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Image
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Previous Images of the Month
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| This beautiful portrait of M65 and
M66 was shot by Markus Hagi in Switzerland with
his new Dual-axis Aluminum Platform, using a 16"
f5 Martini Dobson with a Zambuto mirror. Equipment
used were a Canon 20Da, a TS off-axis system, a
Paracorr Coma Corrector, and a Lacerta MGEN guider.
The image is a combination of three images with
5, 6 and 8 minutes exposure times.
For processing, Mr. Hagi says, "I put them in different layers of the same Photoshop file, the first having 100% opacity, the second having 50% opacity and the third with 33% opacity, flattened the image and did some work on the curves. I then put a fourth image with 2 minutes exposure time on top of it with a layer mask (masking out all parts of this image except the center of the galaxies)." This is Mr. Hagi's first photo taken with his new Equatorial Platform, using an autoguider. |
http://www.flickr.com/photos/javier_beltran/
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The Dumbell Nebula (M27) and Ring Nebula (M57)
Images by Bob Brunck
Date and Location: August 9, 2007 from Soap
Creek Valley, at Corvallis, Oregon
Imaging Scope: Obsession 25" f/5 on a Tom
Osypowski Dual Axis Aluminum Equatorial Platform
Guide Scope: Orion 8" f/4 with a 2x Barlow
Autoguider: Phillips ToUcam Pro II, Shoestring
Astronomy GPUSB guideport adapter, and PHD guiding
software
Camera: Canon EOS 10D at prime focus with a
Lumicon minus-violet filter (keeps out dust
and moisture)
Exposures for M57: 9 x 120 sec at ISO 800, 3
x 120 sec Darks
Exposures for M27: 6 x 120 sec plus 3 x 180
sec at ISO 800, 3 x 120 sec Darks and 3 x 180s
Darks
Processing: Raw files converted with Photoshop
CS3 to 16bit TIFs. Calibrated, aligned, and
combined in Images Plus. Final color and luminance
adjusted in ACDSee. The original 3036 x 2024
pixel image was resized to 67% and a 1024 x
768 crop taken for the final image.
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Description: Picture
taken by Bob Brunck 09-11-2010 |
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Description: Picture
taken by Glen Schaeffer Even with my 20" scope in dark skies,
visually this is a very challenging object.
Date & Location: October 16th, 2009,
Fort Mckavett, Texas. |
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Description: M27 - The
Dumbbell Nebula 08-23-2009 Images Copyright by Bob Brunck |
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M104 by Glenn
Schaeffer |
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| A mosaic of ten images taken with a 20" Obsession Telescope on a Dual-axis Aluminum Platform. Click on the image to see the remarkably detailed full shot. | Deslandres
region of the moon photographed on subsequent nights. |
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The Dumbell Nebula (M27) and Ring Nebula (M57)
Images by Bob Brunck
Date and Location: August 9, 2007 from Soap Creek Valley,
at Corvallis, Oregon
Imaging Scope: Obsession 25" f/5 on a Tom Osypowski Dual
Axis Aluminum Equatorial Platform
Guide Scope: Orion 8" f/4 with a 2x Barlow
Autoguider: Phillips ToUcam Pro II, Shoestring Astronomy GPUSB
guideport adapter, and PHD guiding software
Camera: Canon EOS 10D at prime focus with a Lumicon minus-violet
filter (keeps out dust and moisture)
Exposures for M57: 9 x 120 sec at ISO 800, 3 x 120 sec Darks
Exposures for M27: 6 x 120 sec plus 3 x 180 sec at ISO 800,
3 x 120 sec Darks and 3 x 180s Darks
Processing: Raw files converted with Photoshop CS3 to 16bit
TIFs. Calibrated, aligned, and combined in Images Plus. Final
color and luminance adjusted in ACDSee. The original 3036
x 2024 pixel image was resized to 67% and a 1024 x 768 crop
taken for the final image.
The Horsehead Nebula (B33)
Photographic
Details:
Date & Location: March 16th 2007, Fort Mckavett, Texas.
Scope: Obsession 20” f/5 on a Tom Osypowski Dual Axis
Equatorial Platform, Orion 100mm f/6 Guidescope.
Autoguider: SC1 Mod Celestron Neximage Cam, Shoestring GPUSB
guide port interface adapter, and Guidemaster software.
Camera: Canon 20D DSLR (unmodded), homemade serial control
shutter release cable, and DSLR Shutter from Stark Labs.
Filters: None
Conditions: Temp 63F, Humidity 48%, Winds 2-5 mph, Transparency
8/10, Seeing 7/10.
Exposures: 35 x 60sec @ 3200 ISO Sub Frames, 9 x 60sec Darks.
Post-processing: 3504x2336 Raw files converted to Lossless
16-bit FITS, calibrated, aligned, and combined with ImagePlus.
Slight wavelet filtering with Registax 4. Final processing
PhotoImpact Pro.
Image by Glenn Schaeffer
The Helix Nebula (NGC 7293)
The HelixDescription:The
Helix Nebula (also known as NGC 7293) is a planetary nebula
about 650 light-years away in the constellation Aquarius.
It is one of the closest planetary nebulae to Earth. The Helix
has often been referred to as the Eye of God and also as the
"Eye of Sauron" due to its resemblance to said object
in the "Lord of the Rings" movie. This was shot
during the fall trip to Fort McKavett Texas where dark skies
are the norm. Photographic Details:
Date: October 20th 2006
Scope: Obsession 20” f/5 on a Tom Osypowski Dual Axis
Equatorial Platform, Orion 100mm f/6 Guidescope
Autoguider: SC1 Mod Celestron Neximage Cam, Shoestring GPINT-PT
guide port interface adapter, and Guidemaster software.
Camera: Canon 20D DSLR (unmodded), homemade serial control
shutter release cable, and DSLRControl remote shutter software.
Filters: None
Conditions: Temp 54F, Humidity 40%, Winds 5-10 mph, Transparency
8/10, Seeing 7/10
Exposures: 20 x 60sec @ 3200 ISO Sub Frames, 21 x 60sec Darks
Post-processing: 3504x2336 Raw files converted to Lossless
16-bit FITS, calibrated, aligned, and combined with ImagePlus.
Slight wavelet filtering with Registax 3 as well as color
balancing with histogram function. Final processing PhotoImpact
Pro.
Image by Glenn Schaeffer
The Great Orion Nebula is the brightest nebula visible to the naked eye, forming the middle part of the Hunter's sword in the famous constellation Orion. It is a breathtaking view in dark skies with my 20" Obsession where tendrils of gas can be appreciated. This is my “second light” with my Canon 20D and scope setup. I wanted to practice my imaging and processing techniques with an easy and bright target. The objective of this shot was to observe different ISO settings and the amount of noise from each. Because no flats or darks were taken and short shutter times, graininess was observed in the darker areas around corners of image. This shot shows the approximate FOV that my camera/scope has at f/5. Image by Glenn Schaeffer. Photographic Details:Date: January 30th 2006
Scope: Obsession 20” f/5 on a Tom Osypowski Dual Axis Equatorial Platform, Orion 100mm f/6 Guidescope
Autoguider: SC1 Mod Celestron Neximage Cam, Shoestring GPINT-PT guide port interface adapter, and Guidedog software
Camera: Canon 20D DSLR (unmodded), homemade serial control shutter release cable, and DSLRControl remote shutter software
Filters: None
Conditions: Temp 48F, Humidity 51%, Winds Calm, Transparency 7/10, Seeing 6/10
Exposures: 20 x 10sec @ 800 ISO, 18 x 10sec @ 1600 ISO, & 16 x 20sec @ 3200 ISO (no flats or darks)
Post-processing: 3504x2336 Raw files converted and resized 1200x800 (non-linear) using Canon’s Digital Photo Professional. Aligned, optimized, stacked, and stretched with Registax 3. Slight use of Wavlet filtering in Registax as well as color balancing with the Histogram function. ISO 800 & 1600 used for core region. Final processing in Photoimpact SE
Moon images take by Robert Schulz of Austria with a 12.5"
Portaball Telescope on a Dual-axis Platform.
Click images to view full size.
Glenn Schaeffer of Santa Fe, TX took these images of Mars. Here are his comments: "Thanks for the compliment. Of course you may use my Mars image for your site. Make sure you let your customers know that this was my "first" imaging session with your platform!!!!
I used 823 of 1232 and 585 of 902 frames respectively. Was track and stacked with Registax3 and processed with the waveletts filters. Final editing was done with Ulead Photoimpact SE.
I obtained f/20 by using my 2x Super Barlow coupled to an old 2x Meade Shorty barlow. Kinda of a poor man's 4x Powermate. Seems to work ok for me.
I've posted my results so far to my Club's user group (Johnson Space Center Astronomical Society), Toucam and Obsession Yahoo user groups. Been getting rave reviews with my image obtained with your platform. "
 NGC 891 |
 M27 |
 M13 |
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Images To Enlarge
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All three of these images were taken by Bob Brunck through a 25" f/5 Obsession with a 4.0" diagonal on a Dual-axis Aluminum Platform. All were guided manually with an 8" f/4 scope, using a 10 mm illuminated reticle eyepiece and a 2x barlow. All were taken with a standard Canon EOS 10D with a minus violet filter, without a Coma corrector, all with ISO 800. M13 is the combination of 2 x 10 sec, 2 x 30 sec, and 3 x 60 sec exposures. NGC 891 was the average of 1 x 120 sec and 3 x 180 sec exposures. M27 is 3 x 120 sec. Images were combined and enhanced with ImagesPlus and ACDSee7.
Jupiter - Moon occultation.
Taken by Becky Coretti with Bill Williams, using a 15" Obsession and a Tom O Compact Platform. A ToUCam was used with a TeleVue 4x Powermate.
Total Eclipse of the Moon on October 27, 2004.
This image was taken by Gary Meehan with a 12.5" Dobsonian on an Equatorial Platform. Gary says, "This was about a 6 second exposure using a Canon PowerShot A70 and a 40mm Tele Vue Plossl. There's no way I could have made this shot without such a terrific product!"
Jupiter taken through a 15" Obsession on a Compact Platform by Becky Coretti and Bill Williams at 1:15 AM EST on Feb. 7,2004. They used a Phillips ToUcam Pro 240K. The images were combined with Registax and processed in Photoshop by Tony Hallas. Here are Becky's comments: "Ganymede has detail!! Woohoo! The shadow of Ganymede is seen to it's immediate left. The shadow below Ganymede's is not a shadow at all - rather it is Callisto, whose dark features make it appear as if there are two shadow transits! Kinda cool, huh?
Thank you so much for your excellent workmanship. The platform is beautiful and exceedingly functional!"
Mars imaged with a Philips ToUcam using a 15" Obsession on a Compact Equatorial Platform. Photo by Becky Coretti and Bill Williams
A movie of Mars rotating, taken by Robert Schulz in Vienna, Austria. Click to download the image. Warning: It is a large file. Mr. Schulz used a 12.5" Portaball Telescope on a Dual-axis Equatorial Platform. Here are his comments:
"Your platform is excellent. The frame of the webcam is only 40arcsec wide, and tracking must be perfect to obtain such results. With the two axis fine correction, centering of a planet is a snap. Thank you for this beautiful, technical, and precise platform...it is as important as the optic itself!"
M51 M10
taken by Doug Askew with an 18" Obsession on a Dual-axis Aluminum Platform. The image is a combination of 20 10sec unguided exposures taken with a Starlight HX9 CCD camera."
The Helix Nebula. One hour exposure on Kodak Multispeed Ektapress at prime focus of 12.5" f/5 with coma corrector and ST-4 autoguider. Photo by Del Johnson
M42 - Photo by Del Johnson. 45 minute exposure using Fuji ISO 100 Superia print film. 12.5" f/5 prime focus with Lumicon coma corrector and ST-4 autoguider, off-axis.
Leonids streaking through Orion. Photo taken with an Olympus 50mm lens at f2.8, piggy-backed onto a Dob on a Platform. Exposure was 10 minutes unguided, using Fuji 400 print film. Picture by Tom Osypowski. Image scanning and processing by Hallas Digital Services.
M42 -- the Orion Nebula. This image is a digital composite of two negatives taken on Ektar 1000 print film. Exposure of each negative was 7 minutes. The telescope was a 16" f5 Dob on a Dual-axis Equatorial Platform. Guiding was done with the Platform's hand control through a separate guide scope. Images by Tom Osypowski. Scanning and image processing by Tony and Daphne Hallas at Astro Photo.
M65, M66 and NGC 3628 in Leo by Del Johnson. Prime focus of 12.5" f/5 reflector using the Lumicon Coma Corrector. Summation of three separate one hour exposures on Kodak 35mm Multispeed Ektapress print film, autoguided with ST-4 CCD. Negatives scanned and digitally stacked by Astro Photo.
Horsehead Nebula: 60 minute exposure at prime focus of a 12.5" f/5 reflector with a Lumicon coma corrector, Kodak PJM Ektapress Multispeed film. Guided with an ST-4.
M13: a 10 minute exposure through a 16" f5 Dobsonian on a Dual-Axis Equatorial Platform, Ektar 1000 film. Image taken by Tom Osypowski. Image scanned and digitally processed by Jim Eiselt.
