Just in time the clouds draw back and the crescent Moon glows below Mars and Venus;
Below the moon there is mag 5 SAO 77097; Imaged by CP995 through 4" f/6 refractor; 5 exposures of 8 sec at ISO200 combined, little level adjustment in Photoshop, size reduced to 40%; |
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The next day the crescent Moon shines between Jupiter and Venus;
Top: CP995 in tele mode, single exposure of 8 sec at ISO100; size reduced to 45%; Bottom: CP995 through 4" f/9 refractor; 2 single exposures of 4 sec and 1/15 sec at ISO100 combined in Photoshop, size reduced to 50%; |
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Top: Part of Cygnus constellation (Alfa Cygni in the center, gamma Cygni upper right) at mag 4.5 sky; Trees from the bottom; Canon D60 with EF/50mm lens stopped to f/2, single 300 sec exposure at ISO200, no dark subtracted. Image with labels: here (147kB) many deep sky objects visible, halfa-emission areas around gamma-Cygni Bottom: Lyra constellation with colored delta-Lyrae and carbon star 5 hours from alpha-Lyrae same exposure; levels and color balance adjusted in Photoshop, image cropped; size reduced to 70%; |
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Widefield imaging with the D60 at the MAG-6 Star Party in Eibisberg/Styria in 1200 m at 11 degree C. All images with a 15 mm Sigma lens at f/3.5; 2 x 300 sec combined at ISO 400; darks subtracted; Top: Ursa Major and surrounding constellations; Middle: Cygnus and Lyra constellations; Bottom: Southern Milky Way - some light pollution above the town of Weiz. Image with M-objects labeled: here (160 kB) levels and color balance adjusted in Photoshop, gradient removal to reduce sky glow; images reduced to 40-50% size. |
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Widefield Cassiopeia in a cloudy moonlit summernight at 20 C Piggibacked Canon D60 with Sigma 20mm f/1.8 lens stopped to 2.8; Single 120 sec exposure at ISO200; no dark subtraction, levels adjustments light unsharp mask in Photoshop; Size reduced to 50%, cropped. |
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Widefield Cassiopeia, Perseus, Andromeda and Triangulum at high transparency and +15 degree C. Piggibacked Canon D60 with Sigma 20mm f/1.8 lens stopped to 2.5; Single 300 sec exposure at ISO200; Dark subtraction, levels adjustments and gradient removal in Photoshop; Size reduced to 50%, cropped. Image with labels: here (200kB) |
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View from observatory north with big dipper and Polaris at +10 degree C during jetstream and 3/4 moon behind trees. Tripod shot with D60 and Sigma 20mm lens stopped to 4.0; 12 x 600 sec exposures at ISO 100 combined in Photoshop using the lighten function; dark subtraction, levels adjustments, size reduced to 50%, The lighten function during combining attenuates the star trails,while leaving the non moving parts as it is. |
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First success with the H-alpha filter at icy -15 degree C and 1/2 moon up. Piggiback shot with D60 and Canon 50mm lens; The image consists of 2 unfiltered shots each 300 sec at ISO 100 and f/2.5 combined with 2 H-alpha filtered images each 300 sec at f/1.4 and ISO800; darks subtracted, H-alpha channel mixed to the red and luminance channel, levels and curves adjustments, size reduced to 40%, as slightly defocused. The raw H-alpha image can be seen in the Canon D60 review at bottom: here (57kB). |
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Widefield composite of Orion area with D60 and 20mm lens at f/4 at clear mag 5 sky; Top: single 600 sec ISO100 image with labels Bottom: 11 x 600 sec exposures at ISO 100 combined with lighten function in PS for both: white balance auto - not optimum star colors, levels adjustment, light unsharp mask, color balance adjusted in Photoshop, size reduced to 40%; |
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Widefield image of Taurus area and Pleiades with D60 and 50mm lens at f/2.8; 5 x 300 sec at ISO 400 image averaged in ImagesPlus Gradient removal, levels adjustment, light unsharp mask, color balance adjusted in Photoshop, size reduced to 40%; |
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Widefield image of Orion constellation with D60 and 50mm lens at f/2.8; 5 x 300 sec unfiltered at ISO 400 image averaged in ImagesPlus Gradient removal, levels adjustment, light unsharp mask, color balance adjusted in Photoshop, size reduced to 40%; |
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High in the alps during skiing vacation a view to the moonlit western mountains with the D60 and 20mm lens at f/4; 5 x 300 sec tripod shots combined in Photoshop; levels adjustment, light unsharp mask in Photoshop, size reduced to 40%; |
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Wide view to the south above the 2500 m Mount Grimming with D60 and 20mm lens at f/2.8; Top:25 x 300 sec tripod shots at ISO 100 combined in Photoshop, size 35%; Bottom: 6 x 300 sec piggiback shot of the same area one day later; combined with a short exposure of the moonlit mountain at the end of the series; caibration and alignment in ImagesPlus; Gradient removal, levels adjustment, light unsharp mask, color balance adjusted in Photoshop, size reduced to 50%; |
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Top: Wide view from the Pleiades to Perseus and Andromeda with the D60 and 20mm lens at f/2.8 at mag 6 sky; 4 x 300 sec piggiback shots at ISO 100 calibrated and aligned in ImagesPlus , size 30%; H-alpha areas as NGC1499 and IC1805/1848 visible, Double Cluster and M31 to the right Bottom: 15 x 300 sec piggiback shot centered on NGC1499, the California Nebula and M45 one day later with the 50mm lens at f/2.5; caibration and alignment in ImagesPlus; Gradient removal, levels adjustment, light unsharp mask, color balance adjusted in Photoshop, size reduced to 50%; |
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The first time I centered at RA 14:06 DEC 12:28 for a mag -7 Iridium flare with my 180mm lens at f/2.8 and the 10D following data from HEAVENS ABOVE; 4 x 120 sec piggiback shots at ISO100 combined in Photoshop (lighten); levels adjustment, light unsharp mask in Photoshop, size reduced to 50%; |
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The second time I centered at RA 13:29 DEC 13:46 for a forecasted mag -7 and -2 double Iridium flare with my 50mm lens at f/2.5 and the 10D following data from HEAVENS ABOVE; 6 x 120 sec piggiback shots at ISO200 combined in Photoshop (lighten); levels adjustment, light unsharp mask in Photoshop, size reduced to 50%, cropped; Finally 5 flares appeared with these 12 minutes! |
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view from the observatory to the northern Saggitarius constellation with the 10D, the UHC filter and the 50mm lens at f/2.5 at mag 4.5 sky, 20C; 5 x 300 sec piggiback shots at ISO 200 aligned in ImagesPlus (no darks), The red emission nebulae M8, M20, M17 and M16 visible from bottom to top, Gradient removal, levels adjustment, light unsharp mask, color balance adjusted in Photoshop; size reduced to 50%; |
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From a near mountain a view to the northern part of the constellation Swan with the 10D, the UHC filter and the 50mm lens at f/2.8 and mag 6 sky, north is left, 18C; 10 x 300 sec piggiback shots at ISO 800 calibrated and aligned in ImagesPlus, The red nebulosities NGC7000, N.A. with Pelican, around gamma-Cygni, down to the Veil embedded in the Milky Way from left to right, Gradient removal, levels and curves adjustment, color balance adjusted in Photoshop; size reduced to 40%; |
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A short take of the constellation Andromeda centered on M31 with the 10D and the 50mm lens at f/2.8 at mag 5.5 sky, north is left, 18C; 3 x 300 sec piggiback shots at ISO 800 in raw mode calibrated and aligned in ImagesPlus, The rich star field of the Milky Way frames the Andromeda galaxy group, Gradient removal, levels and curves adjustment, color balance adjusted in Photoshop; size reduced to 37/60%; |
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Again the constellation Cygnus this time with the 10D and the 20mm lens at f/2.8 at mag 5 sky, north is left, 18C; 10 x 300 sec piggiback shots at ISO 200 in-jpg fine mode calibrated and aligned in ImagesPlus, I tried to work out the colors of the dark matter obscuring the bright areas. Gradient removal, levels and curves adjustment, color balance adjusted in Photoshop; size reduced to 33/50%; |
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From the ITT star party a 3-part Milky Way mosaic with the 10D and the 20mm lens at f/3.5 at mag 6.5 sky, +5C; each sector 3 x 300 sec piggiback shots at ISO 400 in-jpg fine mode aligned and processed in Photoshop, The seams are not perfect due to the distortion of the lens. The image extents from Saggitarius through Cygnus up to Cassiopeia. Gradient removal, levels and curves adjustment, color balance adjusted in Photoshop; size reduced to 25/50%; |
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A tripod sequence with the 10D and the 20mm lens at f/4 and ISO100 at mag 4.5 sky, -5C; 20 x 600 sec automatic timed shots to the north were combined in Photoshop with the lighten function; Only some plane streaks had to be stamped out, no other processing, size reduced to 50%; |
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At near full moon between clouds and haze a quickie of Orion with the STL11000 and the Sigma 50mm macro lens at f/2.8; Each 1 min LRGB aligned in Imagesplus Gradient removal, levels adjustment in Photoshop, strongly cropped, size 100%; |
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