Weasner's Meade ETX Gallery

DEEPSKY ASTROPHOTOGRAPHY

Last updated: 31 July 1999

Piggy-back Camera Photographs (7/31/99) Prime Focus using the Pentax (4/18/97)

Piggy-back Camera Photographs
The following photos were taken by attaching a Pentax Spotmatic SLR with a 230mm telephoto (as shown in the photo) to the ETX using the JMI Piggy-back Camera Mount, the ETX was guided using the Blessing Microstar Dual Axis Drive Corrector and monitored with the Celestron Guide Eyepiece. The Kodak Gold Max ISO 800 35mm film was then PhotoCD processed. Some Photoshop editing was done to increase contrast and darken the sky background. Note that these images are just a portion of the full 35mm film frame. It is amazing what you can do with a little perseverance. Horsehead Nebula (really) 12 Feb 1999 10 minutes Some explanation is probably in order. The bright star in the center is Zeta Orionis (or Alnitak), the eastern star in Orion's belt. The other two stars of Orion's belt are diagonally up and right. The red nebulosity just to the left of Zeta is NGC 2024, easily identified by the dark lane running north (up) and south. Below Zeta is a vertical band of red nebulosity and the dark spot about halfway along its length is actually the Horsehead Nebula. Not bad for a telephoto lens mounted piggyback on the ETX-90RA from a location just south of Los Angeles, California! There was some Photoshop editing to increase the constrast. M31 Andromedia Galaxy 16 Oct 98 10 minutes Pleiades 21 Nov 98 5 minutes M42 Nebula in Orion 21 Nov 98 10 minutes

Piggy-back Camera Photographs

The following photos were taken by attaching a Pentax Spotmatic SLR with a 230mm telephoto (as shown in the photo) to the ETX using the JMI Piggy-back Camera Mount, the ETX was guided using the Blessing Microstar Dual Axis Drive Corrector and monitored with the Celestron Guide Eyepiece. The Kodak Gold Max ISO 800 35mm film was then PhotoCD processed. Some Photoshop editing was done to increase contrast and darken the sky background. Note that these images are just a portion of the full 35mm film frame. It is amazing what you can do with a little perseverance.
Image: Horsehead Nebula

Horsehead Nebula (really)
12 Feb 1999
10 minutes
Some explanation is probably in order. The bright star in the center is Zeta Orionis (or Alnitak), the eastern star in Orion's belt. The other two stars of Orion's belt are diagonally up and right. The red nebulosity just to the left of Zeta is NGC 2024, easily identified by the dark lane running north (up) and south. Below Zeta is a vertical band of red nebulosity and the dark spot about halfway along its length is actually the Horsehead Nebula. Not bad for a telephoto lens mounted piggyback on the ETX-90RA from a location just south of Los Angeles, California! There was some Photoshop editing to increase the constrast.

Image: M31 Andromedia Galaxy
M31 Andromedia Galaxy
16 Oct 98
10 minutes

Image: Pleiades
Pleiades
21 Nov 98
5 minutes

Image: M42 Nebula in Orion
M42 Nebula in Orion
21 Nov 98
10 minutes

Image: Pentax and Telephoto Piggy-back

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Prime Focus
using the Pentax

Image: M42 Nebula in Orion
M42 Nebula in Orion
6 April 97
Kodak Royal Gold ISO 1000 Color Print Film
30 seconds
some trailing during the exposure

M42 Nebula in Orion
3 January 97
Kodak Royal Gold ISO 1000 Color Print Film
30 seconds
some trailing during the exposure
but digital processing enhanced the nebulosity

Prime Focus using the Pentax
M42 Nebula in Orion 6 April 97 Kodak Royal Gold ISO 1000 Color Print Film 30 seconds some trailing during the exposure
M42 Nebula in Orion 3 January 97 Kodak Royal Gold ISO 1000 Color Print Film 30 seconds some trailing during the exposure but digital processing enhanced the nebulosity

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