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.
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?
Wish for more clear skies in the coming weeks. There are other interesting widefield objects to capture in Sco!
Medium-wide fields 2020
Medium-wide fields 2020
Last edited by hhzhang on Fri Sep 04, 2020 5:53 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Wide fields Scorpius
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?
Re: Wide fields Scorpius
I was not aware of the nebula. So my primary target was the few bright stars and M4.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?
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.
Re: Medium-wide fields of Milky Way 2020
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.
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.
Re: Medium-wide fields of Milky Way 2020
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.
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.
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").
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.
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.
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").
Last edited by hhzhang on Wed Aug 19, 2020 8:53 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Medium-wide fields of Milky Way 2020
Nice couple of star clusters. I think it might be possible to bring out more of the galactic core if you stretch it more?
Re: Medium-wide fields of Milky Way 2020
The exact galactic centre is just 1deg beyond the right side border of the image.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?
I almost captured it. If my lens was slighter shorter, or my image sensor was full-frame.
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Re: Medium-wide fields of Milky Way 2020
Do you have the stacked file of M6 and M7, I would love to give that one a shot at processinghhzhang wrote: ↑Wed Aug 19, 2020 9:00 amThe exact galactic centre is just 1deg beyond the right side border of the image.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?
I almost captured it. If my lens was slighter shorter, or my image sensor was full-frame.
Re: Medium-wide fields of Milky Way 2020
Yes. Give me a shared folder link that I can upload to.celeron787 wrote: ↑Wed Aug 19, 2020 9:18 amDo you have the stacked file of M6 and M7, I would love to give that one a shot at processinghhzhang wrote: ↑Wed Aug 19, 2020 9:00 amThe exact galactic centre is just 1deg beyond the right side border of the image.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?
I almost captured it. If my lens was slighter shorter, or my image sensor was full-frame.
Re: Medium-wide fields of Milky Way 2020
2020-Aug-20/21
Clear skies! Spent a few hours shooting astrophotos despite being unwell .... hah
NGC6888 the cresent nebula and 6871.
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!
Clear skies! Spent a few hours shooting astrophotos despite being unwell .... hah
NGC6888 the cresent nebula and 6871.
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!