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After the first snowstorm of the year the sky cleared and allowed me to play with Nightscape Image gathering and Processing. The image below was shot with a Canon 1100D on a CG4 (with tracking) mount, It was shot for 20 seconds at f/3.5 and ISO 1600. Still trying to find the settings sweet spot for capturing these type images with this set-up.
I took three images back-to-back, but DSS doesn't like to play with all three. PS2 stacking gives me some crazy lines with different exposures from upper corne to opposite lower corner. I'll go back and research what I am doing wrong.
So this image is a single exposure in .jpeg format. I tried a different method to get the foreground to come from pitch black to what you see below. It is still noisey and that's what happens when I shoot at anything over ISO 800 with a camera lens on. It felt great to actually be outside with a clear (mind you cool and humid) sky, especially after we had three days of not being able to see more than a 1/4 mile.
Gabrielle See Far Sticks: Elita 103/1575, AOM FLT 105/1000, Bresser 127/1200 BV, Nočný stopár 152/1200, Vyrobené doma 70/700, Stellarvue NHNG DX 80/552, TAL RS 100/1000, Vixen SD115s/885 EQ: TAL MT-1, Vixen SXP, SXP2, AXJ, AXD Az/Alt: AYO Digi II, Stellarvue M2C, Argo Navis encoders on both Tripods: Berlebach Planet (2), Uni 28 Astro, Report 372, TAL factory maple, Vixen ASG-CB90, Vixen AXD-TR102 Diagonals: Astro-Physics, Baader Amici, Baader Herschel, iStar Blue, Stellarvue DX, Tak prism, TAL, Vixen Eyepieces: Antares to Zeiss (1011110) The only culture I have is from yogurt
The usual way around this problem is to capture a handful of images in rapid succession. 3-4 is usually enough. Although more images result in lower noise, if you capture too many, then there is too much relative movement between horizon and sky. Then split the skies and landscapes using alpha masks, stack the skies in one stack, stack the landscapes in another, then composite them back together again.
cheers
Joe
Amateur astronomer since 1978...................Web site :http://joe-cali.com/ Scopes: ATM 18" Dob, Vixen VC200L, ATM 6"f7, Stellarvue 102ED, Saxon ED80, WO M70 ED, Orion 102 Maksutov, ST80. Mounts: Takahashi EM-200, iOptron iEQ45, Push dobsonian with Nexus DSC, three homemade EQ's. Eyepieces: TV Naglers 31, 17, 12, 7; Denkmeier D21 & D14; Pentax XW10, XW5, Unitron 40mm Kellner, Meade Or 25,12 Cameras : Pentax K1, K5, K01, K10D / VIDEO CAMS : TacosBD, Lihmsec. Cam/guider/controllers: Lacerta MGEN 3, SW Synguider, Simulation Curriculum SkyFi 3+Sky safari Memberships Astronomical Association of Queensland; RASNZ Occultations Section; Single Exposure Milky Way Facebook Group (Moderator) (12k members), The Sky Searchers (moderator)
Hi Brent, great image! That starry sky & tree line reminds me of being out there when I was an ankle-biter
Thanks for that and all the best,
Mark
"The Hankmeister" Celestron 8SE, orange tube Vixen made C80, CG4, AZ-EQ5 and SolarQuest mounts.
Too much Towa glass/mirrors.
Solar:
H/A - PST stage 2 mod with a Baader 90mm ERF on a Celestron XLT 102 (thanks Mike!)
Ca-K - W/O 61mm, Antares 1.6 barlow, Baader 3.8 OD and Ca-K filters with a ZWO ASI174mm.
W/L - C80-HD with Baader 5.0 & 3.8 Solar film, Solar Continuum 7.5nm and UV/IR filters with a Canon EOS 550D. Member of the RASC
