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Posts Made By: Greg Bradley

January 23, 2005 10:42 PM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Solar System

Re: Saturn: the calm before the storm!

Posted By Greg Bradley

Unbelievably good. Just imagine, 20 years ago even space probes didn't take shots as good as that!

Greg.

January 30, 2005 12:24 AM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Solar System

First Saturn Image - advice wanted

Posted By Greg Bradley

Here is my fist Saturn image using a ToUcam and FS 152 scope.

I had it set as follows;
Image controls set to;
25 frames per second
brightness about 40%
saturation -full,
gamma - zero
contrast 50%

camera controls set to;
gain zero
shutter speed 1/25th sec.
auto white balance

It was 3900 frames.

Processed using planetary wizard in K3CCD tools.

Suggestions? It seems not that sharp yet the visual view was stunning and excellent seeing.

TV 2X barlow used as well.

Thanks Greg.


January 30, 2005 02:29 AM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Solar System

Re: Best Opposition Saturn

Posted By Greg Bradley

Oh my god that is stunning!

Can you tell me how you did the shots? Luminance shot, what does that mean?

Did you take separate shots with the diffent colour filters?

Best I have seen, well done. Looks like a NASA shot.

Greg.

January 30, 2005 09:22 PM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Solar System

Re: Saturn, January 28, 2005

Posted By Greg Bradley

Hi Eric,

Can you explain to me how you get your scope to F39?

Is that a 5X powermate or something? Do you mask your corrector plate?

Thanks,

Greg.

February 5, 2005 08:41 AM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Deep Sky

The Jewel Box Open Cluster

Posted By Greg Bradley

Here's one you may not have seen too often. Southern Skies gem. The Jewel Box open cluster.

Taken dark sky site, Darbys Falls NSW Australia.

Nexstar 11 GPS, .63 focal reducer, Nikon D70, Images Plus, Nikon Capture Editor, 6 shots, 3 x 10 seconds, 3 x 15 seconds.

Perfect seeing, very transparent - ideal conditions for a while.

Greg.

February 7, 2005 01:01 PM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Deep Sky

M42 Vixen R200SS

Posted By Greg Bradley

Here is a stack of 11 shots around 60 seconds to 2 minutes autoguided, Vixen R200SS 8 inch F4 Newtonian and a Vixen Sphinx mount. Camera Nikon D70 ISO 1600 Images Plus, Nikon Capture Editor, taken from my backyard in Sydney last week.


February 7, 2005 01:39 PM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Deep Sky

Another Southern Gem Caldwell 091

Posted By Greg Bradley

Quite a beautiful sight. A huge open cluster stunning in a widefield refractor.

Nikon D70, stack of 3 shots, Vixen R200SS, Images Plus, ISO 1600.

Greg.

February 20, 2005 10:56 AM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Deep Sky

Southern Cross from Vanuatu

Posted By Greg Bradley

Just been to the incredibly beautiful South Pacific Island Paradise - Vanuatu. Clear skies so took some shots of the Southern Cross and Crux Area. Coconut trees in foreground.About 75 degrees F, tropical island with lush vegetation and coral reefs.

Nikon D70 50mm Nikkor F2.0 lens, ISO 1600 20 seconds 1/3rd moon, single shot, processed in Nikon Capture Editor software.

The Southern Cross is the 5 star pattern to the bottom left, it is the most well known star pattern in the Southern Hemisphere and is on many nations Flag's. You can work out due south from it.

Greg.

February 24, 2005 12:12 PM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Deep Sky

Large Magellanic Cloud

Posted By Greg Bradley

Large Magellanic Cloud taken at a dark sky site in NSW Australia (4 hours west of Sydney) in Jan.

Nikon D70 5 x 30 seconds, Nikon 180mm ED lens at F2.8, ISO 1600. Combined in Images Plus, processing in Nikon Capture Editor.Piggybacked on an N11.

Greg

February 24, 2005 12:18 PM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Deep Sky

Small Magellanic Cloud

Posted By Greg Bradley

Small Magellanic Cloud is actually a tour in itself with a large enough telescope. There are something like 15 globs in there
and nebulas as well!

Nearby is the fabulous 47 Tucanna glob, surpassed only by Omega Centauri and in some ways a better visual target as it has a very bright core.That is 47 tuc at the bottom of the shot.

Nikon D70, Nikon 180mm ED F2.8 lens, Dark site NSW Australia, Jan, 3 x 30 sec, ISO 1600.

Both the large and small Magellanic clouds are visible to the naked eye at a dark site as a white cloud. The LMC is quite large.

This shot shows some star trailing whereas the same length shot of the LMC shows much less. The LMC is close to the South Celestial Pole, perhaps that is why.

Greg.