Dieter Wolf (WolfDieter@t-online.de) [31 Dec 03]
please find attached two pictures for Guest Astrophotographic Gallery - Deep Sky. Thanks for posting. [Left] Picture 1: M1, the 'Crab Nebula', the 9m bright and 6 by 4' large remainder of year 1054's supernova in constellation 'Taurus'. I could not see M1 through the telescope - even not with field sweeping - but the camera could catch it with 13 times 10 second exposures. And I am much pleased that it even shows structure. December 25th, 2003; ETX-70AT; ToUCam SC1 at prime focus. [Right] Picture 2: M32, the 'little companion of Andromeda Galaxy', 10m bright and just an object to say 'yes I got it' with no details. Looking at long time exposures of M31 showing the faint outer regions of the galaxy one might think M32 lies just 'outside' of M31. But with our equipment, catching just the bright nucleus, I was surprised how far off M32 is situated. December 20th, 2003; ETX-70AT; ToUCam SC1 at prime focus; 25 exposures of 10 seconds each. Dieter Wolf (Munich, Germany)
Jan Damhof (J.Damhof@Planettechnologies.nl) [31 Dec 03]
It was not easy but finally I got an image of M51 I can be proud of. I dont wanna think about how many hours it cost me to get to this result, but after a lot of stacking, leveling and al that is possible to get a picture out of almost noting this is the result of a 67x20sec stacked image. It was taken with an ETX125 and toUcam + focal reducer set. The total frames taken were 250x20sec (1.5hr) only 67 were centered so they could be used for a big FOV. The most time went into after image processing.. What amazed me the most is that the first few stacking attempts with k3ccd didnt give a acceptable result at all. Only after trying again a week later I had better results. After that it took me a lot of hours in Photoshop trying al the tricks photoshop gives to get to this result. I got some more detail on my website: members.home.nl/damhof/astro/ To all an happy new year and clear skies !! Jan The Netherlands
geheniau@xs4all.nl [21 Dec 03]
I also did astroid 1 Ceres
geheniau@xs4all.nl [21 Dec 03]
Yesterday I had a good night. Today is cloudy for a couple of days, so I took my ETX and made it a long night. Attached NGC7023, Messier 110 and Eskimo nebula. All done and possible with ETX90 for deepsky.
leutloffa@juno.com [21 Dec 03]
Well this is my best shot yet of the Orion Nebula...this taken with my ETX 125 and thru the 40 mm Plossl...Camera was an Canon A70 set up on tripod adjacent to scope...setting at ASA 400, f=3.2 and exposure of 15 seconds. Photo was enhanced using Microsoft Picture it.
geheniau@xs4all.nl [21 Dec 03]
For those who think that everything is possible with an ETX90. Not true :-) Yesterday I tried the Cone Nebula. No moon and tried to use maximum of exposures. I took 38 pictures of 33 second exposure (20 minutes total). But after stacking...no cone nebula. I made a gifmovie. When you place it on your website you can see my picture with a professional picture. I try to get the extreme out of the ETX90 but also with me sometimes it's not possible (here with light pollution etc.) Job Geheniau The Netherlands
geheniau@xs4all.nl [21 Dec 03]
Dieter.Wolf@DNSint.com [17 Dec 03]
new 'food' for your 'Guest Astrophotographic Gallery - Deep Sky' - thanks for posting. M42 - the 'Great Orion Nebula' - is the brightest (about 4m) diffuse nebula and thus one of our 'all time favorites' in winter skies. It is about 1600 lj away and stretches with its faintest parts over the immense area of 1 square degree. This is an area of turbulence and star birth. New, hot whiteish-blue O/B-stars stimulate the nebula to glow. It is interesting how different people and photographic equipment sees / shows the colors in M42, depending on instrumentation, exposure time and individual color seeing. M42 is a very young object - round about 300.000 years old. Looking with your naked eye there is a somehow 'washed out star' in the 'sword' of the 'hunter' Orion - that's M42. Picture 1 shows its location in Orion (CASIO QV-2800UX Digital Camera with ASA 800 and 8*10 seconds exposure)
With a binocular this 'washed out star' becomes a nubula. What you see first is the bright inner region. With a big binocular or outside the city you catch more of the weaker outer parts of the nebula. And with a telescope you can separate the multiple star in it, Theta Orionis. You see the four major components (5...8m) with a distance of 8...13". Picture 2 shows the Trapezium stars (MEADE ETX-125EC with Philips ToUCam pro, 240 frames of 1/25 second each)
Picture 3 shows the inner region of M42 with the Trapezium over exposed and the dark nebula 'mouth' (MEADE ETX-70AT with Philips ToUCam SC1, 80 frames 0.5 seconds each)
Picture 4 shows the outer regions of the nebula with its weaker colors and turbulent structures and the 'wings' of the nebula as well as the M43 nebula. I counted stars down to 13m.5 (MEADE ETX-70AT with Philips ToUCam SC1, 100 frames out of 150 0.5 seconds exposure each) This one does not compete with the last posting of Job Geheniau and his ETX-90EC, which now is our new reference. Congratulations Job, but - we are on the way! Dieter Wolf (Munich, Germany)
geheniau@xs4all.nl [10 Dec 03]
It keeps getting better. Attached M42 and M43 done with ETX90 with full moon! stacked 21 out of 65, different exposures, with different layers put together with Photoshop. Used modified toucam with focal reducer and extra lens on focal reducer. Hope that you will place it on Guest astrophotography under deepsky. See it also on www.samage.net/~geheniau/astronomy.html Job Geheniau The Netherlands
damhof@home.nl (Jan) [10 Dec 03]
People start sending in M42 images. So time for me to have a try. I just recieved my Morg 0.6 and 0.3 focal reducer and this is the first image It made with it. This is the result of a quick alignment and stack with k3ccd (14x15sec) and some photoshopping. I think I can do better with some more photoshopping or maybe IRIS. But for a start it not bad at all ! I hope you can put it in your deepsky gallery. Jan Damhof The Netherlands members.home.nl/damhof/astro/
nking@synner.co.uk (Nick King) [7 Dec 03]
Here's one for your deep space guest gallery M42 (central region) 031205 23:00-00:00 UT This image is without doubt my favourite image to date, and is my first successful foray into deep space imaging. This image is a composite of 47 x 10s, 112 x 5s, 53 x 2.5s and 133 x 1s exposures. All captured as RGB with K3CCD. Taken unguided with the ToUcam Pro SC1 at prime focus of the ETX 105, using a Mogg 0.66 focal reducer giving f9. Alignment and stacking was done with Keith's Image Stacker, and final adjustments were made with Photoshop. The 10s and 5s exposures give the best detail in the outer nebula, but the 2.5s and 1s exposures gave much better resolution to the Trapezium and the central region of the nebula.
leutloffa@juno.com (Alan H Leutloff) [7 Dec 03]
ok...so I have to work sometime...but am sure having fun. This is my first deep space pic of the Orion Nebula M42...and it came out!!!! Pic taken with a Canon A70 took 4 pics at ASA 400 f=3.8 for 3-8 sec exposure...and stacked with Registax. One taken with the 32mm [top] and the other with the 20mm Plossl [bottom]. Processing using Microsoft Picture it. Having fun!! Thanks for the info on your site...it is wonderful.
Dieter.Wolf@DNSint.com [3 Dec 03]
M37 / NGC2099 is a bright (abt. 6m) and rich (abt. 150 stars brighter than 12m.5; abt. 400...500 stars total) open cluster in Auriga (compare it with M36 / M38 in the same constellation) This open cluster is abt. 300 million years old and you see - besides the white stars - some red giants in it. The distance is abt. 4600 ly. This picture shows round about 150 stars (if you look very precisely) so the limiting magnitude should be round about 12m. Nice what you can do with this little scope. Dieter Wolf (Munich, Germany) MEADE ETX-70AT (70mm, 350mm) Philips ToUCam SC1 (prime focus) 3*10s exposure / darkframe K3CCD Tools / IrfanView Mike here: You can see more of Dieter Wolf's webcam photos on the Helpful Information - Astrophotography - Webcam page.
christian-hanke@t-online.de (Christian Hanke) [23 Nov 03]
The use of a cheap webcam is really a quantum leap for amateur astronomers.
Dieter.Wolf@DNSint.com [23 Nov 03]
[Top] Fascinated by beautiful deep sky pictures of Job Geheniau, Kacper Wierzchos and others on your website I tried to do 'deep skying' with my ETX-125EC too. It is aweful with f/15! Have a look at this 6*10s / darkframe picture. You only see the brightest inner parts of the nebula in the narrow FOV - and you can resolve the 'Trapezium' stars. [Bottom] So I am looking for an affordable focal reducer / Shapley lens. NO, I don't mean that 300.- ones from MEADE or CELESTRON... Anyone knows how to get one in Germany? Until then my father's ETX-70AT with f/5 is my favorite deep sky instrument. Dieter Wolf (Munich Germany) November 20th, 2003 MEADE ETX-70AT Philips ToUCam SC1 (prime focus) M42 (M43) 'Great Orion Nebula' number in my 'Plejades posting', of course it's M45] 19*10s / darkframe You nicely can see some filigran and colored structures in the outer regions of the nebula
geheniau@xs4all.nl [7 Nov 03]
Maybe it's handy for those who want to do deep sky to put this pic on your site with the story how I did it. I was quite obsessed to get Messier 33 (spiral galaxy) on the ETX. These kind of galaxies are really difficult. Took 340! frames of 20 sec each. Tried to figure out the program IRIS. Very good program, but very difficult to handle. I used the method of T.T. Guan (http://www.angelfire.com/space2/tgtan/processing_part1.htm) Instead of IYUV I record in I420 mode. Than you can split the image to Y and RGB. All the different channels stacked and dark frame substracted.Took me a day to get this image with the computer. Also you can see a K3CCD stacked image (less photoshop) and a single frame, to show what a single exposure of 20 sec gives with my modified webcam of M33! By the way it's almost full moon, next time I wait for a really dark night. Job Geheniau The Netherlands
christian-hanke@t-online.de [4 Nov 03]
Please be so kind, to post the picture in the deep sky gallery.
geheniau@xs4all.nl [31 Oct 03]
Finally today it's raining :-( (No northern lights from the sun flares...) but 2 days ago as I told you I was busy with NGC 1977, running man. Result attached. Also a difficult one for ETX. (stacked 92!) BTW I ordered a LPI imager. Very curious what the results will be!
This is a cuty. A big star and a little galaxy.
geheniau@xs4all.nl (Job Geheniau) [28 Oct 03]
I am pretty proud on this one.
Difficult one, very faint.
geheniau@xs4all.nl [24 Oct 03]
I am sorry, but again a good clear night, so I had to go outside :-) [Top] NGC 1023 [Middle] Messier 52 [Bottom] Despite the clouds, here a nice one (I really like planetairy nebulas) from NGC 6210. Never knew that the ETX90 is very good for planetairy nebulas (as for a 3.5 inch machine).
erwin@matys.at (Erwin Matys) [22 Oct 03]
pls find attached an image of the M8/M20 region in Sagittarius. Lens: 135mm stopped down to 4 Tracking: ETX-70 on heavy duty wedge Film: E200 professional push-2 developed to 640 Exposure: 15min Processing: Photoshop Location: Southern Crete, Greece Transparency: visual limiting magnitude 6.6 Date: 22nd June 2003 more at nigthflight: members.eunet.at/erwin/
geheniau@xs4all.nl [22 Oct 03]
another nice evening here, 2003 is a good year.
Here a difficult one. ngc6905.
geheniau@xs4all.nl [18 Oct 03]
Didn't see it at your site before, so here it is: M92
Didn't see it at your site before, so here it is: M34
geheniau@xs4all.nl [14 Oct 03]
[Top] M57 after some bad weather, clear skies, but windy. [Bottom] Nice mosaic of the double cluster.
geheniau@xs4all.nl [4 Oct 03]
[Top] also again NGC 7331, [Bottom] ngc 891 Job Geheniau The Netherlands
geheniau@xs4all.nl [30 Sep 03]
From...The Netherlands,
geheniau@xs4all.nl [25 Sep 03]
geheniau@xs4all.nl [18 Sep 03]
The Double Double star Epsilon Lyrae Messier 27 Messier 31 Messier 51 Messier 2 Messier 81 Messier 82 NGC 7009 And: Despite the bad atmosferic condition I made a nice one of NGC 6826 (Blinking Nebula) for myself and for your guest astrophotography page with my ETX90.
k2_71828@yahoo.es (Kacper Wierzchos) [30 Aug 03]
Please find in attach my contribution for "Deep Sky" Gallery. Yesterday when I have been waiting for Mars, I have decided to take a image of Lagoon Nebula (M8). The presented image was taken using ETX90 EC and TouCam_SC; 37 images x 15 sec were stacked and procesed with Registax (some Adobe Photoshop tratment).
geheniau@xs4all.nl [26 Aug 03]
[Top] Swan nebula (part of it of course) [Bottom] Lagoon Nebula (part of it of course)
k2_71828@yahoo.es (Kacper Wierzchos) [26 Aug 03]
Here is a contribution for your gues deep-sky gallery of your amazing site. Its a photo of the globular cluster M3, the photo was done with etx-90 and TouCam SC (20x15seg exposures). Frames were aligned with registax and later the result was procesed with adobe photoshop.
dhahne@pinn.net (Dave Hahne) [26 Aug 03]
Here are a couple of DSO images taken with my ETX-70 and a modified QuickCam B&W web camera. The objects are M11 and NGC6633. If anyone is interested in my adventures with web cameras they can check out my site (www.pinn.net/~dhahne/index.html). Most of the images are taken with my Criterion 6" DynaScope but I am starting a collection of targets suitable for the ETX.
geheniau@xs4all.nl [4 Aug 03]
/td>
erwin@matys.at (Erwin Matys) [31 Jul 03]
pls find attached an image of the M6/M7 region in Scorpius. Lens: 135mm stopped down to 4 Tracking: ETX-70 on heavy duty wedge Film: E200 professional push-2 developed to 640 Exposure: 15min Processing: Photoshop and Picture Window Location: Southern Crete, Greece Transparency: visual limiting magnitude 6.6 Date: 22nd June 2003 more at nigthflight: members.eunet.at/erwin/
geheniau@xs4all.nl [23 Jul 03]
As you can see I really like the ETX and working with it. We still have some good weather here, so here 2 results from a light poluted city. I try to do my best and get the most out of the ETX. I am afraid that in cities like The Hague you can't get any further than this. But.... it's deep sky and that's always difficult with an ETX. (but really nice to try!) Job Geheniau The Netherlands
k2_71828@yahoo.es (Kacper Wierzchos) [23 Jul 03]
Here is another contribution to your Gues Deep Sky Gallery. Yesterday I took the pics of the planetary nebula M27, and the results have impacted me because the image is excelent but I think could be be better. The image was done with ETX-90 scope, TouCam SC and TWO 0.6x focal reducers (from Stewe Moog) put toghether. The image is a composition of 50 exposures of 20 seconds each aligned with registax and retouch with AdobePhot. Kind regards Kacper
k2_71828@yahoo.es (Kacper Wierzchos) [19 Jul 03]
here is another contribution for your guest deep sky gallery. Its a image of the spiral galaxy M94 in Canes. The image is did with an ETX-90 scope and f/6 reducer, TouCam SC, 33 exposures of 10 seconds each, The image was did in Urban Sky (Lerida, Spain).
k2_71828@yahoo.es (Kacper Wierzchos) [11 Jul 03]
here is another contribution to your guest deep sky gallery. The image is of the planetary nebula M57 and is did with an ETX-90 scope and a Philips TouCam SC. The image is an aligment of 15 exposures o 15 seconds each.
geheniau@xs4all.nl [28 Jun 03]
Well here is my first good deepsky ETX picture. I used my modified webcam. Watch the 14.2 magnitude star inside the nebula!!! So with a modified webcam you can see more than 11 or 12th magnitude with an ETX90. 17 exposures of 20 seconds each. bad seeing. Captured with K3CCD and stacked with Registax. Hope you will place the picture on your side under Guest Asphotography Gallery deep sky. Job Geheniau The Netherlands By the way after you placed my question on your site if somebody could make a modified webcam for me, within 2 days somebody from the Netherlands!!! replied to me and was willing to build the modified toucam (www.samage.net/~geheniau and then under equipment) This is what makes your site so valuable!
k2_71828@yahoo.es (Kacper Wierzchos) [4 Jun 03]
Here you will find the contribution to your Deep Sky Guest Gallery. After several weeks of telescope guide enhancment I took yesterday the Ring Nebula (M57) image with ETX90EC and ToucamSC using 27 x 20s images Registax stack. Regards - Kacper Wierzchos
nviegas@mail.telepac.pt (Nelson Viegas) [13 May 03]
The Summer is coming! And with it, two famous objects. Please find attached an image of M13 (The Great Cluster in Hercules) and M57 (The Ring nebula in Lyra). These were taken from my "apartment window observatory"... under bad conditions. Each of these pictures is a combination of 15 images of 7 seconds each. All put together in Iris, with cropping and final adjustments done in PaintShop. All using the stock ETX70, and a modified ToUCam Pro in the prime focus.
k2_71828@yahoo.es (Kacper Wierzchos) [13 May 03]
Here is a contribution for your guest deep sky gallery. A photograph of M1 "the creb nebula" is did with ETX-90 EC in altazimut mount (you can see the camp totation of some stars), the camera is a modiffied TouCam, images stacked and aligned by Registax. Spain.
k2_71828@yahoo.es (Kacper Wierzchos) [25 Mar 03]
please find in attach a contribution for your Guest Deep Sky Gallery. I am sending you two images: M46 (open cluster) and M3 (globular cluster). The images has been done with a Meade ETX-90 EC (F6) and modified Philips TouCam Pro; 5 frames of 15seg; adquisition: K3CCD and stack with Registax. Some Adobe Photoshop enhancment was done with both images.
erwin@matys.at (Erwin Matys) [15 Mar 03]
pls find attached an image of the Rosette nebula in Monoceros. Lens: 135mm stopped down to 4 Tracking: ETX-70 on heavy duty wedge Film: E200 professional push-2 developed to 640 Exposure: 2 images, each 15min Processing: Photoshop and Picture Window Location: Timanfaya National Park, Lanzarote, Canary Islands Transparency: visual limiting magnitude 5.8 Date: 6th March 2003
pls find attached an image of barnard´s loop in Orion. Lens: 50mm stopped down to 2.8 Tracking: ETX-70 on heavy duty wedge Film: E200 professional push-2 developed to 640 Exposure: 2 images, each 8min Processing: Photoshop and Picture Window Location: Timanfaya National Park, Lanzarote, Canary Islands Transparency: visual limiting magnitude 5.8 Date: 5th March 2003
k2_71828@yahoo.es (Kacper Wierzchos) [12 Mar 03]
Hello, Here is a contribution for your Guest Deep Sky Gallery. Yesterday, I did some photographs of the Crab nebula (M1), M81 and M82. The sky was clear and no turbulances. All the images has been done with a Meade ETX-90 EC and modified Philips TouCam Pro. The photo of M1 is composed by 30 frames of 15seg. The photo of M81 is composed by 25 frames of 15seg. And the last photo of M82, is composed by 25 frames of 15seg too. Some Adobe Photoshop enhancment was done with all images. I am sending you one image composition more: funy comparision of ETX90 and HST possibilities. Please, decide if you like to put this image toghether with M81 and M82. Kind regards. Kacper Wierzchos
oldwexi@aon.at (Gerald Wechselberger) [23 Feb 03]
Please find attached my first M42 image of this year. It was the first time here this year with good weather for dooing DeepSky imaging. The image was averaged out of several unguided 16 Second Exposures with my digitalcamera Olympus 2020Z attached to the ETX125EC. I used a Scopetronix 40mm eyepiece which gives a perfect connection between ETX and camera.
stephen.chambers@BBSRC.AC.UK (stephen chambers (IFR)) [19 Feb 03]
Great website, I have been using it to learn about my etx70 and autostar over the last year. Still haven't read everything! Attached is a picture of m42 taken with a standard etx70 mounted on a homemade wedge. The camera was a modified webcam ( http://home.clara.net/smunch/wsc3.htm) at prime focus. Images taken over 10 minutes were stacked using registax, and processed with astroart.
m.m.j.meijer@zonnet.nl (Matthias Meijer) [19 Feb 03]
Attached is a picture of M35. I took it on the 17th of February 2003 with a modified ToUcam Pro and my new ETX-70. It is a combination of 35 images, 10 seconds each taken in prime focus of the ETX-70. I also used a Baader IR blocking filter, this helps to reduce the halo's around the stars, caused by defocused IR light. The image was made from my backyard in the middle of the city of Dordrecht (125.000 inhabitants), the Netherlands. The ETX was mounted on a home made wedge on my LX200 field tripod.
Also a graph of the periodic error of my ETX-70. This might be interesting for comparing the results with other telescopes. (for example, my LX200 has only 25 arcsec peak-peak when the PEC is off)
nviegas@mail.telepac.pt (Nelson Viegas) [4 Feb 03]
It's been a while since my last post but here's my humble contribution for the Deep Sky gallery. Find attached three photos of the same location: NGC7662 (or the Blue Snowball Nebula, if you prefer). Taken with the ETX70. First photo was done through the telescope supplied MA25mm eyepiece, next a single 25 secs. exposure on the prime focus (binned 2x2) and finally the last photo on the prime focus again, but this time using the webcam's maximum resolution. The larger photo is a combination of 20 shorter exposure photos of the nebula and then stacked.
eneref@arcdiv.com (Neil Fusillo) [13 Jan 03]
Here's an image I took on a clear night with the 125. 16 sec exposure with an Olympus 3040z and the Digi-T adapter. I didn't have the tracking quite right, so there's a little streaking on the trapezium, but overall, the nebula came out pretty well. This has some minor processing to enchance the levels and brightness (and you can see the digital noise from the lack of good CCD cooling), but nothing exceptional.
k2_71828@yahoo.es (Kacper Wierzchos) [10 Jan 03]
Would you like to add these two attached images of Andromeda Galaxy and Blue Snow Ball Nebula to the Orion Nebula (which I have send you few days ago) and put all these three images together in the section of "Deep Sky". The adquisition and processing conditions for these two images are the same as for M42, exept longer expositions. Best regards, Kacper