose-caused hypothermia. :o)

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Orionid; I copied PDF’s from on-line, had them printed and laminated at Kinko’s (kinky, eh?), and cut one out from there (saving the others as spares–total cost about $2.98 for three, you should do better as your glass doesn’t require 11×17 sized paper)). Here’s a picture of what I see when I’m attempting focus:

Here’ the focus is a little too far, and I need to tighten. For those who haven’t used one, the central ‘spike’ moves perpendicular to the ‘x’ spikes, the goal being centered. With this orientation, I’m too far out of focus (yes, you can do this with a telescope), but by turning the focal knob I can bring the central spike down to where it is perfectly centered between the ‘x’ spikes, and that’s the focal goal.

Science is funz! And it can be cheap! And gawd knows, I like cheap…

Plama, man if I could lug a 120 lb rig to Hawaii, I could nearly afford it right now!! But ain’t gonna happen!! (I want the f/2 rig; I’m certain; money better spent.)

Please continue your digression, I was just getting into it!…

I didn’t do flat frames (I didn’t know!!), but I did take a dark frame, more or less the same time as the others, to eliminate noise (I think it worked!). It’s fortunate that O’s neb is so bright on it’s own that it doesn’t seem I need all them other frames (i.e., I dunno wut I’m doing so I’m playing the fiddle by ear!)

The Bahtinov mask is easy; downloaded a PDF. I actually used one for a 7″, as it fit on an 8X11, and enlarged it to fit onto a 11X17. I had to figure out the 2ndary mirror point and diameter, but elsewise, a craft knife did the work. It’s just laminated paper–but if it works–go with it!!

(next time, I’ll remember to bring the electrical tape, to simulate the spikes we see from Hubble shots caused by it’s 2ndary mirror.)

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I’d pay to get my arse on a piece of glarse from the 70’s (old and wrinkled may he be), if I could take shots like this. hang on to them!!

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Oh my… that’s gorgeous! By all means, re-impregnate.

So spill the beans: number of exposures, duration, ISO, procedure, etc…

Looks like you nailed the focus (that’s a lot harder than folks realize) and your scope’s color correction is very tight… no halos.

What did you stack with? Did you shoot darks? There are a few hot pixels, so I’m guessing no darks…

AND…. M42 is a magnet for satellites, ain’t it? 😆

Is this full-frame or a crop?

This is a seriously good first image… You should be addicted after this. None of my images look this good, even considering I’ve only shot wide-field sans scope, but now I have something to shoot for 😉

Further reply: 3 light frames, 1 dark, 1 underexposed; no hot pixels–the dark frame took care of them, but there are them stars that just came out ‘red’, 20-40 pixels across (in some online processed images they aren’t so red, but there’s plenty online that do, which is how I reassured myself it was okay–and I planned on using elec. tape to recreate the star points you see in the Hubble shots {because of the mirror mount apparatus} but I forgot to bring it this time).

ISO 1600 (gawd, I love the noise levels the T2i hides!), ~2 minutes each; focus courtesy of my home-made Bahov-whats-his-name mask (which I love-love-love for it’s accuracy!! In fact, I kept a couple shots from using it because the lines are so cool!).

Full frame–we don need no stinkin’ crop! (In fact, if I could get a wider view, I would–and rather than buying a long lens, I may just opt for the $800 kit to convert the scope to a f/2 not a typo [ with a much wider view! approx 2-1/2 degree]) Should I? I think I shall… 😀 Prepare yourselves; I’ve seen images–to. die. for.

There was CA–I ‘shopped it out on the affected stars (the brightest 10 or so). Telescope lenses usually combine red-green; the blue suffers. 🙁 (at f/2 ironically, this won’t be a problem)

Stacked via Deep Sky Stacker. Which turns out to be a bee-ach to use, but I muddled through, and I’m glad I did. Yet the masking in Elements was far more difficult to master.

Here’s a couple more shots, much closer to SOOC, and usable in future contests:

Orion, Taurus, and the Pleiades:

http://fossilspringsaz.com/pics/2012/feb/19/wedge20120218_007.jpg
(large file–and with light pollution, but still way-cool for the number of stars, approx. 2 minutes; I like the pollution as it makes me feel I’m looking over the sun’s horizon at the scene)

Sunrise (yes–Sunrise) via the astrozap filter:
http://fossilspringsaz.com/pics/2012/feb/19/wedge20120218_004.jpg

If you think DOF is a bitch at 300mm, try 2800! But you can, even through the clouds, see a couple sunspots–there isn’t much activity at the moment, unfortunately. I did like the atmospheric ‘waves’ in this shot.

The moon a week earlier, no wedge-mount, but didn’t need it (huge file, 2.5 mp, sorry!) Saturation at 400%–there really are colors on the moon, I wanted to bring them out:
http://fossilspringsaz.com/pics/2012/feb/19/ww2012_19.jpg

The moonrise, counterpart to the cloudy sunrise shot (though the moon is a bit dimmer so the clouds had a grander role to play):

http://fossilspringsaz.com/pics/2012/feb/19/WW2012_22.jpg

I think for the next couple months I’ll either archive dive or skip contests–I hate to say this is way more fun (because it’s not, it’s just different–and I’m not embarrassed to say I’m way more into it at this time for not just the novelty); my loins are girdled with the new toy, and I’m definitely going to use every opportunity to capture what I can! I haven’t even done the planet stacking yet (I chose Jupiter)!!

Thanks everyone for the kudos! More to come! Yes indeed!

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Responding in reverse order:

orionid: you could always leave Kestrana and join me in a life of debauchery in the western deserts. There would[/b] have to be a tele-photo lens-pre-nup., but elsewise, I’m yours. 😉

Fluff; I think you’ve got it, but I didn’t check the driver’s manual due to poor lighting conditions…

chupa; the parsec is practical, for all earthling intent and purposes! It’s like the gold standard–we go off that, and everything will fall to hell! (see? look around our economy and tell me different!)

//no, don’t–I don’t want to delve into politics here!!

The details: 3 light frames @ approx 2 minute exposures (I counted in my head, fell short a few seconds in each), 1 dark frame same length, one very underexposed frame that I painted in via Elements to bring out the Trapezium. But even the SOOC of any one of the light frames is worthy and will see a farktography contest one day, I suspect (unless I do better). The first frame captured the satellite on the right side. As I oohed and aahed over it it crossed the nebula, the second frame saw it’s exit. Third didn’t have it at all–but that’s the way the stack stuck.

Plama, get the tracking mount! I couldn’t be more pleased! I am amazed at the difference in my photos, after just one session! I had to realign some 8 or so times during the night, but only because I had to crank on the engine in my truck to provide a heater to keep me from hypothermia. Fortunately, once polarized (so to speak), retracking was a ‘breeze’.

I’m considering, since I’m going to have it repaired anyway, converting my original xTi to infrared, so I can get more nebulosity. Hell, I’m not even considering it–it’s pretty much a done-deal in my head.

Thanks, linguine, Farktographer, and lokisbong!

Can’t wait to get knocked up again!!

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so many ideas, no frikking time. ctrl+A, ctrl+C, ctrl+V for each upcoming theme.

Ayep. Hear ya!

Pope; it’s been my experience that if it isn’t blatently obvious, farkers won’t get it. Just my viewpoint, though.

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Hey–for the record, after midnight (Sunday morning) till forever, the clouds were thick enough to shield all but the sun. Which is good, or I’d have died of hypothermia…

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A-yep. This would be the kind of wedding photog I’d like to be. How unique and (dare I say it?) inviting?

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