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 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

Astrophotography. Bright, Victoria, Australia "Dark Sky"

Just a few shots from "Bright" Victoria.

Bright is a 19th century gold mining town in the Alpine region of Victoria Australia.
Today it focuses on Wine Making, Produce, outdoor activities in the summer and winter.

It's a long way from city lights, so the skies are nice and dark.
Dark Skies mean a lot less post processing, to remove "Light Polution" and better imaging quality in general.

Eta Carina Region
Imaging: Fuji XT1. Fuji XC 16-50 at 50mm
15 secs f5.6 Stack of 11 shots
Piggy Backed on EQ5 Mount

"The Jewel Box"
ETX 125. Fuji XT1

Eta Carina and Keyhole Nebular
 Scope: ETX 125
 Imager: Fuji XT1

Large Magellanic Cloud
Fuji XT1 XC16-50mm Zoom at 50mm
Piggy Backed on EQ5 Mount
Cropped.

Omega Centauri
 ETX 125
 Fuji XT1

Astrophotography: Melbourne, Australia, My Back Yard. Meade ETX125 Skywatcher EQ5 Mount

Having "BlownUp" my ETX125's fork mount meant that it has sat in the corner for far too long. It's a nice scope and deserves to be used, time to buy an Equatorial mount and start doing just that.
After much deliberation I decide on an EQ5 with single axis (RA) motor drive on a steel tripod.

I had already "De-Forked" my little ETX, so it was now ready for some "Scope Rings"
I ended using a generic dovetail as the main mounting, this needed some new holes to be drilled and the holes countersunk.
You can also see in this picture that I've mounted an "Arca Swiss" type camera mount to the top dovetail, this will facilitate some wide field photography.

The scope with the mounting hardware weighs in at 4.7Kg, well below the mounts max load rating of 9Kg.

Here is what it looks like.

I've added an extra accessory tray.

These are the closest fitting "Tube Rings" I could get, you can see the packing required to clamp the tube.
I've made a little laser pointer holder from some PVC pipe, I've also modded this to run from my regulated supply. It gets connected only when needed so the cable is out of the way. It "draws" 330 milliamp, so batteries wouldn't last long.

Using a cut down generic dovetail allows me to balance the scope. This can't be done with the supplied mounting dovetail, as the position is fixed, and I can't slide the tube forward any more than it is.

This picture shows the re-positioned finder dovetail.
I machined some brass and aluminium to make a double holder. The laser and Red Dot make a great combo.
Currently I have to remove the finders to do any wide field work, like most things I do, this may change...... and already has.

You can see the latest camera adapter here. It's made from a Meade Diagonal some PVC
pipe and an "M42 to Fuji X" adapter.


If you look closely at the focus knob you will notice a simple improvement, a couple of
 "o-rings" wrapped around it makes it much easier to adjust.




The first picture here was taken the night I put it together.

 Not bad and quite inspiring. 
The first three images have been cropped
slightly to remove some "vignetting" in each corner caused by the 1.25" tube on the original camera adapter.

ETA Carina and Nebular.

15sec. 25600asa. f15. Stack of 11 jpg images.

Scope: Meade ETX 125
Imager: Fuji XT1 at Prime Focus

Mount: SkyWatcher EQ5 RA motor Drive

Melbourne Australia 2-7-2017
 Close Polar Alignment.(not close enough)

"The Jewel Box"  "Kappa Crucis Cluster" or NGC 4755

Scope: Meade ETX125. 

Imager: Fuji XT1 at Prime Focus

Mount: SkyWatcher EQ5 RA motor Drive

 1900mm. 10 sec. 6400asa Stack of 5 "'sooc" jpegs

 Rough Polar Alignment

Omega Centauri. NGC 5139  
15800 Light Years from Earth.
 Diameter approx 150 Light years 
12-7-2017 
Scope: Meade ETX 125
Imager: Fuji XT1 at Prime Focus
Mount: SkyWatcher EQ5 RA motor Drive
 6.5sec, 12800asa, stack of 7 pics

Moon
 ETX125 Fuji XT1 At Prime Focus. 
Camera now mounted on rear photo port
using a home made adapter.

Omega Centauri is a "Globular Cluster"

approx 150 light years away

14-8-2017

Scope: Meade ETX 125

Imager: Fuji XT1 at Prime Focus

Mount: SkyWatcher EQ5 RA motor Drive

 6.5sec, 25600asa, stack of 18 pics

Un-cropped 

Same details as the next image, but on the 27th

Eta Carina and Nebulae.

 No cropping needed as there is no vignetting through the rear port

with my new adapter.
26-2-2018

Scope: Meade ETX 125

Imager: Fuji XT1 at Prime Focus

Mount: SkyWatcher EQ5 RA motor Drive

Stack of 23 x 30 sec asa 25000 "subs"

Orion Nebular

4th Jan 2018

Scope: Meade ETX 125

Imager: Fuji XT1 at Prime Focus

Mount: SkyWatcher EQ5 RA motor Drive
Stack of Twenty 13sec asa 25600 exposures
Stacked on Mac using "Hugin" tools
Processed in "GIMP"

M42 and "Running Man Nebula" 4th & 9th Jan 2018

Scope: Meade ETX 125

Imager: Fuji XT1 at Prime Focus

Mount: SkyWatcher EQ5 RA motor Drive
Stack of Twenty 13sec asa 25600 exposures
Stacked on Mac using "Hugin" tools
Processed in "GIMP"
Composite of two Pictures.

Alnitak & Horse Head Nebular

Scope: Meade ETX 125

Imager: Fuji XT1 at Prime Focus

Mount: SkyWatcher EQ5 RA motor Drive
Stack of 12, 25sec asa 25600 exposures
Stacked on Mac using "Hugin" tools
Processed in "GIMP"

Alnitak and Flame Nebular

Scope: Meade ETX 125

Imager: Fuji XT1 at Prime Focus

Mount: SkyWatcher EQ5 RA motor Drive

Blood Moon 31-1-2018

Scope: Meade ETX 125

Imager: Fuji XT1 at Prime Focus

Mount: SkyWatcher EQ5 RA motor Drive
Single jpg ASA1600 Exp 1.5 sec

Tarantular Nebular. LMC

160,000 light years away
26-2-2018
Scope: Meade ETX 125

Imager: Fuji XT1 at Prime Focus

Mount: SkyWatcher EQ5 RA motor Drive
Stack of 16, 25sec asa 25600 exposures
Stacked on Mac using "Hugin" tools
Processed in "GIMP"