Starspikes pro

[Simon E]

Anyone used this piece of software before, is it worth it?

Is there a really cheap way of creating star spikes, I read some where you could put thin cotton in a crosshairs pattern on the end of the scope. If so how on a sct scope?




Is it just worth paying the $59

si

[Daniel]

Can anyone hear a storm coming???

[RobertM]

No comment!

[Rick]

  Personally, I'd spend the money on something more honest, but you can find the storm over there --> http://forum.orpington-astronomy.org.uk/index.php?topic=5301.0

[JohnP]

Simon it obviously all depends on whether or not you can live with the guilt of not having a scientifically correct image....!!!!

[Simon E]

ops

[Fay]

Oh Simon, I have put my crash helmet on waiting for an explosion!!!!

[Simon E]

Just read the previous posts and storms, very cool. You guys goto chill out a bit.

I quite like the idea, but not ready to pay $50 dollars for them. They do look cool in some images. As to the scientific reasons for having them or not, I don't really care. Can I live with myself if I put them on...... well yes. If i have taken the original image and I have played about with it to get a cool looking image then it is all my own work and i would be happy to put it on the wall and say "I took that" and I would be proud.

Ok I have been helped out by a bit of software. But not being funny I wasn't born with a Telescope attached to my face, so can't see any of this stuff unaided. The ring neb, just about looks like a faint ring of cloud, and that is through my 8" SCT..... . Can't see it unaided

In conclusion

If we were all still cavemen/women then we would have never seen pictures of the horsehead neb etc anyway. Because as humans we were designed only to see a certain distance unaided. We only see stars cause a couple of bright sparks invented telescopes, then along came another bright spark and created a mount that tracks deep sky neb. I know i can't track the ring neb manually, whilst taking long exposure photos, without a little shake, i don't have enough hands, plus in theory i shouldn't be using a laptop, should i

It's a bit like saying. Let's all stop driving cars because god gave us legs to walk with.....not to drive with...
Didn't like this last statement

si

[Fay]

  & a 

[JohnP]

Simon,

As to the scientific reasons for having them or not, I don't really care. Can I live with myself if I put them on...... well yes. If i have taken the original image and I have played about with it to get a cool looking image then it is all my own work and i would be happy to put it on the wall and say "I took that" and I would be proud.

NICE ONE !!!! I agree 100% & expect that this is the opinion of 99.999999% of amateur astrophotographers.... Spikes have their place - not on all images but certainly add to the 'wow' factor on some...

As for Starspikes Pro - Try the demo version (if you haven't already) It is very flexible & easy to use prog & gives you full control over the spikes.. I'm very impressed with its function but doubt I could justify the $60 to purchase...

John

[Mac]

There may be trouble ahead................................

If you want to make your own,
Get hold of some thin black wire, 2-3mm or string and using duct tape
Tape the wire across the front of your scope,
Like so.


this will give you the standard 4 spike look,

For more spikes, add more wires,
If you wanted 20 spikes add 10 wires.

[Daniel]

Im in the "just here to make pretty pictures" camp, that said, putting artificial spikes on, does seem a bit pointless to me, I spend my days working on computers creating special effects and everything I do is artificial and computer generated, one of the things I love about astrophotography is that it's like visual effects but real.

I love the look of star spikes, so I tend to use wire across the end of my refractor If I want to get them, same as Mac was suggesting.

Daniel
:O)

[Fay]

 I like what you said Daniel, nice way of putting it

"astrophotohgraphy is like special effects, but real"

[Rocket Pooch]

I like it worth every penny

[Simon E]

Thanks guys 'n girls.

Something so simply seems to make so much difference. I just want to be able to frame a nice picture and stick it on the wall in the hall, so when me dad comes over, he goes "Did you take that picture" and my answer is "yes, that's all my own work". He doesn't care if I have used software to enhance it, all he knows is his son has taken a "Hubble style" photo that looks great.

After all, why do we take them, pictures i mean, are we not all striving to get that perfect image, I know i am.

If this makes me feel good, then that is cool.

It is like painting a picture, it all comes from the heart. With a painting or drawing by an artist unless it is real life, then it is from the artists mind and heart, how the finished painting will look like.

For me to get an image like one of Fay's would be great and if the spikes enhance the image, to give it that extra bit of wow then so be it.

I am no pro at taking photos and need as much help as i can get..... So i will be finding some wire and sticking it over the end of the scope next time i'm out

si

[Rick]

Why not save up for something like an Astro Tech Ritchey-Chrétien astrograph and do the spikes properly.

[Simon E]

 

If i knew what it was and were i would put it i might!!!

I prefer the cheap artistic way of sticky pieces of string at a perfect 90 degree angle to each other on the end of my tube.

[Simon E]

Don't forget i'm still getting to grips with what a black,flat and bias does and where to put them.....in context to the other images.

Thinking about this is a black,flat and bias cheating ooooopssss don't want to start anything up.......

si

[JohnP]

Why not save up for something like an Astro Tech Ritchey-Chrétien astrograph and do the spikes properly.

Ahhh..... but Rick spikes don't look good on ALL images & you have no choice as to whether you want them or not with a scope like that so then all us astrophotographers that strive for pretty images to hang on the wall would have to look for some Spike Removal Software or spend hours in Photoshop painstakenly cloning or erasing them...

[Simon E]

 

[Rick]

would have to look for some Spike Removal Software

At least in that enterprise you'd be in step with the professionals...

[Daniel]

So what do you put behind the removed star spikes then?

[Rick]

So what do you put behind the removed star spikes then?

Hopefully, you reveal things that're behind them, the light from which was mixed up with them (and spread elsewhere in their own spikes), but it gets messy. Not a huge lot different (but rather less extreme) than the early Hubble images (which needed pretty horrible levels of deconvolution etc. to get them presentable).

[mickw]

This isn't going to go away is it 

Perlease can we just accept that some like diffraction spikes and some don't ?

All that's going to be achieved here is that some people will get ratty and end up at each others throats 

If you disagree with the subject, ignore it.  Arguing the point just prolongs it 

Locking the thread is not going to make it go away, let it run it's course, it will die eventually (please, please, please)

Admin can merge the "Spike Threads" so they can be ignored at will.

On the science point, if Hubble, Keck, Subaru, Gemini, CFH etc. stick fake spikes on their images, that is a bit of a different ball game from Joe Bloggs sticking them on an image he took from his back garden in Bromley.

I'm gonna have a beer, at least beer makes stuff go away

[Tony G]

I'm gonna have a beer, at least beer makes stuff go away

Mick,

It depends what you drink.......................



Tony G

[mickw]

Ooo that's a big bottle 

[JohnP]

Very, very funny Mr. G - So I need to know did you find that photo on the web or did you expertly apply those diffraction spikes yourself in Pshop.. if so is there beer underneath them.... 

[Mac]

 

[mickw]

It's not fake beer is it   

Don't toy with my emotions Tony

[Tony G]

Fake Beer, I thought they stopped making Kaliber. 
I bet that sent a shudder down your spine the day that was introduced to the local Off License. 

Tony G

[mickw]

Kaliber

And Billy Connoly endorsed it 

They've introduced another fake beer in Sainsburys, luckily mental block prevents me from remembering details...........................

F#@#ing hippies 

[Tony G]

No Mick, that's not beer, thats cooking oil.

Tony G

[mickw]

Well that explains the "no bubble" thing 

Note to self - don't drink beer before going beer shopping 

[Rick]

No Mick, that's not beer, thats cooking oil.

Be thankful it wasn't castor oil...