Weasner's Meade ETX Guest Gallery

GUEST SOLAR ECLIPSE ASTROPHOTOGRAPHY

Last updated: 17 April 2006

Some ETX users have sent me examples of their astrophotography. If you have some examples you would like included here please send me a description of how you made the astrophotos and a copy of the images as GIF or JPEG files (due to internet email gateway issues, please send only one image file per message). Send to etx@me.com. Alternatively, if you have created your own web page with your examples please let me know and I'll include a link to your site.

Submitted by: Ray Tomlinson (anything@raytomlinson.vispa.com) [17 Apr 06]
Thanks for providing such a great forum for the ETX owner. I've had my ETX125PE for 2 months now and the help this site provides is invaluable. I'm still not entirely happy with the LNT on my kit but as I'm usually using polar 2 star alignment it's not such an issue Anyway, here's my humble contribution for what it's worth! Location was the Hotel Atlantis, Belek, Turkey (great place but that's enough advertising now). A crowd of AA's assembled in the grounds with me and a great time was had by all. Equipment was an OM1 at prime focus using Fuji 400 slide film Don't ask me for the speed as I was shaking with excitement at this stage (either 1/125 or 1/250 I think). Gutted that my best shot is clipped but as this was only my second serious attempt at astrophotography I don't expect I could've done better (the first attempt was the previous week to test all the equipment!) What I can say is the view through the ETX of the eclipsed sun was fabulous, well worth the trouble of taking the kit over there from here in the UK (Turkish Airlines staff were VERY understanding). The looks on security staff faces as the rucksack went through the x-ray machines was quite a picture as well.

Submitted by: Jonathan Demery (jjdemery@msn.com) [13 Apr 06]
This photograph is a compostite of some of the images taken on March 29 from Side near Antalya in South Turkey. This was one of my pet projects during the eclipse to show 1st 2nd 3rd and 4th contacts. I am very pleased with the result but was dissappointed by the ammount of blue fringing I had on the unfiltered ones, I managed to minimise this be fiddling around with photoshop elements - I am now considering to get an etx 90 or 105 to eliminate this problem. I have had this image printed out full res on a piece of paper 120cm X 20cm.
Click for full size image
taken this time with a 350d just pointed into the eypepiece of an etx 70

Submitted by: Juergen Linder (cometmillenium@yahoo.de) [13 Apr 06]
here are two pictures of the solar eclipse of March 29. The Diamant just for Second Contact is taken with the ETX 90 for 1/250 at ASA 200 Fuij-Film. The Totaleclipse just after Second Contact is taken for 1/15 Seconds with the same Equipment. The Camera was a OM 1 Body with Extender for 1250mm. Bye, So far Juergen Linder, Durmersheim, Germany

Submitted by: Dr. Neelima Thatte (neelmadhavt@vsnl.net) [13 Apr 06]
TSE 29th mar 2006 photo with Meade ETX 125. Diamond ring at 3rd contact with ISO 400 & 1/500 - prime focus photo with vivitar 3800N

Submitted by: Manuel Erdin (manuel.erdin@bluewin.ch) [5 Apr 06]
With this mail I send you a picture of the 2006 solar eclipse I took in Side (south coast of Turkey, near Antalya). I used my ETX 90 with a Nikon D70 in primary focus. Perhaps you like to publish the picture on your homepage. If you like the picture I could send you 2 or 3 more pictures.

The partial eclipse picture has been made 10 min before totality. Some nice sunspots are visible. The diamond ring was shot 7 sec before totality. The Baily's beads picture was shot 3 sec before totality. The pink chomosphere is visible too. The picture with the two promences was shot during totality. With my ETX 90 and a Nikon D70 the sun filled up nearly the whole picture (negative, chip resp.). That's why I had no chance to make a picture of the outer corona. So I only tried to make pictures of the 2nd contact and the promences.

Submitted by: Jeanine Bajol Goodwyn (jbg13@alu.ua.es) [5 Apr 06]
Last Wednesday 29/03 I observed the Sun Eclipse and got photos with my Philips Toucan Pro WebCam, ( my photos on the attachment enclosed), using the Automatic Tracking Feature.

Submitted by: Jessica Gregory (she_ragc@hotmail.com) [2 Apr 06]
Just thought I'd send you this image I took with my meade 90 ETX PE. Its not the best shot as I haven't got a full view. That was because I didn't set up a camera over the eyepiece properly and just held my camera over the eyepiece now and again. I've only had my ETX 5 months so wasn't ready to take photo's as its been really cloudy over here in the UK. Anyway my location to see the eclipse was SIDE, Turkey 29/03/2006 and I'm Jessica Gregory of Sheffield England. Whilst I'm sending this I also just want to add that your website is really good and it has helped me get to grips with the LNT and autostar options, it was good to read your guide to the 105 ETX PE and see that you had experienced the same problems as I had and helped me get over them and be able to use my scope in turkey...phew!!

Submitted by: Kedar (hulaki@wlink.com.np) [2 Apr 06]
Galileo Astronomical society of Pokhara Nepal organised Observation of solar eclipse on March 29. 83 Year old Ram Bahadur Gurung initiated the programme. Little bit of clouds disturbed the programme, but we were successful to observe the eclipse for about 45 minutes. I had solar filters donated by Susan Rose of Amateur Observers Society of New York City. (Thanks Sue for your help). I could not properly use the filters to cover the objective lens. Therefore, we instead, covered the finders scope and observed the eclipse through it. More than 200 local communities and children observed the eclipse through the Permission to Dream ETX Telescope. Some people did not like to see the eclipse due to superstitious belief that one may die after looking the eclipse. The story of the event was covered by national newspapers. During the eclipse, I was interviewed live through the local FM radio as well. In short, we are all satisfied with the event. Local Lions Club of Pokhara city helped us with logistics.

Submitted by: Jonathan Demery (jjdemery@msn.com) [2 Apr 06]
Took these pictures in a place called Side in Southern Turkey (right on line of totality) Couple of first here 1 My first total eclipse 2 First time I have taken my etx 70 abroad Weather was near perfect for my first total eclipse photography session, I will send more pics as I process them. PS pics were taken with a coolpix 4500

Submitted by: Antonopoulos Panayiotis (antonopop@upnet.gr) [2 Apr 06]
Photograph for the guest solar eclipses astrophotography gallery.

Submitted by: jbfe (jbfe@wanadoo.fr) [30 Mar 06]
March 29, Partial Solar Eclipse from France, ETX-70AT with 4mp digital camera

Submitted by: Job Geheniau (geheniau@xs4all.nl) [30 Mar 06]
Perfect suneclips here in The Netherlands. Attached a picture and a movie. All with ETX90.
Click image to see movie (928KB)