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Posts Made By: Charles Hakes

April 12, 2010 02:12 AM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Deep Sky

First galaxy this season.

Posted By Charles Hakes
The snow finally got cleared! Actually, there was still a good pile this afternoon, but the road got plowed a couple of weeks ago, and I was able to slosh through the mud a couple of times in the last week. I was moderately surprised that we could just turn everything on and start. (!) This is M96, which has not been imaged before at the FLC observatory. Details are at:

http://www.fortlewis.edu/observatory/image_detail.asp?ID=184

Charlie

April 17, 2010 01:50 PM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Deep Sky

Splinter and Black Eye

Posted By Charles Hakes
Sounds like I might get hurt doing black eyes and splinters.

Here is one new image (M64), taken last week by a couple of students during a lab. (My processing though).

http://www.fortlewis.edu/observatory/image_detail.asp?ID=187

... and one forgotten image from last summer (NGC 5907) that never got reduced or processed until last night. (Who knows why? I am pretty sure I was not the one clicking the shutter that night.) I discovered this while trying to clean up and archive disk space:

http://www.fortlewis.edu/observatory/image_detail.asp?ID=188

I like being able to keep the image descriptions organized on the new web site, and then going back to fill in details when I get a chance. Let me know if the image pages are missing some important detail.

Thanks for looking,
Charlie


April 17, 2010 11:18 PM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Solar System

Pluto

Posted By Charles Hakes
I don't usually frequent this forum, but while sifting through unprocessed observatory data from last fall I came across this image of pluto and processed it this morning. Didn't have the right darks, and the flats were from a "close" day, but at least you can tell what is what.

http://www.fortlewis.edu/observatory/image_detail.asp?ID=191

Enjoy,
Charlie

April 17, 2010 11:35 PM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Deep Sky

Something old, something new

Posted By Charles Hakes
New image of M67. A target of opportunity. This is what I used to focus on before taking the M96 galaxy last week.

http://www.fortlewis.edu/observatory/image_detail.asp?ID=183

And still sorting through 2009 data today and found 5 unprocessed luminance frames of M2, so I processed them (only 10 minutes though):

http://www.fortlewis.edu/observatory/image_detail.asp?ID=189

Charlie

April 19, 2010 11:45 PM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Deep Sky

Re: Markarian's Chain

Posted By Charles Hakes
Lots of good stuff in here. I agree - keep going deeper and add more.

April 28, 2010 07:50 PM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Deep Sky

M17

Posted By Charles Hakes
Here is a start to another project. Color balance? This is what came out. I have another version where I hit "auto-color", but I thought this one looked interesting as is. I will need to add more time to those dark dusty areas - they are like a completely different object and need way more time. And narrow band should be coming. A full resolution version, with processing details is here:

http://www.fortlewis.edu/observatory/image_detail.asp?ID=194

There are a couple of other (older) versions linked on the site, too.

Charlie

May 2, 2010 03:57 AM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Deep Sky

NGC 2158 and evening time lapse

Posted By Charles Hakes
Companion to M35. Something to do when the moon is out.

http://www.fortlewis.edu/observatory/image_detail.asp?ID=195

And I took a time lapse series of the evening:

http://www.fortlewis.edu/observatory/image_detail.asp?ID=196

May 4, 2010 11:39 PM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Deep Sky

Re: New equipment

Posted By Charles Hakes
I have access to an LXD-55 (similar) mount that I am in the process of setting up to take widefield shots. I have had some success with really wide DSLR views when I could get it really lined up with the pole. However, the biggest issue is that it does not have a standard autoguiding port. I recently purchased a "909 clone" of a Meade adapter that is no longer made that should allow guiding. Unfortunately I have not had a chance to complete testing of this via a GPUSB adapter. Definitely not the most straightforward setup I have ever seen. If it turns out autoguiding does work, then I will be able to test with a pair of 80mm scopes - one to guide and one to image. And will certainly report on what I find. Although this mount came with a Meade 5" refractor, it feels minimal for even the smaller scopes for imaging. Your 130mm sure sounds big.

Here is an example with a 110mm fl camera lens. I thought the tracking was great (for no guiding) this time, but you can still tell the stars got streaked.
http://www.fortlewis.edu/observatory/image_detail.asp?ID=179

Charlie

May 5, 2010 11:12 PM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Deep Sky

put down the mouse and step away from the color...

Posted By Charles Hakes
Darn clear skies back home and I am trapped on travel. So here is M17 again.

This is about the sixth time I re-did the color balance from scratch, each time rationalizing something "better." The original image can be seen here:

http://www.fortlewis.edu/observatory/image_detail.asp?ID=194

I started calculating better extinction vs. elevation angles, realizing that M17 is pretty low in the sky, which means lots more blue. But! What about when Utah sends a good fraction of it's topsoil over Colorado? Even more blue needed and nothing to do with Rayleigh. (note to self - have a list of "white" stars handy for calibration) I realize this is not even the "correct" filter set for post card pictures, but I think the same arguments about scaling vs. wavelength should apply.

So... What, if anything, do you do to change the color balance vs. elevation, if you are only wanting the picture to "look" right. Calculate adjustments to scale factors? Just hit auto-white? Adjust balance to please the cat? Nothing?

And finally, how does this new balance look on a different monitor than mine?

Thanks for looking,
Charlie

May 14, 2010 01:47 AM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Deep Sky

M67

Posted By Charles Hakes
Yes, did this one recently, but this version has different filters, more time, guiding, better processing, more care, etc...

http://www.fortlewis.edu/observatory/image_detail.asp?ID=199

Charlie

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