Weasner's Meade ETX Guest Gallery

GUEST PLANETARY ASTROPHOTOGRAPHY

Last updated: 4 November 2008

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. You will also find astrophotography examples on the Helpful Information - Astrophotography page.

Submitted by: Jason Melquist [4 Nov 08]
Mike, you have by FAR, the greatest reference site for me and my ETX-105! Thanks to you and everyone for contributing! I got into astronomy about 2 months ago when I bought a cheap telescope for my birthday. The bug bit me something terrible and I returned the scope and got a used ETX-105. Thanks to your site, I made a purchase decision, numerous repairs/improvements and have learned to really enjoy both my scope and my new Astronomy hobby! I really enjoy photography, so i've started down the Astorphotography route. Granted the 105 isn't exactly built for astrophotog, but as a father of 2 young children taking up the hobby with a $500 budget in a northern latitute, and living in the humid, cloudy, light-polluted city of Minneapolis i'm no stranger to obsticals here! I've made Jupiter my primary target this fall as I ramp up into astrophotog as it's a meare 500,000,000 miles away right now. Below, please find a couple of shots I've taken with my trusty Etx105 + Philips SPC900NC webcam and stacked with RegistaxV4. The first is a composite of 2 images, one exposed for the planet the other for the moons. [8/28/2008 100 of 1500 frames] The second is an Animated GIF showing Jupiter's rotation over the course of about an hour (I hope that's OK to post? if not it can be viewed on my flickr account below). [8/28/2008 22 images each created using best 100 of 1500 frames] The 3rd image is my best shot to-date of Jupiter. [9/24/2008 50 of 1500 frames] These and others I've taken can be found on my flickr account http://www.flickr.com/photos/jasmel90/sets/72157608285979312/. For having only a 4" scope, and having it for only 2 months, i'm pretty pleased at the results so far - which is 100% owed to the quality of the scope and to this website which taught me everything I've learned in this recent foray. I would have wasted my $ and given up on Astronomy if it hadn't been for everyone here! thanks again! One Question Mike: as I get more into this, i'll be wanting to image some deep space objects, and even after tuning my RA mechanics I'm struggling with consistant tracking (I'd like to stack 10-15min exposures with my Nikon D80 at prime focus). i'm thinking a "budget" guiding system may be my best path, but i'm having trouble getting GuideDog or PHDGuiding to get my scope to keep up with the tracking star...it's making both RA and Dec movements (AltAz mount), but they are very minimal (maybe 30% as fast as it should be to keep up with the guide star.) I've plugged in my scopes specs, so it should be able to do what i'm asking right? maybe i'm trying to get too much outta this scope? Mike here: Exposures that long are challenging with ANY telescope. While I can't address those autoguiding applications, I would suggest using shorter exposures and increasing the ISO on your D80 for DSO photography. Stacking shorter exposures will effectively yield long exposure times.

Submitted by: Jason Melquist [4 Nov 08]

Mike, you have by FAR, the greatest reference site for me and my ETX-105! Thanks to you and everyone for contributing! I got into astronomy about 2 months ago when I bought a cheap telescope for my birthday. The bug bit me something terrible and I returned the scope and got a used ETX-105. Thanks to your site, I made a purchase decision, numerous repairs/improvements and have learned to really enjoy both my scope and my new Astronomy hobby! I really enjoy photography, so i've started down the Astorphotography route. Granted the 105 isn't exactly built for astrophotog, but as a father of 2 young children taking up the hobby with a $500 budget in a northern latitute, and living in the humid, cloudy, light-polluted city of Minneapolis i'm no stranger to obsticals here! I've made Jupiter my primary target this fall as I ramp up into astrophotog as it's a meare 500,000,000 miles away right now. Below, please find a couple of shots I've taken with my trusty Etx105 + Philips SPC900NC webcam and stacked with RegistaxV4.
The first is a composite of 2 images, one exposed for the planet the other for the moons. [8/28/2008 100 of 1500 frames] The second is an Animated GIF showing Jupiter's rotation over the course of about an hour (I hope that's OK to post? if not it can be viewed on my flickr account below). [8/28/2008 22 images each created using best 100 of 1500 frames] The 3rd image is my best shot to-date of Jupiter. [9/24/2008 50 of 1500 frames]
These and others I've taken can be found on my flickr account http://www.flickr.com/photos/jasmel90/sets/72157608285979312/. For having only a 4" scope, and having it for only 2 months, i'm pretty pleased at the results so far - which is 100% owed to the quality of the scope and to this website which taught me everything I've learned in this recent foray. I would have wasted my $ and given up on Astronomy if it hadn't been for everyone here! thanks again!
One Question Mike: as I get more into this, i'll be wanting to image some deep space objects, and even after tuning my RA mechanics I'm struggling with consistant tracking (I'd like to stack 10-15min exposures with my Nikon D80 at prime focus). i'm thinking a "budget" guiding system may be my best path, but i'm having trouble getting GuideDog or PHDGuiding to get my scope to keep up with the tracking star...it's making both RA and Dec movements (AltAz mount), but they are very minimal (maybe 30% as fast as it should be to keep up with the guide star.) I've plugged in my scopes specs, so it should be able to do what i'm asking right? maybe i'm trying to get too much outta this scope?
Mike here: Exposures that long are challenging with ANY telescope. While I can't address those autoguiding applications, I would suggest using shorter exposures and increasing the ISO on your D80 for DSO photography. Stacking shorter exposures will effectively yield long exposure times.

See the Guest Planets Archive 2008 for photos posted July-October 2008.

See the Guest Planets Archive 2008 for photos posted January-June 2008.

See the Guest Planets Archive 2007 for photos posted August-December 2007.

See the Guest Planets Archive 2007 for photos posted February-June 2007.

See the Guest Planets Archive 2006 for photos posted July-December 2006.

See the Guest Planets Archive 2006 for photos posted June 2006.

See the Guest Planets Archive 2006 for photos posted April-May 2006.

See the Guest Planets Archive 2006 for photos posted March 2006.

See the Guest Planets Archive 2006 for photos posted January-February 2006.

See the Guest Planets Archive 2005 for photos posted November-December 2005.

See the Guest Planets Archive 2005 for photos posted October 2005.

See the Guest Planets Archive 2005 for photos posted August-September 2005.

See the Guest Planets Archive 2005 for photos posted June-July 2005.

See the Guest Planets Archive 2005 for photos posted April-May 2005.

See the Guest Planets Archive 2005 for photos posted January-March 2005.

See the Guest Planets Archive 2004 for photos posted August-December 2004.

See the Guest Planets Archive 2004 for photos posted April-June 2004.

See the Guest Planets Archive 2004 for photos posted Januuary-March 2004.

See the Guest Planets Archive 2003 for photos posted October-December 2003.

See the Guest Planets Archive 2003 for photos posted August-September 2003.

See the Guest Planets Archive 2003 for photos posted January-July 2003.

See the Guest Planets Archive 2002 for photos posted in 2002.

See the Guest Planets Archive 2001 for photos posted in 2001.

See the Guest Planets Archive 2000 for photos posted in 2000.

See the Guest Planets Archive 1998-99 for photos taken 1998 and 1999.

Go back to my ETX Home Page.