Orpington Astronomical Society

Astronomy => Astrophotography => Topic started by: Daniel on Oct 05, 2008, 18:37:20

Title: Just a quick heads up................
Post by: Daniel on Oct 05, 2008, 18:37:20
...............not sure if you already know this, but despite it looking awful outside right now, tonight promisses to be a really good night for imaging!

:O)
Title: Re: Just a quick heads up................
Post by: MarkS on Oct 05, 2008, 18:54:37

Thanks.

It's definitely looking very promising ...
Title: Re: Just a quick heads up................
Post by: MarkS on Oct 06, 2008, 06:17:42

I gave up waiting so went to bed.  Did it ever clear?
Title: Re: Just a quick heads up................
Post by: Daniel on Oct 06, 2008, 08:24:58
It cleared about 10:30 here so I got a few hours on M33, haven't processed it yet, but the sky was amazingly clear, I forgot just how good winter is for imaging.
Title: Re: Just a quick heads up................
Post by: MarkS on Oct 06, 2008, 08:32:20

Rats!  Bed was the wrong decision ...
Title: Re: Just a quick heads up................
Post by: JohnP on Oct 06, 2008, 09:23:20
After imagng for about 8 hrs a night for 5 successive nights last week bed was the RIGHT decision....... :-) John
Title: Re: Just a quick heads up................
Post by: RobertM on Oct 06, 2008, 10:11:51
John, when do we get to drool over all these wonderful fruits of your labour ?  Also what happened to Fay I thought she went but has been uncharacteristically quiet !  Was she imaging or sun bathing ?
Title: Re: Just a quick heads up................
Post by: JohnP on Oct 06, 2008, 12:04:05
Hi Robert,

I'm working on them. Unlike Chris I haven't got the skill to process the day after... :-( takes me ages sorting out colours etc... Hopefully post some up soon with all the details. I did all my imaging through the ZS66 & Atik 16ic - the images I got (in no particular order) are:-

m45 (LRGB) - close up...
Cocoon (LRGB)
Elephant Trunk (Hargb)
m33 - L only (might try & get some colour later from Bromley)
m42 (HaRGB) - not sure how this will come out as I was too tired to do multiple exposures...
ngc6888 (Hagb) - Plan is with this to use the Ha for the R channel. I only did a quickie on this as I was waiting for something else to come up.
HorseHead (Hargb) - Will be interesting to compare with Chris's fantastic image as he only did LRGB
m44 - very quick L only at about 5am in the morning...

The only object I didn't get that was on my 'todo list' was the Helix Neb. I wanted to do this as you can't get it from the UK - Even at Les Granges it's pretty low down but on the night I tried to image it was a bit blowy & I was having all sorts of guiding issues so I gave up in the end.... :-( I think I have one 5min Ha raw which I can post...

cheers,  John
Title: Re: Just a quick heads up................
Post by: Fay on Oct 06, 2008, 13:26:21
Robert,

I will be back to normal service when I am up straight. Still worn out but have been having a go at my couple of images. Don't get too excited, leaving a bit of a gap between mine & Chris's so you don't notice the difference in quality!!!!!!! I am not so very good at processing.

Title: Re: Just a quick heads up................
Post by: RobertM on Oct 06, 2008, 14:40:56
Don't worry Fay, I shall be leaving a bigger gap for the same reason also there's the 'super smooth' effect to get over !  Looking forward to the normal service from you guys so that us mortals can compete again ;)
Title: Re: Just a quick heads up................
Post by: MarkS on Oct 06, 2008, 15:04:34

Daniel,

I very much looking forward to seeing what you achieve with a Canon on M33 under light polluted skies.  I've been assuming it is only a target for dark skies.

Mark 
Title: Re: Just a quick heads up................
Post by: Daniel on Oct 06, 2008, 19:18:24
Hi Mark, I posted this one a while back, was quite suprised how much I could get, hoping to add last nights data to it.

(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2157/2845839173_06f5a1dc60_b.jpg)
Title: Re: Just a quick heads up................
Post by: MarkS on Oct 06, 2008, 20:06:56

Daniel,

That's not at all shabby for light polluted London (compared with Fay's dark skies in France!).

It'll be interesting to see the rest of the data added to it.  It certainly gives me hope to give it a try myself.

Mark
Title: Re: Just a quick heads up................
Post by: Fay on Oct 06, 2008, 20:14:27
That is indeed very good Daniel. I will have to put on my bluey one & the mono effort before I started processing rgb.
Title: Re: Just a quick heads up................
Post by: RobertM on Oct 06, 2008, 20:36:12
Looks like perfect framing Daniel, certainly looks like a goer when the nights draw in a bit more.
Title: Re: Just a quick heads up................
Post by: MarkS on Oct 07, 2008, 17:23:21
Daniel (a.k.a. Weather Guru),

Despite it looking awful outside will it clear up again tonight?

If so, I might get the scope out.

Mark
Title: Re: Just a quick heads up................
Post by: RobertM on Oct 07, 2008, 19:05:28
You might stand a chance if you know a good rain dance ...
Title: Re: Just a quick heads up................
Post by: MarkS on Oct 07, 2008, 19:23:51
[7:23pm] I'll give it a go ...

[8:28pm] Looks like it's beginning to work ...

[9:35pm] Scope's in the garden - waiting for the clouds to disappear ...

[10:25pm] Beginning to look like a mistake - maybe I didn't dance enough ...

[11:20pm] Still hasn't cleared.  Probably consumed too much wine to start now anyway ...

[11:45pm] I give up.  Back to the garden to clear away.  Satellite image shows that the cloud that was clearing from the West has suddenly reversed direction over London.
Title: Re: Just a quick heads up................
Post by: Daniel on Oct 07, 2008, 23:45:17
hehehehe, it's awful out there right now but looking at the satelite it should be clear in about an hour, so im setting up in a sec, although only a dslr on a mount for a widefield as I've only just got home from  work and im too tired to set everything up tonight and tommorrow night promisses to be really good and I don't want to wear myself out.


EDIT - just checked the moving satelite and yes, the cloud does seem to be doing something weird, sod it, im going to bed! :)
Title: Re: Just a quick heads up................
Post by: Fay on Oct 08, 2008, 08:13:20
Two funny posts, Daniel & Mark. My heart was racing as I read your report, Mark, I was getting more excited as I read it through!

I always was cheap to take out!