Medium-wide fields 2020

CCD vs Film? Lots of time vs no patience? Alright, this is your place to discuss all the astrophotography what's and what's not. You can discuss about techniques, accessories, cameras, whatever....just make sure you also post some nice photos here too!
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hhzhang
Posts: 730
Joined: Sun May 10, 2020 4:11 pm
Favourite scope: 115mm APO

Medium-wide fields 2020

Post by hhzhang »

Inspired by other posts on this board, decided to explore wide fields in the night skies, using a consumer APS-C camera and a star tracker. Super portable setup. Let me see what I can do under the bright Singapore night skies and poor weather conditions persisting in 2020.

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Aug 15, 2020

Went down ECP and spent a couple of hours collecting photons.

C76 star cluster and nearby nebulosity. Quite surprised that for the first time the unmodified M50 could capture nebulosity.

Image

Antares and M4 and the nebulosity. Actually I was suspecting some mistakes in my processing for the vast dark regions -- turns out they are dark nebuli. But finer details are yet visible -- probably demanding sigificantly more subexplosures or -- questioning my camera sensor not sensitive to those nebulosity?

Image

Wish for more clear skies in the coming weeks. There are other interesting widefield objects to capture in Sco!
Last edited by hhzhang on Fri Sep 04, 2020 5:53 pm, edited 2 times in total.
celeron787
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Joined: Sun Jan 12, 2020 2:30 pm

Re: Wide fields Scorpius

Post by celeron787 »

Ah you attempted the rho ophiuchi too. It looks way better than mine. I can see a small hint of h-alpha in it. It also looks like you're getting the same issues that I have, walking noise. Are you doing any dithering?
hhzhang
Posts: 730
Joined: Sun May 10, 2020 4:11 pm
Favourite scope: 115mm APO

Re: Wide fields Scorpius

Post by hhzhang »

celeron787 wrote: Sun Aug 16, 2020 7:18 am Ah you attempted the rho ophiuchi too. It looks way better than mine. I can see a small hint of h-alpha in it. It also looks like you're getting the same issues that I have, walking noise. Are you doing any dithering?
I was not aware of the nebula. So my primary target was the few bright stars and M4.

Did not dither. Limited time last night. Just wanted to have the joy sitting under the starry sky and discovering the beauties in the photographs. Anyway, always can capture more subs for dithering.
hhzhang
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Joined: Sun May 10, 2020 4:11 pm
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Re: Medium-wide fields of Milky Way 2020

Post by hhzhang »

Aug-17, 2020

Hours of waiting for clear skies on site and minutes of photon collection. That summarises how I spent my night of Aug-17. Windy.com used to be trusty but the real situation of weather was much elusive for prediction. Largely a clouds-observation session indeed.

Only managed to capture 13x30s subs of the M39 region in cygnus.

Image
hhzhang
Posts: 730
Joined: Sun May 10, 2020 4:11 pm
Favourite scope: 115mm APO

Re: Medium-wide fields of Milky Way 2020

Post by hhzhang »

Aug-18, 2020

A couple of hours of partially clear skies.

The grand version of double cluster in Sco has M6 and M7 in the wide field. The globular cluster NGC6441 and HD161892 form a visual pair, near the left edge of the frame. NGC6425, a fainter and smaller open cluster sits in the mid right.

Image

M11 and M26 in the overall obscured constellation of Scutum. Together with the globular cluster NGC6712, they form a triangle. NGC6704 is visible. But NGC6683 seems non distinguishable from the background packed star field.


Image

Sagitta is another obscured constellation, with one Messier object the M71 open cluster. In the same frame, two Velpecula's gems are visible: M27 the dumbell nebular and Brocchi's Cluster (" Coathanger").

Image
Last edited by hhzhang on Wed Aug 19, 2020 8:53 am, edited 1 time in total.
celeron787
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Re: Medium-wide fields of Milky Way 2020

Post by celeron787 »

Nice couple of star clusters. I think it might be possible to bring out more of the galactic core if you stretch it more?
hhzhang
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Joined: Sun May 10, 2020 4:11 pm
Favourite scope: 115mm APO

Re: Medium-wide fields of Milky Way 2020

Post by hhzhang »

celeron787 wrote: Wed Aug 19, 2020 8:19 am Nice couple of star clusters. I think it might be possible to bring out more of the galactic core if you stretch it more?
The exact galactic centre is just 1deg beyond the right side border of the image.

I almost captured it. If my lens was slighter shorter, or my image sensor was full-frame.
celeron787
Posts: 113
Joined: Sun Jan 12, 2020 2:30 pm

Re: Medium-wide fields of Milky Way 2020

Post by celeron787 »

hhzhang wrote: Wed Aug 19, 2020 9:00 am
celeron787 wrote: Wed Aug 19, 2020 8:19 am Nice couple of star clusters. I think it might be possible to bring out more of the galactic core if you stretch it more?
The exact galactic centre is just 1deg beyond the right side border of the image.

I almost captured it. If my lens was slighter shorter, or my image sensor was full-frame.
Do you have the stacked file of M6 and M7, I would love to give that one a shot at processing 😁
hhzhang
Posts: 730
Joined: Sun May 10, 2020 4:11 pm
Favourite scope: 115mm APO

Re: Medium-wide fields of Milky Way 2020

Post by hhzhang »

celeron787 wrote: Wed Aug 19, 2020 9:18 am
hhzhang wrote: Wed Aug 19, 2020 9:00 am
celeron787 wrote: Wed Aug 19, 2020 8:19 am Nice couple of star clusters. I think it might be possible to bring out more of the galactic core if you stretch it more?
The exact galactic centre is just 1deg beyond the right side border of the image.

I almost captured it. If my lens was slighter shorter, or my image sensor was full-frame.
Do you have the stacked file of M6 and M7, I would love to give that one a shot at processing 😁
Yes. Give me a shared folder link that I can upload to.
hhzhang
Posts: 730
Joined: Sun May 10, 2020 4:11 pm
Favourite scope: 115mm APO

Re: Medium-wide fields of Milky Way 2020

Post by hhzhang »

2020-Aug-20/21

Clear skies! Spent a few hours shooting astrophotos despite being unwell .... hah

NGC6888 the cresent nebula and 6871.

Image

HaRGB ... extra hassles ... extra signal to noise ratio...

Delphinus

A small constellation on the bank of Milky Way. So it is not exactly a mikly way target. But it is so close and so cute!

Image
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