Milky Way shot - DPChallenge Forums

Canon RF 24-70mm f/2.8 L IS

07/02/2005 02:04:21 PM · #1

Mounted my 10D on top of my telescope last night for some so-called "piggyback" shots, where the scope's sidereal tracking prevents stars from trailing. Here is one of my shots:

And a link to some larger format, differently processed shots here.

Message edited by author 2005-07-02 23:40:44.

kirbic

Canon EOS R5

07/02/2005 02:35:06 PM · #2

Outstanding John! This is something I've been dying to try, I really want to do it with the 15mm fisheye, for that wiiiide angle view!

skylen

Nikon D200

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5G IF-ED

07/02/2005 02:39:09 PM · #3

Wow!!!! That is such a detailed, clean, bright image. Like something out of a glossy-page astronomy book. Really cool.

So you didn't take it through the telescpoe, but just attached the camera to the telescope for tracking purposes? And used the 50mm lens to directly photograph the image?

marbo

Nikon D5000

Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR II

07/02/2005 02:39:17 PM · #4

That`s excellent, you must have very dark skies.

scalvert

Canon EOS-5D Mark III

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

07/02/2005 02:59:50 PM · #5

Fabulous shot of the Scutum Star Cloud (I presume). Now I'm gonna have to dust off my scope! ;-)

kyebosh

Canon EOS-20D

Canon EF 80-200mm f/2.8L

07/02/2005 03:01:40 PM · #6

Amazing! I think I'd have to drive about an hour+ west to get dark enough skies for a shot like that. Great work there :-)

Canon EF 17-40mm f/4.0L USM

07/02/2005 03:03:29 PM · #7

Kirbic: Your 15mm fisheye has an appointment with my C8 and clear skies somewhere in between Madison and Milwaukee - well maybe west of Madison. Name a time.

Skylen: Yes, the camera was mounted on top of the scope for tracking purposes. The 50mm macro is the highest quality lens I own of medium focal length. I have an 28-105 promaster but it's a piece of crap for astronomy (and most other) purposes. I lust for Kirbic's fisheye.

Here is my friend's medium format film body on my scope, just to illustrate how piggyback works:

Marbo: Me and a friend drove about 35 miles SW of Madison to find these skies. Not a perfect site but worth the drive and we benefitted from a very nice farmer who let us observe from his corn field (if you build it, he will come).

Message edited by author 2005-07-02 15:04:28.

Rikki

Canon EOS-20D

07/02/2005 03:11:50 PM · #8

Originally posted by strangeghost:

Mounted my 10D on top of my telescope last night for some so-called "piggyback" shots, where the scopes sidereal tracking prevents stars from trailing. Here is one of my shots:

And a link to some larger format, differently processed shots here.

will i be able to get this shot if it's mounted on a tripod? does the scope move with the skies so you can get crystal clear imagery?

kirbic

Canon EOS R5

Canon RF 24-70mm f/2.8 L IS

07/02/2005 03:13:35 PM · #9

Originally posted by rikki11:

will i be able to get this shot if it's mounted on a tripod? does the scope move with the skies so you can get crystal clear imagery?

The 'scope moves to track the stars. You need a mount with the proper drive, and the mount needs to be "polar aligned" in order to get this type of image.

07/02/2005 03:21:58 PM · #10

Originally posted by rikki11:

will i be able to get this shot if it's mounted on a tripod? does the scope move with the skies so you can get crystal clear imagery?

Yep, like Kirbic says, you must have an equatorially mounted telescope that has a drive. When properly polar aligned, it nearly perfectly cancels the earth's rotation preventing the stars from trailing.

07/02/2005 04:15:06 PM · #11

excelent shot!!! I had a whole week back in May to try to best my image from last year, but with bad weather all week I barley got any time at the scope.

Too much light pollution around here for me to try again. Maybe im due for a trip to darker skies soon

James

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

07/02/2005 04:21:13 PM · #12

for those wanting to see an example of a long exposure on a NON Equitorial mounted scope with a camera piggybacked, check out my first Milkyway shot.

THis was taken a few years ago.

Milky Way (Alt-Az)

Now compare it to stangeghost image and notice a big differance. THe edges of my photo start to show some rotation.

James

rex

Canon PowerShot SD780

07/02/2005 04:29:35 PM · #13

I am looking in to buying a scope. Not for photos just for me and my kids to look at stuff up close. Any reccomendations from the scope guys here?

scalvert

Canon EOS-5D Mark III

07/02/2005 04:33:49 PM · #14

Hey John, I have the exact same scope and finder. My biggest problem is getting a sharp focus. Any tips?

07/02/2005 04:48:20 PM · #15

Originally posted by rex:

I am looking in to buying a scope. Not for photos just for me and my kids to look at stuff up close. Any reccomendations from the scope guys here?

There are a few key factors involved in buying a scope.
1. How much weight to do want to cary, pack in the car and store in your house.
2. Computer controlled and motor driven, or move it by hand?
3. What do you want to see?
4. Do you want a low maintenance scope, something you want to set up, put away and not worying about a lot of adjusting before you can view?
5. Do you want to be able (one day) controll the scope with your laptop?

once you answer a few of those it will be a lot easier in choosing a scope.

The biggest key factor is the mount and tripod. THe scope is not all that important right now. You need to find a sturdy and accurate Equitorial mount. This will give you best over all flexibility for years to come. Also it needs to be a "GoTo" mount. THis means it has a controller keypad dealy that lets you move the scope and it has a database of between 1,200 and 40,00 objects (depending on the scope model and maker)
Now a good mount as I described above can start out at $700 and co up to $20,000. Of course we all want something under $1,000 and they can be found.

Now once you have decided on which mount to get, then you need to decide if you want a refractor or a reflector.

I honestly remocend an 8 inch SCT (Schmidt Cassegrain Telescope) similar to the pic of stranghost scope. They are realitivly small, but some what heavy. they are optically excelent and offer good power for looking at the planets and galaxies and stuff. and put in a low power eyepiece with a focal reducer and they offer some stunning wide field views.

They start out as a complete package at about $1,100 (maybe more)

Not much is needed in the way of pre-viewing set up other than puttng it on the mount and attaching all your goodies.

There is a site called Astromart.com that once you regster and get approved you can look throught he classified adds and you can get some good deals there.

James

07/02/2005 04:52:41 PM · #16

Originally posted by scalvert:

Hey John, I have the exact same scope and finder. My biggest problem is getting a sharp focus. Any tips?

have you checked the collmination? I know SCT's rarely need it, but it could be off a little bit.

point to a bright star, and defocus it until you have a huge out of focus circle. the out of focus circle should be concentric (sp?) meaning the dark spot in the center should be centered in light area.

check this site for more info
Colimate an SCT

James

Canon RF 24-70mm f/2.8 L IS

07/02/2005 04:56:49 PM · #17

If you mean through the scope (prime focus), no, it's a bastard to get it focused. I have some friends who join the camera to a laptop computer and shot dozens of tests shots while they refine focus, but I'm not that ambitious (and don't have a laptop). The only method I've tried prime focus is to point to a bright star and focus there, and then back to my target. Then tracking errors get you. You have to be polar aligned to within a few arcminutes, and that is not easy to achieve in the field without considerable work. I drift aligned last night but didn't do a very good job of it, mostly because I didn't remember the procedures exactly (been too long).

Focusing for piggyback is quite a bit easier - use the bright star method or aim at distant street or house-lights on the horizon and focus there. Worked pretty well last night.

Originally posted by scalvert:

Hey John, I have the exact same scope and finder. My biggest problem is getting a sharp focus. Any tips?

kirbic

Canon EOS R5

07/02/2005 05:09:06 PM · #18

Another method of focussing a SCT is with a Hartmann mask. hereis what I'm speaking of. It helps, but it sure doesn't make it dead easy. I too find it very difficult to achieve perfect focus using prime focus-mounted camera (T-adapter). It's an acquired skill, and not one which I can say I'm good at, LOL.

rex

Canon PowerShot SD780

07/02/2005 05:38:10 PM · #19

Man James(jab) telescopes have more to worry about then I thought. I just wanted something to take out every now and then and look.

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

07/02/2005 05:55:36 PM · #20

Originally posted by rex:

Man James(jab) telescopes have more to worry about then I thought. I just wanted something to take out every now and then and look.

dont they, here is a pretty good scope for not a whole lot of money
Celestron Refractor

here is another one for even less
114_EQ

James

rex

Canon PowerShot SD780

07/02/2005 05:59:18 PM · #21

Originally posted by jab119:

Originally posted by rex:
Man James(jab) telescopes have more to worry about then I thought. I just wanted something to take out every now and then and look.

dont they, here is a pretty good scope for not a whole lot of money
Celestron Refractor

here is another one for even less
114_EQ

James

Now you are talking in my price range. Whew(wipes sweat off forehead)
I was starting to get skeered.

Telehubbie

Canon EOS-40D

07/02/2005 08:48:20 PM · #22

John, simply amazing! A new favorite for me. I live in the hills in suburban LA, but it's never usually dark enough to see the Milky Way. On a crystal-clear night I can barely see Andromeda if I look to the side of it.

lentil

Canon EOS-5D

Canon EF 135mm f/2.0L USM

07/02/2005 10:22:13 PM · #23

John, i am in awe. :) make sure when you and kribic get together you post the pics. Would love to see them with the fisheye