Our Beautiful Universe - Photos and Videos

[bruha]

Hi Dave and thanks for advice…. yes it sounds logically I will try another camera , but for few next days is bad forecast weather Anyway do you have experience with sun imaging? I mean is better morning , daily or evening sun , and could be possible for example to capture eruption..? (Telescope Devices of your club looks very professionally :)

 

[davenn]

Hi Dave and thanks for advice…. yes it sounds logically I will try another camera ,

I didn't mean try another camera doing the sun images tho that would be interesting

I said to use another camera to photo and show me the imaging setup you are using

Anyway do you have experience with sun imaging?

I have been imaging the sun for almost 50 years

I mean is better morning , daily or evening sun

always wait till the sun is a bit higher in the sky ... then you are imaging through less atmosphere
and the images will be more stable

and could be possible for example to capture eruption..?

No, you won't capture a prominence with a white light setup. You need a Ha solar telescope for that
See my other thread on that subject ... lots of images in there

https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/solar-imaging-and-techniques.925656/Dave

 

[DennisN]

We have clear skies here, and the Moon was in the first quarter, so I took a couple of shots of it with a small monocular scope (about 15 cm/6 inches in length) and my phone mounted together on a tripod:
(still hard to focus due to the mount and due to I used a phone camera)

(ISO 50, 1/50 s exposure/photo, 40 stacked images in RegiStax)

I tried the same with 1/10 s exposure/photo, but that got too bright:

Here's a single image (ISO 50, 1/10 s exposure) which turned out better, probably because a part of the field of view was covered due to bad alignment between the camera and scope:

I also tried filming and stacking, but the results were not as good, but I will continue to experiment with this.

And here's the "miniscope", which I like because it actually provides quite good views of the Moon for the eyes:

 

[bruha]

Hi Dave
I attaching images of my setup and devices. (I though you mean to make image with another camera to check if camera is problem ) Hi and thank you...

 

[bruha]

Hi I attach some sun images from today with one spot and less error dark artefacts (I hope).
Nowadays is here real "april" weather though is may so it is not easy make sun images and night images as well ..:) :(

Have nice days

 

[davenn]

So, a very dirty lens
That's not going to help things ... did you get ALL the marks off ?

use a cotton bud or some very soft facial tissues and some window cleaner
just dampen the tip of the bud or a damp area on the tissue ( don't make it too wet)
Gently wipe the lens
did you check other lenses ... on the scope etc ? the dirty lens you are showing ...
where was that from ?

A much better looking
still a couple of patches of dust fingerprints or something but a big improvement

You just need to increase the exposure time a little bit and check your focussing
Getting the focus right can be tricky and requires a bit of patienceDave

 

[bruha]

Hi, and thank you for advice..
I will make cleaning again and try in next days (forecast for weekend is quite good) (Anyway I have Newton, so no lenses just mirrors -I hope its clear). Concerning exp. time as I have automat. compact camera, it is problem to adjust it but I hope in improvement :):) Thanks and lot of success

 

[davenn]

Hi, and thank you for advice..

keep showing pic's and asking questions
Others and I will happily help

(Anyway I have Newton, so no lenses just mirrors -I hope its clear)

OK, That's right, I had forgotten which type of scope ( old age and failing memory)

so look down the tube and make sure there are no dirty patches on the main mirror
Take the eyepiece out and look through the hole and you should also be able to see
if there is any gunk on the secondary mirror

Concerning exp. time as I have automat. compact camera,

OK, can you give me the make and model and I will google it and see what it's spec's are Dave

 

[bruha]

Hi Dave and
hank you again.. Yes My camera is: SONY DSC WX350 (there is P AUTO where apperture and shutter speed is set automatically...(maybe to try changing ISO or exp. compenzation..?).

 

[davenn]

Yes My camera is: SONY DSC WX350

Thanks, I'm having a read

 

[bruha]

Hi I attach some new sun images (now there was not any sunspots-it is just error artefacts) I try with ISO 100,1600 and exposure sompensation -2 and 2. Exp time was varying from 1/50- 1/400.

Have nice days

 

[bruha]

Still two...

 

[davenn]

Hi I attach some new sun images (now there was not any sunspots-it is just error artefacts) I try with ISO 100,1600 and exposure sompensation -2 and 2. Exp time was varying from 1/50- 1/400.

Good continued attempts
unfortunately there's still lots of dirt/dust marks. And as you say, none of the "spots" are actually sunspots
I think you need to figure out a better attachment of the camera ( or as I suggest below ... a better camera
more suitable for this sort of imaging) to the scope so that you see the full disk of the sun so that you can
avoid this sort of thing ...

I looked through the user manual for you camera and yeah, not really a suitable camera for this sort of activity.
The lack of being able to do any sort of manual control the camera focus etc, is seriously limiting what you can
achieve and it means that trying to get an image with decent focus is pretty much impossible.
I can now see why it has always been a struggle for you in your past images you have posted.

I would highly recommend buying a DSLR camera, one that the lens can be removed and you can then couple
the camera to the scope with a T-ring adaptor ( think I showed you one before?). Then you are going to see
a huge improvement in your astro imaging. I can promise you, the effort and cost will be well worth it !

Doesn't have to be a new camera ( you may not be able to afford that??) Go to second hand shops, or camera
shops and see if they have any trade-ins. A good chance you may pick up a Pentax, Canon or a Nikon quite cheaply... several 100 euro. probably something very respectable for less than 400 euro.

Honestly, it's what you need to do if you really want to advance way beyond the very limited capabilities of
that camera. For daytime family / holiday snaps, it's ideal but for astronomy imaging, not goodcheers
Dave

 

[bruha]

Hi Dave and thank you for evaluation and advices. Ii is true and I will look for this type of DSLR camera(-I now this attachment but I can not buy new one now) . Concerning focus I have two Hyperion eyepieces , 8 and 5 mm
while with 5 one whole sun disc can not fit to view and with 8 one it just fit without any reserve space around-as S6 image). With DSLR camera connected you can zoomed and anti-zoomed ?
Thank you again and have nice day

 

[davenn]

Hi Dave and thank you for evaluation and advices.

You are welcome ... Keep posting and people here will help where we can.

Ii is true and I will look for this type of DSLR camera(-I now this attachment but I can not buy new one now) .

That's OK ... as I said, you may find a good condition second hand one ... keep looking around
Unfortunately I have already given away my 2 spare Pentax cameras, else I could have sent you one of them
to get you up and running ... look out for a Pentax K7 or K5 ... the K5 is the newer model of the 2 of them, it came out in ~ 2011

Concerning focus I have two Hyperion eyepieces , 8 and 5 mm
while with 5 one whole sun disc can not fit to view and with 8 one it just fit without any reserve space around-as S6 image).

you should try out around 20mm ... it would be great for nite-time use as well ... my most commonly used eyepieces for
nite-time astronomy are the 40mm, 20mm, and the 15mm

With DSLR camera connected you can zoomed and anti-zoomed ?

When using a DSLR camera, there is no lens on the camera and no eyepiece in the telescope.
Essentially, the telescope is being used as a BIG telephoto lens.
Focussing is done by using the focusser knob on the telescope. This is why it is so much easier to get focus
Dave

 

[davenn]

A blast from the past, 16 March 2016, LMC (Large Magellanic Cloud) and Comet 252P/LINEAR
Canon 6D and 70 - 200mm EF L Lens @200mm
20 x 30 sec exp, ISO 1600, 15 darks, no flats or bias
stacked in DSS edited in Lightroom

 

[bruha]

Hi Dave,
it is beautiful, as I understand, it is stacked from 20 images with 30 sec . exp time each? and without telescope,
just with camera? Anyway Thanks, I will try with 20 and 12 mm (but thes ones are not hyperion, just ordinary small eyepiece -not fit so good to camera objective...I Will see , and here is still one sun image (better fitting again without spots...) Have nice days and evenings..

 

[bruha]

Hi and thank you...
I understand, but DSLR camera really without eyepiece..? I saw on picture this arrangement but with DSLR camera -body attached by T ring to Hyperion eyepiece... thank you again and I will look for these models...:):)

 

[davenn]

it is beautiful, as I understand, it is stacked from 20 images with 30 sec . exp time each? and without telescope,
just with camera?

Yes, that is correct, just camera and good telephoto lens

and here is still one sun image (better fitting again without spots...)

A lot better, it would still be good to find and remove those dust etc blobs from mirror, eyepieces ..

I understand, but DSLR camera really without eyepiece..?

Yes
It's the way 99% of people do their astrophotography

I saw on picture this arrangement but with DSLR camera -body attached by T ring to Hyperion eyepiece

Yes, that can be done, it's called eyepiece projection ... a it gives a bit more magnification
but at the cost of some sharpness, as there is more glass ( lenses) in the optical train
for the light to pass through

Have nice days and evenings..

you too Dave

 

[bruha]

Hi Dave and thank you for answer, I understand and will try it at first oportunity :) (unfortunately this week should be cloudy and rainy here :(

 

[Andy Resnick]

The great cluster in Hercules (M13): a 1:1 crop and a 6:1 zoom (3x dither followed by 2x enlargement). Total integration time = 2 hrs @ ISO 2000, 800/5.6 lens.

The colors aren't right, but it's a lot easier to control now that I am using the correct RAW setting in DSS.

 

[davenn]

The great cluster in Hercules (M13)

lookin good

The colors aren't right,

not too bad
I love globular clusters with all those very old yellow starsDave

 

[bruha]

Hello,
it is very impressive photo!? :) Please which telecope you use (and what is magnification?)
Have nice day :)

 

[bruha]

Hi
I attach ome sun images by NIKON body (unfortunately I can not attach directly without eyepiecde because of not suitable focus lenght) so this is with Hyperion 8 mm. Except Image S4 it is with made with SONY compact afternoon Hi

 

[DennisN]

now there was not any sunspots-it is just error artefacts

unfortunately there's still lots of dirt/dust marks

Hi @bruha and @davenn, I just wanted to share something I've learned recently. Since I've been modifying various optics equipment and since I've touched the lenses I searched for appropriate methods for cleaning lenses. I read on a photography forum that a good basic tool is a small blower like this one to blow off dust from lenses. I personally happen to have an airbrush (and a compressor) which I can use with a low pressure setting for blowing off dust from the lenses, so I'm good.

For more serious cleaning there are special lens cleaning fluids, and I read a post on a photography forum on how to make your own fluid which is much cheaper: mix 2/3 isopropanol with 1/3 distilled water. Use two cloths (e.g. microfiber cloths), one for applying the fluid on the lens, and the other one to clean the lens when it is dry again. I did my own lens cleaning fluid this way, and I've tried it and it worked very well for me. I am not sure if this method is suitable for cleaning image sensors, though (it might be).

Here's an article on cleaning lenses and filters:
How to Clean Your Lens and Filters (BHPhotoVideo)

This was the isopropanol (IPA) I used:

 

[bruha]

Hi DennisN,
and thank you very much for your advices-I suppose it will be very useful for me.
Just for interest I send two recent images -noon sun and evening sun. Anyway now I bought Bresser ful HD mini camera for eyepiece so I hope made some improvement. Lot of success and have nice day

 

[Andy Resnick]

Last night was the first clear sky in weeks; good images of Jupiter

and the moon- Rupes Recta is an escarpment about 250m high:

and Plato's shadow showing the crater edge topography.

The Jupiter image is a composite of stacked planet pasted onto a longer exposure for the moons. The lunar images have been zoomed in 3x.

 

[bruha]

Hi , your images are very impressive.. Jupiter is quite nice -can I ask how much stacked images it is composited from and in which time period? And moon images are made just with camera (without telescope)?
have nice day

 

[Andy Resnick]

Hi , your images are very impressive.. Jupiter is quite nice -can I ask how much stacked images it is composited from and in which time period? And moon images are made just with camera (without telescope)?
have nice day

Thanks!

All the images are JPGs and were acquired with my 400/2.8 lens with 2x tele (so the lens acts like an 800/5.6 lens); I acquired about a dozen frames of Jupiter for stacking, each image had an exposure of (IIRC) 1/50s, ISO 64. The moon images are single frames.

 

[bruha]

Hi thak you for answer (so Jupiter is magnified cca 143 x..?) . Can I still ask were you from? (I am from Prague..)

 

[Andy Resnick]

Hi thak you for answer (so Jupiter is magnified cca 143 x..?) . Can I still ask were you from? (I am from Prague..)

Not sure what the magnification is; the view through an 800mm lens is, IIRC, 20X. But then I posted a 1:1 crop which I think provides another magnification factor of 9X (posting an image that is 800 pixels wide instead of 7300 pixels). I suppose that results in an end-to-end magnification of 180X, but I'm not sure that's how it all works.

All my astro images are acquired in (currently) rainy, cloudy, Cleveland Ohio (USA).

 

[bruha]

Hi and thank you for answer-
I wish you better weather. ( I was trying last night to capture Rupes Recta on the moon , but now is here full moon therefore its overlighted .. ). I attach my attempt of Jupiter with cam. Breesser full HD cca 1900 x 1200pix. (it needs to be zoomed, and color is not natural of course) but here was similar problem-Jupiter is nowadays close to the moon -so overlighted as well. Have nice times

 

[bruha]

Hi I attach still two sun images taken by some cam.

 

[Andy Resnick]

A rare clear night this past Tuesday, I tried out astrophotography with my 105/1.4 lens on the constellations Hercules and Lyra.

scaled down to 800x600 they don't look like much, but at 1:1 they are quite colorful. Here's 1:1 crops of M53 and M57:

Using a (relatively) short focal length isn't advised for detailed high-magnification views :)

Using a shorter focal length makes polar alignment less critical- individual 30s exposure times are trivial- but the diffuse sky background is more prominent as the field of view increases. This trade-off (longer exposures and lower ISO vs. brighter background) is also important when imaging meteors.

 

[bruha]

Hi, its again very impresive, 3 image is detail of 1 image with M53? (I think I can recognize it in the almost middle of 1 image). And what is on 4 image (as detail of 2 image)?
I attach result of Jupiter image stacking (10 images) by Registax (as I noticed color is not natural). Lot of success and have nice nights.