Deep space

All taken with a Kodak 6.1MP camera mounted to my 120mm refractor.

Constellation of Orion

Pictures top is Betelgeuse the brighter stare to the left of the constellation in Orion. The below it the the constellation itself an 8 sec exposure at ISO 1600 at 28mm you can see Betelgeuse to the left and top is a closeup with through the 28mm eyepiece of my 5 inch scope. It was a pleasant evening for December a little above freezing not much for me. No snow yet so it is still easy for me to take my equipment outdoors I simple do not know how long this will last. It was another spectacular show by mother nature. I enjoyed attending and appreciate her performance.

Cold Lunar night

I am a little surprised to have a warm night like I did last night just above freezing for December I consider a heat wave. So lets not complain. I am not expecting to get out too many more times in the upcoming months. Between cold and snow how much more can I possible expect. The views on a winter night are however pretty spectacular. Somehow the skies appear darker. I don't know if its due to atmospheric cooling or what. Maybe its due because the sun is less. I just come to appreciate the show that mother nature has given me to enjoy.

Horsehead Nebula

My Backyard and beyond

A new set of shots just before the clouds rolled in. Shot with camera piggybacked to eyepiece. With the exception of the jupiterfrar and away shot all pictures were cooled with 52B wratten blue and four multiple layer is Adobe Photoshop. Now if I only had some real equipment.

New shot came out well before the fog rolled in. 600mm at f/5 iso 100 parafocal to a 25mm asp eyepiece.

Orion Rising

Some late night shots. All were taken with a point and shoot camera set at ISO 1600 and an 8sec max exposure.

Tonight

It was a great night some fantastic viewing. I have been visiting places of beauty its more of an appreciation and the knowledge search part has not yet caught up with me yet. Its more of returning to my childhood and enjoying what I once had again, Exploring the universe. I begin to develop my senses at night not only seeing but listening, to those noises like traffic along the boulevard the pattern of noises of vehicles as they diminish as the night wears on. The rustling of leaves on a calm night wild life that scurries around not that I can see but what I can hear. The distant cat, barking dog or slamming door of a neighbor. Birds flighting from trees or are those bats that I hear. The high flights of the larger jets clearing a distant airport maybe Toronto. I developed an appreciation of the beauty of what the universe has to offer. Now just maybe its time to explore.

Tonight

A fair lunar shot. This was off my space cam the pic on top, and the bottom is a 1/4 second exposure at ISO1600 parafocal at 600mm at f/5 and multiple layers through photoshop.

Tonight

Above Jupiter up close and personal,below is Pleides. Good color Top shot is ISO 1600 at 1/4 second exposure. Bottom is same ISO maxed at 8 seconds.

another clear night

So I was at it again last night. Still working at getting a good shot. I am gaining on lunar detail but the deep sky shots are at the limits of my equipment. I need to do some research on what I can afford to what suits my interests as an upgrade. In any event I have added a horizon shot of Jupiter at 50mm wide angle at ISO 3200 about a 1 second exposure.

A Clear Night

Well I was at it again last night. I took advantage of clear skies. The first shot is a group of stars unidentified in the eastern skies after 9 pm I was utilizing framing in my camera with some experimental shutter control when I achieved this shot. I took 300 pictures and netted two good results that I am pleased with. This summer I learned about mosquitoes now I am introduced to cold and dew. The dew has not effected optics after 3 hours of viewing but did effect the observer. I am still figuring it out.

Saturday Night

Pleiades and Jupiter, still learning and still experimenting sooner or later that perfect picture will be mine. Not bad for an hours work. A cloud bank rolled in so it limited my scope time tonight. It is that time of year where I will be battling the elements.

Last night

The top shot is Mizar in the bend of the Big Dipper. I used this shot as a moderate challenge for any astrophotographer. Its also simple to locate and easy to setup to from my driveway. The bottom photo is the camera atop my scope in place of the guidescope.

Tonight

The top shot was an 8 second exposure, max for my camera of the eastern skies at 10:15pm. The moon shot was parafocal camera to 25mm Plossel on my Orion 120St at about 1/125th of a second at ISO 400

New Tonight

Using a FujiFinepix1000, parafocal to a 25mm plossel eyepiece on a 5 inch refractor. 1/250th exposure working at iso 200 f/5

A good night for viewing and some good images.

So I am at it. Still working on some of my shots. This is going to be a long learning curve but it is something that I love.

A long Saturday night

A great night for viewing, a little bit too much turbulence in the atmosphere but a good night just the same.

More Pics

Taking some pictures from my front yard.

New Pics

Moon Video

My first shot modifies 8 layers, It was a one second shot with my new Orion star shooter, directly mounted effectively operating at 600mm at f5. Not bad for a first timer. I only had about an hour of night sky before a cloud bank rolled in.

I shot this a couple of nights ago. Its Beautlegueese the brightest star near the constellation of Orion. It was taken with my digital camera and a 50mm lens operating at f2.8 and about 1.25 second exposure.

Checking out the camera