Astronomy, Photography and Weather
March 29, 2024, 07:01:45 am
Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
News: IAA lecture programme continues alternate Wednesdays from September - an excellent programme of lectures- Queens University Belfast - Bell Lecture Theatre. Also keep an eye out for the Summer Events
 
  Home Help Search Gallery Staff List Login Register  

Clavius in closeup.

Pages: [1] 2
  Print  
Author Topic: Clavius in closeup.  (Read 506 times)
John9929
Global Moderator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 1105


Maghaberry, N.Ireland.


View Profile
« on: September 12, 2009, 05:22:34 pm »

As mentioned elsewhere on the forum, last night/this morning was a very crisp experience at my location, so I spent some time with the Moon. This image I got at 0137UT just before the scope started to dew up. This is the first time I have tried an old Celestron x2 Barlow I was given some years ago on the ETX90mm. This is a full frame of just 323 images stacked in Registax, with very little else done except the wavelets. It is I think about the limit of a 90mm mirror, and of course the conditions helped. It's now made me think of getting a better scope! Grin
Report Spam   Logged

John9929.

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

brianb
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 1228



View Profile
« Reply #1 on: September 12, 2009, 06:32:16 pm »

Good effort for 90mm - what technique are you using for aligning? Gradient2 seems to work best for me.

I usually shoot 500 frames & keep about half.

Did a whole moon mosaic this morining, at 2.8 metres focal length that's a lot of frames. Haven't had much time to deal with them (sleep needed!) but I've processed the first panel, which, as it happens, includes Clavius.

I admit to having an advantage in aperture!

2009 Sep 12, 0506 UT. Seeing mostly poor, unsteady but with short fair intervals. Transparency good to excellent. Celestron CPC1100, prime focus, Astronomik Planet Pro 742 infra red pass filter, Imaging Source DMK41, processed in Avistack.
Report Spam   Logged
Paul
Global Moderator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 1297


Larne, N. Ireland


View Profile WWW
« Reply #2 on: September 12, 2009, 07:44:02 pm »

Those are both remarkably detailed images of our nearest neighbour!
Report Spam   Logged

rjgjr
Guest
« Reply #3 on: September 12, 2009, 08:27:52 pm »

Great images gentlemen!
Report Spam   Logged
jgs001
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 1280


Horsham, Sussex, UK


View Profile WWW
« Reply #4 on: September 12, 2009, 11:01:59 pm »

Well done Gents...
Report Spam   Logged

John
Canon 450d, EF-S 18-55 IS, 55-250 IS, Raynox DCR250
HQE5 + C80ED & Vista 80s. NexStar Skymax 102 SLT.

*** My Astro Blog ***
markt
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 1416

West Midlands, UK


View Profile
« Reply #5 on: September 13, 2009, 08:35:37 am »

Couple of great images there guys!   Cool
Report Spam   Logged

brianb
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 1228



View Profile
« Reply #6 on: September 13, 2009, 07:38:30 pm »

Thanks!

Work in progress: the first 5 panels of my mega mosaic from the morning of the 12th. This image is half size....

There's about 6 hours of processing time in this ... how long is it going to take to complete the project?
Report Spam   Logged
markt
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 1416

West Midlands, UK


View Profile
« Reply #7 on: September 13, 2009, 07:42:07 pm »

Wow!!!! Shocked  Thats superb  Cool

You're inspiring me for later in the year when the moon is higher in the evening sky here Brian.  Do you rate that Astronomik filter then?  I need to get something like it to steady the seeing.
Report Spam   Logged

brianb
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 1228



View Profile
« Reply #8 on: September 13, 2009, 07:51:15 pm »

Quote
Do you rate that Astronomik filter then?
I find it useful. With less aperture you might struggle .... a deep red (Wratten 29) has some of the settling effect without absorbing quite as much light; also the sensitivity of CCD cameras is tailing off into the infra red (down to zero at 1100 nm because of the quantum physical properties of the silicon used). I have an 805 too but that is a bit strong....
Report Spam   Logged
John9929
Global Moderator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 1105


Maghaberry, N.Ireland.


View Profile
« Reply #9 on: September 13, 2009, 07:59:44 pm »

Another 12 hours at least Brian, those are superb, that DMK camera is a marvel for res.

The answer to your question above is, I don't know Embarrassed I've only ever used Registax on auto align by picking as small a spot as I can. At the same time I'm only using a £50 webcam with a tiny chip so the images would never come close to what you're getting in detail. I can only look at yours and dream!

Report Spam   Logged

John9929.
brianb
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 1228



View Profile
« Reply #10 on: September 13, 2009, 08:31:20 pm »

Quote
I'm only using a £50 webcam with a tiny chip so the images would never come close to what you're getting in detail.
Umm, no, you just get less at once - either reduce the image scale or make more panels .... In any event, the main difficulties are geeting reasonable seeing and getting the focus right. Actually capturing processing the images is easy, processing is a time consuming art as much as a science but you only get better by trying, and a £50 webcam doesn't stop you doing that. I must also say that, with a reflector, time spent collimating the scope accurately is rarely wasted, whilst with any scope, for high resolution work you're wasting your time if it hasn't had time to cool to ambient temperature.

After a period of experimentation I've switched to Avistack for lunar surface imaging. The processing time is much longer but it works better in wobbly seeing. The learning curve is steep, though, and the default settings are not helpful - my first runs were taking ~11 hours per frame! Hint, drag the "minimum distance" slider all the way to the right!
Report Spam   Logged
Carl O Beirnes
Full Member
***
Posts: 237



View Profile
« Reply #11 on: September 13, 2009, 11:01:37 pm »

Wow very nice imaging lads
Report Spam   Logged

Carl O'Beirnes,
Balbriggan Observatory (MPC#J09)
Co Dublin,
Ireland
http://www.webtreatz.com
John9929
Global Moderator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 1105


Maghaberry, N.Ireland.


View Profile
« Reply #12 on: September 14, 2009, 12:43:01 am »

Thanks Carl and all for the comments, much apprecaited.

Brian, a lot of useful info there to take on board, many thanks for sharing it.
Report Spam   Logged

John9929.
brianb
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 1228



View Profile
« Reply #13 on: September 15, 2009, 11:09:44 am »

Couldn't resist posting this part of my "work in progress" at full size - it's not perfect but I'm getting there.

This is straight out of Avistack with moderate wavelet sharpening but no level adjustment etc.
2009 Sep 12, 0510 UT, Celestron CPC1100 prime focus, Planet Pro 742, IS DMK41.
Report Spam   Logged
rjgjr
Guest
« Reply #14 on: September 15, 2009, 06:45:27 pm »

It's hard to imagine the moon looking that smooth though I'm sure there are thousands of craters there unseen. I especially like the right side of the image with the very long, dark shadows.
Report Spam   Logged


Pages: [1] 2
  Print  
 
Jump to:  

Bookmark this site! | Upgrade This Forum
SMF For Free - Create your own Forum

Powered by SMF | SMF © 2016, Simple Machines
Privacy Policy