The Astronomy hobby thread

[Eric Hahl]

Captured M16, The Eagle nebula last night. 19, 5 minute exposures for a total integration of 95 minutes.

[RNajarian]

Thanks to you guys energizing this thread, I’ve dusted off my Celesteon 5 SE and started stargazing again. I picked up an optical imager and a Barlow Lens to try and contribute on this thread.

[Eric Hahl]

Originally Posted by RNajarian

Thanks to you guys energizing this thread, I’ve dusted off my Celesteon 5 SE and started stargazing again. I picked up an optical imager and a Barlow Lens to try and contribute on this thread.

Right on!

[Rtrorkt]

Originally Posted by RNajarian

Thanks to you guys energizing this thread, I’ve dusted off my Celesteon 5 SE and started stargazing again. I picked up an optical imager and a Barlow Lens to try and contribute on this thread.

can you tell me where to get an owner's manual? I believe I have the same unit and need help in understanding its operation.

[RNajarian]

I’ve got a digital copy. PM me your email address, I’ll send you the PDF

[Eric Hahl]

https://www.celestron.com/products/nexstar-5se-computerized-telescope

[Rtrorkt]

Eric, thank you. RN, thank you for the offer

[Eric Hahl]

This one makes me feel small. Just a tiny portion of the sky in Cygnus.

[Eric Hahl]

Andromeda last night. 2.2 hours of exposure.

[flatbutt]

I took a ride to a place with good southern exposure to get a look at Mars. Guys you have got to see it.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by Eric Hahl

Got a little better evening of capturing Jupiter last night. This is a stack of the best 100 frames out a 7000 frame video.

Originally Posted by Eric Hahl

I'm working on it. Yes, seeing was crap. I am right now limited on the resolution I can achieve with the 6" refractor. I'll add a larger, longer focal length telescope later down the road. That'll help resolve the tiny objects. It doesn't help that I'm way up North, under the jet stream, and looking through lots of atmosphere.

If you managed that shot of Jupiter, you can manage a pretty spectacular image of Saturn on the right night. It seems like my best nights out viewing (seeing-wise) were always hot, muggy, still nights with tons of mosquitos. The cold winter nights that were really dark with no haze were nice and dark and contrasty, but often had lousy seeing.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by flatbutt

I took a ride to a place with good southern exposure to get a look at Mars. Guys you have got to see it.

I've seen Mars before when you could see the dark areas and I once saw a polar ice cap on Mars. I wasn't able to see its moons though. I've seen Saturn and its rings and Galilean moons and Jupiter and it's moons and the big red spot. Those two and the moon are some of the most spectacular things in the sky. But I've also marveled at clusters and asterisms and nebulaea and galaxies. Honestly, most of my view has been done under fairly light polluted skies. I did some viewing under moderately dark skies once and was able to see more stuff, more easily with a really cheap pair of Bushnell 10x50 binocs than I was able to see at home with my 8" telescope.

In astronomy, the bigger your instrument the better, but what REALLY matters is how dark your skies are. The way they say "there is no substitute for cubic inches" for motors to make power, for astronomy, "there is no substitute for dark skies." A giant instrument comes a close second.

[tcar]

Originally Posted by Eric Hahl

Andromeda last night. 2.2 hours of exposure.

Duck! Here it comes!

[Eric Hahl]

/\ Probably don't have to duck just yet. Give it 2.5 million years or so.

[Eric Hahl]

Couple of captures from last night. First is the Cygnus wall, a small portion of the North American nebula. This is 2.2 hours of exposures.


Next one is M33, the Triangulum Galaxy. 2.8 hours of exposures.

[Eric Hahl]

Was testing different capture software settings and exposure values on the Elephant trunk nebula. Didn't realize it was gonna be grayscale. Oh well, I learned quite a bit last night.

[Eric Hahl]

Got a new camera. Shot the Elephant trunk and Garnet Star area last night.

[masraum]

Good stuff! Thanks for the update.

[flatbutt]

Eric you sure do have your gear dialed in!

[Eric Hahl]

Thanks guys. I learn a little more each time out. Still lots of room for improvement.