Astrophotography

krp · 11-01-2011, 03:27 PM

I took this last night with my Pentax A 50mm f1.7 It's a stack of 50 shots at 10 seconds, f1.7, 6400 ISO. It took quite a bit of processing in Photoshop to get it like this. But I still think it's pretty good considering all the light pollution. It's only cropped slightly so it gives you an idea of what a 50mm lens will show you.

**jpzk** · 11-01-2011, 07:29 PM

ASTEROID predicted to pass near Earth next week:

Take a Look: Huge Asteroid to Fly By Earth in November

"This asteroid is about 400 meters [1,300 feet] wide, and closest approach will be about 325,000 kilometers (201,700 miles) from Earth. When it flies past, it should be a great opportunity !"

I have no skills, absolutely none with this, so I am hoping someone here will be able to photograph this maybe ?
I am looking forward to see here : where will be the best place to see it, hopefully with the naked eye ... hopefully in North America.

If this was posted earlier, my sincere apologies.

JP

krp · 11-01-2011, 08:48 PM

Originally posted by jpzk

ASTEROID predicted to pass near Earth next week:

Take a Look: Huge Asteroid to Fly By Earth in November

"This asteroid is about 400 meters [1,300 feet] wide, and closest approach will be about 325,000 kilometers (201,700 miles) from Earth. When it flies past, it should be a great opportunity !"

I have no skills, absolutely none with this, so I am hoping someone here will be able to photograph this maybe ?
I am looking forward to see here : where will be the best place to see it, hopefully with the naked eye ... hopefully in North America.

If this was posted earlier, my sincere apologies.

JP

Unfortunately at a magnitude of 11 it won't be visible to the naked eye. (Here's a chart I found for comparison: Star Magnitudes Table) But hopefully someone here with a telescope can get some good pictures.

v5planet · 11-01-2011, 10:04 PM

Originally posted by krp

I took this last night with my Pentax A 50mm f1.7 It's a stack of 50 shots at 10 seconds, f1.7, 6400 ISO. It took quite a bit of processing in Photoshop to get it like this. But I still think it's pretty good considering all the light pollution. It's only cropped slightly so it gives you an idea of what a 50mm lens will show you.

Were you on a tracking mount, krp?

krp · 11-01-2011, 11:22 PM

Originally posted by v5planet

Were you on a tracking mount, krp?

Nope. The relatively wide focal length let me shoot at 10 seconds without trailing. But I used Deep Sky Stacker to align and stack the 50 frames.

**jpzk** · 11-02-2011, 07:35 PM

Originally posted by krp

Unfortunately at a magnitude of 11 it won't be visible to the naked eye. (Here's a chart I found for comparison: Star Magnitudes Table) But hopefully someone here with a telescope can get some good pictures.

Sorry about that ... I thought someone here would have the equipmetn/gear to get this asteroid ! ... Oh Well!

JP

Stone G. · 11-03-2011, 02:44 AM

Originally posted by jpzk

Sorry about that ... I thought someone here would have the equipmetn/gear to get this asteroid ! ... Oh Well!

JP

Well, photographing a "star" of magnitude 11-12 with a larger telephoto lens and an equatorial mount isn't totally impossible. However, this object moves very fast and it may be a problem to find the place to point at in the sky.

You will need a large scope to find the beast visually, but perhaps this finder chart from Sky and Telescope will give someone the courage to give it a try:

http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/home/133013563.html

Gimbal · 11-03-2011, 04:47 AM

Is anyone using "GRIP" for stacking?
I stumbled on this piece of software yesterday and it might be a option to deepskystacker, I can't really tell how good/bad it is yet but it seems promising.

see grelf.net - GRIP introduction

Stone G. · 11-03-2011, 07:54 AM

Originally posted by Gimbal

Is anyone using "GRIP" for stacking?
I stumbled on this piece of software yesterday and it might be a option to deepskystacker, I can't really tell how good/bad it is yet but it seems promising.

see grelf.net - GRIP introduction

Thanks for the lead - always intersted in learning something new.

Well, I just tried to download it and I must say, it is not the easiest and most intuitive user interface, I have ever seen........

....but apparently worthwhile examining a bit closer.

Gimbal · 11-03-2011, 01:43 PM

Originally posted by Stone G.

Thanks for the lead - always intersted in learning something new.

Well, I just tried to download it and I must say, it is not the easiest and most intuitive user interface, I have ever seen........

....but apparently worthwhile examining a bit closer.

I have been toying with it for a couple of hours now and I'm slowly getting used to the workflow. And I'm beginning to like it. It's pretty nice actually.

theodoros1978 · 11-06-2011, 02:20 PM

This is a single exposure image of 30sec, 1600 ISO. Camera is a Pentax K-x, prime focus on 10'' Skywarcher AZ Dob mount.

VE2CJW · 11-07-2011, 06:52 PM

Here is a stack of three long exposure pictures stacked in Photoshop. The first two were combined with an opacity of 50% and the third was added with 33%. No boosting of color was done. The fact of stacking the pictures brings more natural color to the result. I plan on doing a stack of around 50 pictures but won't be using Photoshop since it's not really made for that. A freeware called Registax does a fine job with lots of pictures and even .avi files. I forgot to mention that these pictures were taken in an urban area so the sky was very light polluted. Using the Pentax viewfinder, it's very hard even to see the stars. The liveview function doesn't help at all in this case. I'll try going to a place where the sky is darker but that''s at least 40 miles from where I live. I have to play with the levels to get a dark sky without modifying the stars. Of course, I had to use the O-GPS1 to be able to expose for more than a few seconds. The limit for a 300mm lens is about 1 minute 20 seconds.

Acheron · 11-08-2011, 09:05 AM

Here is one picture from about 4 months ago

Acheron · 11-08-2011, 09:08 AM

And another one from about 6 weeks ago

krp · 11-17-2011, 01:54 PM

I am looking to buy my first telescope and use it a lot for astrophotography. I would like to be able to view and photograph some galaxies, nebulas, comets, etc. Does this look like a good choice? Konus Konusmotor Electronic 500 Newton 114mm (4.5") Telescope 1781 FREE S&H 1781. Konus Telescopes.
I think once I have an EQ mount and tracking motor, all I need is a T mount to K mount adapter to start taking pictures. Am I missing anything?

11-06-2011, 02:20 PM	#131
theodoros1978 Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Posts: 29	Orion Nebula This is a single exposure image of 30sec, 1600 ISO. Camera is a Pentax K-x, prime focus on 10'' Skywarcher AZ Dob mount. Attached Images

11-07-2011, 06:52 PM	#132
VE2CJW Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Candiac, QC, Canada Photos: Gallery Posts: 403	A stack of 3 pictures with a 300mm lens. Here is a stack of three long exposure pictures stacked in Photoshop. The first two were combined with an opacity of 50% and the third was added with 33%. No boosting of color was done. The fact of stacking the pictures brings more natural color to the result. I plan on doing a stack of around 50 pictures but won't be using Photoshop since it's not really made for that. A freeware called Registax does a fine job with lots of pictures and even .avi files. I forgot to mention that these pictures were taken in an urban area so the sky was very light polluted. Using the Pentax viewfinder, it's very hard even to see the stars. The liveview function doesn't help at all in this case. I'll try going to a place where the sky is darker but that''s at least 40 miles from where I live. I have to play with the levels to get a dark sky without modifying the stars. Of course, I had to use the O-GPS1 to be able to expose for more than a few seconds. The limit for a 300mm lens is about 1 minute 20 seconds. Last edited by VE2CJW; 12-10-2012 at 01:09 PM.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
astrophotography with K-7 - issues =(. Please help?	Nass	Photographic Technique	40	02-10-2010 10:28 PM
Astrophotography with K10	J-Rod	Photographic Technique	5	12-12-2009 06:08 PM
Astrophotography	mithrandir	Photographic Technique	1	11-26-2009 06:56 PM
K7 And Astrophotography	Christopher M.W.T	Pentax DSLR Discussion	49	11-25-2009 08:51 AM
Astrophotography	elLuiggi	Post Your Photos!	0	11-01-2007 05:43 PM

11-01-2011, 03:27 PM	#121
krp Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Illinois Photos: Gallery Posts: 470	I took this last night with my Pentax A 50mm f1.7 It's a stack of 50 shots at 10 seconds, f1.7, 6400 ISO. It took quite a bit of processing in Photoshop to get it like this. But I still think it's pretty good considering all the light pollution. It's only cropped slightly so it gives you an idea of what a 50mm lens will show you.

11-01-2011, 07:29 PM	#122
jpzk Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Québec Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 8,251	ASTEROID predicted to pass near Earth next week: Take a Look: Huge Asteroid to Fly By Earth in November "This asteroid is about 400 meters [1,300 feet] wide, and closest approach will be about 325,000 kilometers (201,700 miles) from Earth. When it flies past, it should be a great opportunity !" I have no skills, absolutely none with this, so I am hoping someone here will be able to photograph this maybe ? I am looking forward to see here : where will be the best place to see it, hopefully with the naked eye ... hopefully in North America. If this was posted earlier, my sincere apologies. JP

11-01-2011, 08:48 PM	#123
krp Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Illinois Photos: Gallery Posts: 470	Originally posted by jpzk ASTEROID predicted to pass near Earth next week: Take a Look: Huge Asteroid to Fly By Earth in November "This asteroid is about 400 meters [1,300 feet] wide, and closest approach will be about 325,000 kilometers (201,700 miles) from Earth. When it flies past, it should be a great opportunity !" I have no skills, absolutely none with this, so I am hoping someone here will be able to photograph this maybe ? I am looking forward to see here : where will be the best place to see it, hopefully with the naked eye ... hopefully in North America. If this was posted earlier, my sincere apologies. JP Unfortunately at a magnitude of 11 it won't be visible to the naked eye. (Here's a chart I found for comparison: Star Magnitudes Table) But hopefully someone here with a telescope can get some good pictures.

11-01-2011, 10:04 PM	#124
v5planet Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Seattle Photos: Albums Posts: 1,915	Originally posted by krp I took this last night with my Pentax A 50mm f1.7 It's a stack of 50 shots at 10 seconds, f1.7, 6400 ISO. It took quite a bit of processing in Photoshop to get it like this. But I still think it's pretty good considering all the light pollution. It's only cropped slightly so it gives you an idea of what a 50mm lens will show you. Were you on a tracking mount, krp?

11-01-2011, 11:22 PM	#125
krp Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Illinois Photos: Gallery Posts: 470	Originally posted by v5planet Were you on a tracking mount, krp? Nope. The relatively wide focal length let me shoot at 10 seconds without trailing. But I used Deep Sky Stacker to align and stack the 50 frames.

11-02-2011, 07:35 PM	#126
jpzk Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Québec Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 8,251	Originally posted by krp Unfortunately at a magnitude of 11 it won't be visible to the naked eye. (Here's a chart I found for comparison: Star Magnitudes Table) But hopefully someone here with a telescope can get some good pictures. Sorry about that ... I thought someone here would have the equipmetn/gear to get this asteroid ! ... Oh Well! JP

11-03-2011, 02:44 AM	#127
Stone G. Pentaxian Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: North Zealand, Denmark Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,516	Originally posted by jpzk Sorry about that ... I thought someone here would have the equipmetn/gear to get this asteroid ! ... Oh Well! JP Well, photographing a "star" of magnitude 11-12 with a larger telephoto lens and an equatorial mount isn't totally impossible. However, this object moves very fast and it may be a problem to find the place to point at in the sky. You will need a large scope to find the beast visually, but perhaps this finder chart from Sky and Telescope will give someone the courage to give it a try: http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/home/133013563.html

11-03-2011, 04:47 AM	#128
Gimbal Pentaxian Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Sweden Posts: 2,106	Is anyone using "GRIP" for stacking? I stumbled on this piece of software yesterday and it might be a option to deepskystacker, I can't really tell how good/bad it is yet but it seems promising. see grelf.net - GRIP introduction

11-03-2011, 07:54 AM	#129
Stone G. Pentaxian Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: North Zealand, Denmark Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,516	Originally posted by Gimbal Is anyone using "GRIP" for stacking? I stumbled on this piece of software yesterday and it might be a option to deepskystacker, I can't really tell how good/bad it is yet but it seems promising. see grelf.net - GRIP introduction Thanks for the lead - always intersted in learning something new. Well, I just tried to download it and I must say, it is not the easiest and most intuitive user interface, I have ever seen........ ....but apparently worthwhile examining a bit closer.

11-03-2011, 01:43 PM	#130
Gimbal Pentaxian Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Sweden Posts: 2,106	Originally posted by Stone G. Thanks for the lead - always intersted in learning something new. Well, I just tried to download it and I must say, it is not the easiest and most intuitive user interface, I have ever seen........ ....but apparently worthwhile examining a bit closer. I have been toying with it for a couple of hours now and I'm slowly getting used to the workflow. And I'm beginning to like it. It's pretty nice actually.

11-08-2011, 09:05 AM	#133
Acheron Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Croatia Photos: Gallery Posts: 100	Here is one picture from about 4 months ago

11-08-2011, 09:08 AM	#134
Acheron Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Croatia Photos: Gallery Posts: 100	And another one from about 6 weeks ago

11-17-2011, 01:54 PM	#135
krp Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Illinois Photos: Gallery Posts: 470	I am looking to buy my first telescope and use it a lot for astrophotography. I would like to be able to view and photograph some galaxies, nebulas, comets, etc. Does this look like a good choice? Konus Konusmotor Electronic 500 Newton 114mm (4.5") Telescope 1781 FREE S&H 1781. Konus Telescopes. I think once I have an EQ mount and tracking motor, all I need is a T mount to K mount adapter to start taking pictures. Am I missing anything?