Deep Sky ETX 125 - Keyhole Nebula

 

Keyhole Nebula
 and ETA Carina Nebula

25-2-2022
Meade ETX 125 Mounted on EQ5 Equatorial Mount
Fuji XT1 Imager
Guided. 

Melbourne. Australia

26 x 1 Min exposures Stacked with "Siril"

Keyhole Nebula
 and ETA Carina Nebula

10-3-2022
Modified Meade ETX 125 Mounted on EQ5 Equatorial Mount
Fuji XT1 Imager
Guided. 

Melbourne. Australia

51 x 1 Min exposures Stacked with "Siril"

Large Magellanic Cloud

 

Large Magellanic Cloud

29-11-2021

Melbourne Australia Bortle 6

Stock Fuji XT 1 camera. CZJ 135mm lens Cheap "CLS" Filter

 EQ5 Mount. Rough alignment. No guiding. 27 images stacked and post processed with "Siril" and "Darktable" and "Gimp"

2 inch CLS and UHC Filters with Camera Lens's

Just a quick picture for now.

I've been using 2 inch CLS and UHC  filters to great effect with my 90mm Telescope.
I wanted to try a bit of wider field Astro again, but light pollution makes a mess of the results.
I decided to modify one of my M42 adaptors to accept one of the filters. This involved "boring" out the body of the adaptor, the filter being held in place by friction. The following was just a quick grab without much thought. I'm waiting for the weather to improve so I can try it at f 5.6 and test some of my other lenses. 

Taken with a Vintage CZJ 135mm f3.5  lens with Fuji XT1 camera Un-Cropped

Wide open at f 3.5. 30 sec exposure. stack of 18 images. stacked with Siril minimal post pro.
EQ5 mount not guided

ETA Carinae
 CZJ 135mm f 3.5  lens with Fuji XT 1 camera
Melbourne Australia Bortle 6

Southern Cross. Taken through Vintage  Fujifilm 55mm F1.8 lens at F4  30sec 17 stack
No Crop

Astrophotography. My Affordable Guided Setup

I tried to convince myself that I didn't need a guided setup. 
"My mounts periodic error isn't that great.. is it"
"I don't want a guide-scope and laptop and all that cabling"
"I only do short exposures anyway".

I was throwing away half of my "sub frames" due to star elongation, even at 30 secs.

So what to do. A quick look at the price of guide scopes and camera's, plus the mods needed to the controller was starting to put me off again.

let's see what I can get from Ebay. 

A "T7 Astro camera" clone of ZWO ASI120 Colour approx A$145.00
A Generic 50mm Guidescope Approx A$90.00

I had an old laptop runnings windows 10 
Downloaded "PHD" software.
Modified my "RA" motor controller so it could accept "ST4" guide signals.

Plug it all together... good to go.

Another advantage of using "PHD" software is its polar alignment tools which I now find indispensable. 
I also decided to try an "Orion Field Flattener" which works a treat. No more stretched stars in the corners.
My setup is starting to look serious.

By the way my mounts periodic error is actually pretty bad.

The Guide scope clamps easily in the finder bracket.
I use a laser pointer followed by a wide field eyepiece in the main scope as a finder.
When aligned, I pop the camera in and re-focus, and fine tune the framing.

Coarse, slide and Fine helical focusing, works a treat

Yes you can guide on RA only

Eta Carinae and Nebula NGC 3372

Approx 7,500 Light Years from Earth

Location: Kilcunda Beach Victoria 
Scope: Aquila 90mm f5.5 Achromatic Refractor
Filter: "SVBony" "CLS" Light Pollution

Imager: Fuji XT1 at Prime Focus. 2inch diameter extension tube through "T mount"

Mount: SkyWatcher EQ5 RA motor Drive only

Guided: Guide scope and PHD software through Modified RA controller

Stack of 17 x 90 sec asa 3200 Raw "subs"

Stacked using "SiriL"

 2-3-2019
No Field Flattener

Eta Carinae and Nebula NGC 3372

Approx 7,500 Light Years from Earth

Location: Melbourne Bortle 6
Scope: Aquila 90mm f5.5 Achromatic Refractor 
Orion Field Flattener
Filter: "SVBony" "CLS" Light Pollution

Imager: Fuji XT1 at Prime Focus. 

Mount: SkyWatcher EQ5 RA motor Drive only

Guided: Guide scope and PHD software through 
Modified RA controller

Stack of 45 x 90sec asa 6400 Raw "subs"

Stacked using "Lynkeos" 

 27-3-2019

Cropped and Rotated from Picture above
but different colour pallet 

M83 Southern Pinwheel Galaxy

15 Million Light Years Away

Location: Melbourne Bortle 6
Scope: Aquila 90mm f5.5 Achromatic Refractor 

Orion Field Flattener
Filter: "SVBony" "CLS" Light Pollution

Imager: Fuji XT1 at Prime Focus. 

Mount: SkyWatcher EQ5 RA motor Drive only

Guided: Guide scope and PHD software through 
Modified RA controller

Stack of 30 x 120sec asa 6400 Raw "subs"

M83 Southern Pinwheel Galaxy

15 Million Light Years Away

Cropped

Location: Melbourne Bortle 6
Scope: Aquila 90mm f5.5 Achromatic Refractor 

Orion Field Flattener
Filter: "SVBony" "CLS" Light Pollution

Imager: Fuji XT1 at Prime Focus. 

Mount: SkyWatcher EQ5 RA motor Drive only

Guided: Guide scope and PHD software through 
Modified RA controller

Stack of 30 x 120sec asa 6400 Raw "subs"

Astrophotography Aquila 90mm 500mm Refractor with SVBony CLS. Kilcunda Vic

Horse Head and Flame Nebulas

Location: Kilcunda Vic Australia
Scope: Aquila 90mm f5.5 Refractor
Filter: "SVBony" "CLS" Light Pollution

Imager: Fuji XT1 at Prime Focus 2inch diameter extension tube through "T mount"

Mount: SkyWatcher EQ5 RA motor Drive

Stack of 14 x 20 sec asa 6400 Raw "subs" 

Stacked using "Lynkeos"

 Post Processed in "GIMP" 

Orion and Running Man Nebulas

Distance from Earth: approx 1300 Light Years
Width: Approx 24 Light Years

Location: Kilcunda Vic Australia Scope: Aquila 90mm f5.5 Refractor
Filter: "SVBony" "CLS" Light Pollution

Imager: Fuji XT1 at Prime Focus 2inch diameter extension tube through "T mount"

Mount: SkyWatcher EQ5 RA motor Drive

Stack of 14 x 20 sec asa 6400 Raw "subs" 

Stacked using "Lynkeos"

 Post Processed in "GIMP" 1-1-2019

Astrophotography Aquila 90mm 500mm Refractor with SVBony CLS Filter Melbourne

I've recently bought a very reasonably priced Aquila 90mm 500mm Refractor.
These are made by the "Yuzhong Optical Instrument Company" and available from Chinese sellers on eBay.
It comes with a"Vixen" style Dovetail so it went straight on to my EQ5 Mount.

Cost: Optical Tube Assembly = $360 free shipping
          Diagonal                       = $100  
          Finder Scope                = $100

DewShield/Hood Extended

DewShield/Hood Retracted

I've fitted it with a Bintel (GSO) 2 inch mirror diagonal and 1.25 inch adapter. It came with a T mount tube so after purchasing a T ring for my camera I was set to go. I also bought a Bintel 50 x 8 Right Angle Finder, I like it, but don't use much as the laser pointer is fantastic.

"Bintel" (GSO) Diagonal with 1.25mm Adapter and Eyepiece

DIY 6V Regulator and RA Controller Clipped to Leg with some PVC tube

My first pictures showed quite a lot of purple fringing, which I could reduce in post processing but I wasn't really happy. 

This is a 4 sec exposure (All I had left after deleting longer exposures) 
RAW converted to jpg straight out of camera no filter

I had on order from China an SVBony "CLS" filter. It arrived today and as luck would have it the sky was clear.
This is the first output from the scope and filter. I'm very happy now. Light Pollution and "Purple Fringing" suppressed. Which makes sense, as the filter cuts off a lot of the blue end of the spectrum.

This is a 20 sec exposure RAW converted to jpg straight out of camera with CLS Filter.
This is one of the "sub frames" used in the next image

Eta Carinae and Nebula NGC 3372

Approx 7,500 Light Years from Earth

Location: Melbourne Australia "Bortle 6"
Scope: Aquila 90mm f5.5 Refractor
Filter: "SVBony" "CLS" Light Pollution

Imager: Fuji XT1 at Prime Focus 2inch diameter extension tube through "T mount"

Mount: SkyWatcher EQ5 RA motor Drive

Stack of 25 x 20 sec asa 6400 Raw "subs"

Stacked using "Lynkeos"

 Post Processed in "GIMP" 17-4-2018

Southern Pleiades

Just a test image using the CLS Filter

Running Chicken Nebula

Location: Melbourne Australia "Bortle 6"
Scope: Aquila 90mm f5.5 Refractor
Filter: SVBony CLS Light Pollution

Imager: Fuji XT1 at Prime Focus 2inch diameter extension tube through "T mount"

Mount: SkyWatcher EQ5 RA motor Drive

Stack of 20 x 30 sec asa 6400 Raw "subs"
20-4-2018

Tarantula Nebula
Distance: 160,000 Light years
Part of the "LMC" Galaxy

Location: Melbourne Australia "Bortle 6"
Scope: Aquila 90mm f5.5 Refractor
Filter: SVBony CLS Light Pollution

Imager: Fuji XT1 at Prime Focus 2inch diameter extension tube through "T mount"

Mount: SkyWatcher EQ5 RA motor Drive

Stack of 25 x 25 sec asa 6400 Raw "subs"
22-4-2018

Rosette Nebula NGC 2244

Distance: app 5200 Light Years

Diameter: app 170 Light Years

Location: Melbourne Australia "Bortle 6"
Scope: Aquila 90mm f5.5 Refractor
Filter: SVBony CLS Light Pollution

Imager: Fuji XT1 at Prime Focus 2inch diameter extension tube through "T mount"

Mount: SkyWatcher EQ5 RA motor Drive

Stack of 15 x 60sec 6400asa Raw "subs"

31-1-2019 

Orion Nebula

1344 light years away

Location: Melbourne Australia "Bortle 6"

Scope: Aquila 90mm f5.5 Refractor
Filter: SVBony CLS Light Pollution

Imager: Fuji XT1 at Prime Focus 2inch diameter extension tube through "T mount"

Mount: SkyWatcher EQ5 RA motor Drive

Stack of 45 x 30 sec asa 6400 Raw "subs"
31-1-2019

Horse Head and Flame Nebula

Location: Melbourne Australia "Bortle 6"
Scope: Aquila 90mm f5.5 Refractor
Filter: SVBony CLS Light Pollution

Imager: Fuji XT1 at Prime Focus 2inch diameter extension tube through "T mount"

Mount: SkyWatcher EQ5 RA motor Drive

Stack of 50 x 30 sec asa 6400 Raw "subs"
28-1-2019

Astrophotography Using "RAW" files, Still from My Backyard.

So far all the images on this blog are "SOOC" Straight out of camera jpeg files.
I've decided it's time to start using "Raw" files for my Astrophotography.

More to follow.

This is my first output.

Eta Carina and Nebulae

Radius: 230 Light Years

Distance: 8000 Light Years

Scope: Meade ETX 125

Imager: Fuji XT1 at Prime Focus

Mount: SkyWatcher EQ5 RA motor Drive

Stack of 28 x 25 sec asa 6400 Raw "subs"
3-3-2018

Converted to tif files, stacked with Hugin tools and 
post processed with "Rawtherapee"
All in 16bit, converted to an 8 bit jpg for Blog upload.

Tarantula Nebula

Distance: 160,000 Light years

 Meade ETX 125

Imager: Fuji XT1 at Prime Focus

Mount: SkyWatcher EQ5 RA motor Drive

Stack of 17 x 25 sec asa 6400 Raw "subs"
5-3-2018

Converted to tif files, stacked with Hugin tools and 
post processed with "Rawtherapee"
All in 16bit, converted to an 8 bit jpg for Blog upload.

Large Magellanic Cloud

Imager: Fuji XT1 
Lens: Takumar 300mm f4 at f5.6

Mount: SkyWatcher EQ5 RA motor Drive

Stack of 14 x 20 sec asa 3200 Raw "subs"
7-3-2018

M42 Orion Nebula

Imager: Fuji XT1 
Lens: Takumar 300mm f4 at f5.6

Mount: SkyWatcher EQ5 RA motor Drive

Stack of 18 x 30 sec asa 6400 Raw "subs"
Cropped
13-3-2018

Large Magellanic Cloud

Imager: Fuji XT1 
Lens: Takumar 200mm f4 at f5.6

Mount: SkyWatcher EQ5 RA motor Drive

Stack of 14 x 30 sec asa 3200 Raw "subs"
7-3-2018