2016
With a small window of opportunity on January 1 I managed to capture this image of M42.
7 x 60s subs 1 x 60s dark frame (yes I should do more)
Canon EOS 550D with CLS filter on Sky-Watcher 200p on HEQ5 pro.
I had previously created a custom white balance before shooting.
Image capture via Canon Photo Professional. Stacked in DSS with initial processing in Lightroom, finished in Photoshop Elements.
The moon was out on 16 January so I took advantage of the night sky having not seen it for two weeks due to constant rain.
I shot this with 5 or so 1 minute subs. With EOS 550D Sky-Watcher 200p and HEQ5 pro. I was experimenting at the same time with a new autoguider. It still needs some refinements especially as I have now read the manual.
The running Man or NGC1977 from 3 x 1 min subs I didn't do any more because of the closeness of the moon to Orion and the lack of contrast this gave.
M1 or the Crab nebula. Again on the same night.
The pinwheel galaxy
The whirlpool galaxy.
A second attempt from 18x60s lights taken 14 Feb 2016
Canon eos 550D on Sky-Watcher 200p on HEQ5 pro. Orion Magnificent mini autoguider.
Stacked in DSS finished in Lightroom and Photoshop elements
Finally from the same night the surfboard galaxy.
With the transit of Mercury only a few days away I made my own solar filter and tried it out to ensure that it worked as it should. I don't do a lot of solar photography so was reasonably happy with this. Canon EOS 550D on Sky-Watcher 200p on HEQ5 pro. Baader astrosolar film filter.
A first serious attempt at photographing the milky way.
Croyde bay 10:30pm more stars than you can shake a stick at!!
A first attempt at the veil nebula.
Canon EOS 550D on Sky-Watcher 200p HEQ5 Pro, 5 three minute subs with darks and flats. Didn't have time for any more as astronomical twilight was running out fast.
The Leo triplet photographed by the EOS 6D at ISO 1600 on a Sky-Watcher 200P, HEQ5, 16x180s lights, darks flats and bias frames about 45 mins of data in all. Processed in DSS, Lightroom and Photoshop Elements.
This is my first serious attempt at this group of galaxies.
During the shoot four satellites passed over and were recorded in the frames being exposed but none of the trails have survived DSS.
The milky way again from my light polluted corner of the universe. 15 fifteen second subs.
Canon EOS 550D Sigma 10-20 at 10mm. This time on the tripod.
Noise reduction with the evaluation version of Neat Image.
Cygnus, Lyra, Cassiopeia and M31 just above the tree.
The milky way from my light polluted corner of the universe. 5 Ten second subs and a satellite. There has to be one!
Canon EOS 550D Sigma 10-20 at 10mm
with the camera lying on the ground.
The Virgo cluster. I've counted as many as 17 galaxies in this image.
Canon EOS 550D onSky-Watcher 200, HEQ5 pro, ISO 800 6x180s lights, darks and flats.
The best shot yet! Again from my light polluted corner of the universe. 60s f4 ISO1600 Canon 6D and 24-105 at 24mm and mounted on a barndoor tracker. Processed in Photoshop Elements. No noise reduction added.
September's Harvest moon. A penumbral eclipse. The surrounding sky was very dark with no detail visible but lightening the shadows in Photoshop elements showed there to be some detail but it was very noisy. This is the result after processing with Neat Image. Startlingly cleaner.
The western veil the bright star is 52 Cyg
5x300s lights and darks. Shot with EOS 550D on SW200P on HEQ5 guided with PHD and Orion Magnificent mini auto guider.
Processed in DSS lightroom and photoshop elements.
With Orion rising at about 8:30pm time has come again to turn the telescope to this magnificent constellation.
This image is a single shot 60s with SW 200p on HEQ5 guided with PHD2 and Orion Magnificent mini autoguider
NGC7048 3 x 30s Lights only. Shot with EOS 550D on Sky-Watcher 200P on HEQ5 guided with PHD2 and Orion Magnificent Mini auto guider.
Processed in DSS lightroom and photoshop elements.
M42 and the running man. EOS 550D with 100-400 zoom at 400mm mounted on HEQ5 pro, tracking only. This shows M42 and the running man in the same frame.
60s at 1600 iso. Single frame.
A first try at the Horsehead nebula. It is very faint but it is there. EOS 550D on Sky-Watcher 200p on HEQ5 pro. Guided by PHD2.
12 x 120s lights stacked in DSS and processed in Light room and photoshop elements.
Like my earlier attempts at astrophotography these images are done with a have a go spirit. The moon on this night was some 60% so reducing contrast especially in that part of the sky where it was shining. Since then we have barely seen the moon except through the clouds and on the odd occasion there have been stars - briefly.