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Posts Made By: Charles Hakes

October 17, 2007 02:41 AM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Deep Sky

Expanded spectrum on M16

Posted By Charles Hakes
We got a set of UBVRI filters to measure star temperatures, but you can also have some fun. I haven't seen this version of M16 yet. The R channel is 12min through an IR filter, G is combined BVR, 12 min each (which I would like to re-try sometime with just an IR-blocking luminance filer) and the B channel is 30 minutes through the UV filter. Everything was in 2 minute chunks, as I am still fiddling with autoguiding issues. Things were scaled to the reported QE of the ST-10XE camera. Luminance was just everything added together here, but I realize that there are better ways to do that. Not much processing.

The interesting things are the very red stars like the one to right of upper center that doesn't show up at all in most shots. Also those really bright stars do put out the UV. Since I just took this last night I haven't looked up the details of spectral classfication on the stars in this one, but M16 is certainly one of the younger ones. If anyone has suggestions or comments, they would be welcome. I already know I have a lot to learn about the effects of IR on my CCD. Some of the "odd" effects on those bright stars are likely from that.

Charlie

October 18, 2007 11:49 AM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Deep Sky

August Whirlpool

Posted By Charles Hakes
While I am looking through my autoguiding test data, (shortly after new guidescope, camera, and software) here is an image of the Whirlool galaxy. There is a total of 17 minutes (mixed timelength). The darks were from several days away and off by a fraction of a degree, so there is still some noise you can see. I just added everything and did a mid-range brighten and contrast adjust in CCDSoft. I am very happy with the results/effort ratio here.

Charlie

October 25, 2007 04:41 PM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Deep Sky

M1

Posted By Charles Hakes
Here is my first try at the Crab nebula. It was a late night, "extra target", shot from last month that I finally had some time to process. This one just needs more time attached, maybe when it is up at a more convenient time of night.

L:R:G:B is 10:7:7:7 minutes in one minute subs.

Charlie

Scope - Meade 16" LX200, mounted Alt-Az; field de-rotator; f6.3 focal reducer
Focus - JMI Motofocus
Camera - SBIG ST-10XE; binned 2x2 (~.88"/pixel)
Software - CCDSoft; TheSky; PHDGuiding
Guiding - Meade 5"/DSI/PHD

October 27, 2007 06:31 AM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Deep Sky

This could be fun

Posted By Charles Hakes
I took my first shot in H-alpha tonight. This is the narrower CS filter from SBIG. It has actually taken several evenings of scope "fiddling" without getting much done to get to this point, but most of that is another story. This was a total of 48 minutes with 3 minutes subs. I probably re-focused twice in the middle, and re-started autoguiding 4-5 times. (Arrggg! ^%$#@) But I only had to toss ~4 subs. Maybe another night I can try the SII and OIII, and get my own Hubble image, but for some reason the threads on this filter don't fit quite right on that wheels. (This is the third filter with screwy threads, has anyone else had this problem?) Oh well.

I think this narrow band stuff is a great idea for a full moon. Especially since I totally forgot I could look for a comet.

Charlie

Details:
Scope - Meade 16" LX200; mounted Alt-Az with field de-rotator; f6.3 focal reducer
Focus - JMI Motofocus
Camera - SBIG ST-10XE; binned 2x2 (~.88"/pixel)
Software - CCDSoft; TheSky; PHDGuiding
Guiding - Meade 5"/DSI/PHD

November 2, 2007 12:00 PM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Deep Sky

OIII not as much fun

Posted By Charles Hakes
After the "easy" H-alpha shot I got with the mostly full moon, I thought this should have gone much smoother - better observing conditions, etc. But things did not cooperate. I took one set of 4 minute exposures on one night, but ended up throwing out too many and not getting as much data as I wanted. The second night I used 3 minutes and saved more. Since I noticed a rotation from my H-alpha shot, I tried to correct. Anyway, there is a total of 99 minutes. The focus/autoguiding on some of them wasn't what I had hoped, but I included everything that wasn't totally whacky.

So waddaya think - keep going for more data? Be more selective in what I add in? Just work on processing? Thanks for any suggestions.

Charlie

November 4, 2007 01:09 AM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Deep Sky

Narrow M42

Posted By Charles Hakes
I paused on my narrow band M16 for a while (it was hazy last evening) so got a chance at M42 early this morning.

The threads on my Ha filter are still flaky, so I took it out and put in the IR filter, which I wanted to do anyway, since it would catch many more of the tiny stars that are in this star forming region. I'm sorry I can't tell you the total time on the different channels yet, but it was between 10 and 20 minutes with 15sec shots for OIII and 1 minute shots for SII. Then 1sec for IR and .25 sec for the clear filter. I combined things after exposing this morning, and am not completely sure of the procedure - I just wanted a quick and dirty "result" to look at. I did a "midrange brighten" in CCDSoft and then fiddled with brightness and contrast to get something somewhat pleasing on each of the different channels. The color combine in CCDSoft was just moving the sliders until the color looked sort-of ballanced. When I get some time, I will see how I can get some Ha to add. Maybe I can somehow combine SII and IR to get those nice little stars, and use Ha for Green to get that great Hubble pallette that I like so much. And more time to process what I already shot...

Charlie

November 9, 2007 02:55 AM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Deep Sky

M42 luminosity

Posted By Charles Hakes
There is a grand total of 20 seconds of exposure here, in 0.2sec chunks via CCDSoft. Sorry, but I think processing is @#$%^. I tried to get as many stars near the trapezium as I could, but I think it is really hard! Is there an easier way?

Anyway, this is supposed to be part of my effort going towards a narrow band image that is still a work in progress. When I get some "more better" pieces I can post.

Charlie

November 17, 2007 12:55 PM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Deep Sky

Widefield mount options?

Posted By Charles Hakes
A while back I got a Canon lens mount adapter for an SBIG ST-10XE, but have had way too many other projects in the (very long!) queue to try this out. (I still do, but now is as good a time a any to ask the question.) I really want to minimize the learning curve, so I am asking for input suggestions on my mount options. My Canon lens options range from 19mm - 400mm.

First option is a Meade LXD55 mount that no longer has a scope on it. Does this one autoguide? I could attach the camera directly onto that mount and just use the SBIG internal guider. The advantage of this is a relatively "small" setup and not having to deal with another scope. But will this be steady enough? Is this good enough for the wide end of the lenses but not the long end? I just don't want to waste too much time fumbling around in the dark and cursing...

First and a half option. Use the LXD55, but add an 80mm short tube that is abailable to use for guiding.

Second option would be piggyback on a 10" LX200 f6.3 scope. The advantage for this is I am already familiar with the LX200 software and the mount is definitely a bit beefier. But I would rather not have to set up so much "stuff".

Third option is start from scratch at get the best possible mount... which is what?

Thanks for any opinions.
Charlie


November 20, 2007 03:07 AM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Deep Sky

M1 last night

Posted By Charles Hakes
Early this morning I finally had some clear sky and free time at the same time. (!) This is 29 minutes total of luminosity. Also, this is my first cut at using some new (for me) software - the SigmaBeta10 program to combine the images and AstroArt for some manipulation. Still reduced and aligned in CCDSoft. Floating point is a great option that apparently doesn't appear in CCDSoft and sure gives me lots more "room". (Now I apparently have LOTS of old data I can go back and play with. That should keep me busy for quite a while.) After saving this as a jpeg, I think this processing could have been a bit more delicate, but I trust that will come with practice.

I also took some H-alpha last night, but had all sorts of unexpected issues with the dark frames for those. I'll maybe get to look into that tomorrow. I will also post an "earlier" M1 image for compare and contrast. Thanks for looking - comments welcome.

Charlie

Details:
Scope - Meade 16" LX200; mounted Alt-Az with field de-rotator; f6.3 focal reducer
Focus - JMI Motofocus
Camera - SBIG ST-10XE; binned 2x2 (~.88"/pixel)
Guiding - Meade 5"/DSI/PHD

March 24, 2008 02:09 AM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Deep Sky

Should have taken the camera.

Posted By Charles Hakes
(The picture is from last summer.) I finally made it back to the FLC observatory after three months of it (and us) being buried in snow. I was able to get some great help with a bit of road plowing, but as it is, a large irrigation pipe has drifted over the road and I still had to hike in the last quarter mile. Then had to use a "banjo" shovel instead of a snow shovel (that I forgot in the Jeep when I started walking!) to clear the door. (Who put that on the north side?!) I had to reset a breaker, but everything powered on OK. (hooray) The drifts are still at least a couple of feet deep, but melting fast. March is supposed to be our snowiest month, but so far it has been extra dry.

Should be able to start observing here again by next weekend. Unless it snows again. For lots or reasons, we decided to leave the telescope here over the winter (its first time for that), but of course then we got more snow than the last few years. At least Purgatory is staying open an extra week this year.

I sure have enjoyed browsing all the other great shots.

back to skiing...
Charlie


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