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Captured by
Byron Davies

M-20 Trifid Nebula

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Posts Made By: Tom Masterson

December 23, 2004 05:06 PM Forum: Coronado-Lunt-DayStar Solar Filters

A beautiful Sun today!

Posted By Tom Masterson
Thanks folks!

I still have a long way to go before I'm satisfied with what I'm capturing but its not a bad early attempt. I had my laptop in a cardboard box but it was still tough to tell if I was properly focused. I think I was close because the prominences do show whispy detail when tinkered with. Attached is a shot from the same day exposed and masked for the prominences.

Greg: Help yourself to the photo. I'm glad you feel it represents what can be seen at the eyepiece. Actually that's one of the main goals when I take images.

Don: Nice work tinkering with the photo. Since I compressed it quite a bit for posting, I didn't exactly give you an easy subject to work with. I think the origonal is a 1/2 meg tiff. I sometimes like to rework old images to see if I can get better results. It's a nice rainy day project.

I wish my main imaging rig would come to focus in the PST. I KNOW I'd get higher resolution images with it - oh well. I must admist the LPI does a much better job at imaging prominences - and I'm sure I'll get better with more practice. My AstroVid 2000 has a problem with glare when the gain is turned up for prominence imaging. The window over the ccd reflects the off-axis light into the image.

Clear sunny skies.

Tom Masterson

January 6, 2005 02:58 PM Forum: Coronado-Lunt-DayStar Solar Filters

Pssst! Want to see what's really inside a PST?

Posted By Tom Masterson
Paul:

Great insider's secret! I KNEW it had to be one of two things - captured alien technology from Area 51, or just good ol' fashoned Magic.

I was leaning toward the magic since that's what I see when I look in the eyepiece!

Tom Masterson

January 29, 2005 01:03 AM Forum: Coronado-Lunt-DayStar Solar Filters

Re: NEW ETX-PST40

Posted By Tom Masterson
I have a feeling the price of EXT drive bases is about to go UP!

Mine just arrived today via an Astromart purchase. I'll be tinkering with making an adapter this weekend and then a wedge for a tripod. I gotta tell you this looks like a perfect match between the PST and ETX base. Hummm... a PSTEXT? A ETXPST???

Tom Masterson

February 4, 2005 07:20 PM Forum: Coronado-Lunt-DayStar Solar Filters

Used PST

Posted By Tom Masterson
Mike:

Unfortunately for the bargain hunter the used prices for these scope/filters remain very close to their new price.

This is good news once you aquire one because the value is retained should you decide to upgrade later or if you find it isn't for you after all.

Clear sunny skies.

Tom Masterson

February 21, 2005 05:07 PM Forum: Coronado-Lunt-DayStar Solar Filters

PST Tuning?

Posted By Tom Masterson
Darren:

The PST IS tunable. In the attached photo of my PST, I have a pen pointing to the tuning ring.

From what I remember the very first PSTs didn't have this feature. I'm not sure if any of these actually reached the market. As I recall Coronado delayed shipping of the first units so this feature could be added. To this day some ads show these origonal PSTs. The inset photos show two variations of these un-tunable PSTs - note the lack of a tuning ring.

It could be the comment you mentioned in the ad is is an error, or it was written back before the PST first shipped.

Tom

February 24, 2005 07:31 PM Forum: Coronado-Lunt-DayStar Solar Filters

Sun on 2-23

Posted By Tom Masterson
Yes,WOW! What a sun!

Grabbed a quick shot of it just before it set behind a tree.



Clear skies!

Tom Masterson

April 3, 2005 05:26 PM Forum: Coronado-Lunt-DayStar Solar Filters

Hello out there...

Posted By Tom Masterson
Matthew:

The way the weathers been here the last month I'm not sure I even know that the Sun looks like anymore. There's always stamp collecting.

I've been leaving offers on the Sun god altar but it hasn't worked. Sun god must REALLY be pissed at me. Maybe instead of fruit and flowers I need to offer a small animal. Here kitty kitty kitty....

Tom


April 11, 2005 05:16 PM Forum: Coronado-Lunt-DayStar Solar Filters

SM90-SM90 s-sees f-first l-light!!

Posted By Tom Masterson
Hey Paul, great shot. Nice shield too! With the photo on the backside you can atleast pretend you're looking at the sun on those cloudy days.

The weather here in the Pacific North-WET has me going NUTS too! If it ever clears up I'm afraid I will have forgotten how to even FIND the sun, let alone do any imaging. I keep dusting the cobwebs off the solar equipment and waiting, dusting and waiting and waiting.

Clear and sunny(?) skies
Tom

April 16, 2005 05:20 PM Forum: Coronado-Lunt-DayStar Solar Filters

PST images...first attempts

Posted By Tom Masterson
Nice first attempt Jean. You've taken your first step and you are headed in the right direction. I fell down on my first step, and my second, and third. Early on I had to wear an old motocycle helmet while working on my images. That way I could bang my head on the desk in frustration without brusing it =;^)

Just take as many images as you can and bracket your exposures. Some images that start out looking too bright or too dark can end up processing well.

For me, I seemed to go along without improvement for a while, then poof, I'd hit on something and jump ahead. It feels good when things start to click and you can repeat your results. Even still, after years of practice, there are days like last saturday, when I just don't have the touch.

Keep up the good work and please keep sharing your results.

Clear and sunny skies.

Tom Masterson

April 28, 2005 06:30 PM Forum: Coronado-Lunt-DayStar Solar Filters

Need a little help guys

Posted By Tom Masterson
Bill:

A device like the Sol Ranger is very helpful. After using one you'll get spoiled. The built-in one on my PST works great. I can put the Sun in my eyepiece in a couple seconds.

As for the doublestacking. You are just adding on a second etalon which slightly reduces the bandpass and GREATLY reduces out of bandpass "noise" in the image. This increases contrast in the image. A good visual example of how it looks is available here: http://www.bbso.njit.edu/ Click on "images" on the left hand side, then "latest". Scroll down to the h-alpha thumbs. You'll see the one "normal" image and below it a "contrast enhanced" image. The first image does a good job of showing what the normal filter would show, and the contrast enhanced one resembles a "doublestacked" system image. Notice dark features are darker and light features lighter in the enhanced image. That's what adding a second etalon does for you. Keep in mind these images are software enhanced, but still they show "about" what you'd see visually.


Clear sunny skies
Tom

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