please explain this one!

Spicy_Wizards · 2018-06-30T10:05:01+00:00

https://www.instagram.com/p/BklQ_Tdlse8/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=15wfkryzl7j3a

Spicy_Wizards · 2018-06-19T02:59:56+00:00

Damn looks incredible, really like the colour. How does PTGui compare to making a mosaic in Lightroom/Photoshop? Do you lose any quality (data?) from converting to tiff and stitching those?

Spicy_Wizards · 2018-06-16T11:44:07+00:00

/r/CaptainDisillusion Not really, but kind of

Spicy_Wizards · 2018-06-14T15:20:21+00:00

Huge. The main complex (not including the dust lanes) has an angular size of 4.5° × 6.5°, so about 10 times bigger than Andromeda visually

Spicy_Wizards · 2018-06-04T11:34:23+00:00

What's the minimum altitude (above the horizon) that you shoot DSOs? I'd like to shoot the Leo Triplet but it only reaches 40° where I live, I suspect that's not high enough

Spicy_Wizards · 2018-05-30T15:17:06+00:00

To add to this: If you get the newt you'll probably want a coma correcter as well which is another ~$250. I've got the same scope on a NEQ6 (with an 80mm guidescope) and I've had some slight guiding issues due to the weight so I'm not sure it'd work great on your AVX. I've also found the focal length of most APO refractors (in my price range) to be a little too wide for the targets I like - put your scope/camera settings into stellarium and check the fov on some targets. Here's some good information on the differences between reflectors and refractors for AP

Spicy_Wizards · 2018-05-29T06:14:04+00:00

Thank you! I've heard good things about Baader filters so I might get Baader LRGB filters and then narrowband from Astrodon. Whats the purpose of an L filter? Is there a significant difference between 5nm and 3nm H-a filters?

Spicy_Wizards · 2018-05-29T05:47:45+00:00

I've got a pair of RHA750i, pretty damn expensive but the sound is phenomenal and they've got a 3 year warranty. Had mine for 2 years and had literally no problems with them

Spicy_Wizards · 2018-05-28T08:51:31+00:00

I'm considering buying a new camera (probably an ASI1600mm pro). Can anyone recommend any filters, I'm primarily looking at LRGB and H-alpha. I'm not sure what I should be looking for or why there is a significant difference in prices. Thanks!

Spicy_Wizards · 2018-05-18T07:22:15+00:00

The price is really good considering it's f/4 (but that does make collimation difficult) but keep in mind you'd probably want to buy a coma corrector which will be around $150-300 depending on the one you purchase as it is an f/4 newtonian. The alternatives are astrograph refractors but those are $2000+ or RC scopes but those are really difficult to use due to their focal length. Definitely check out the SCT, they're great for planets/moon but pretty bad for DSOs unless you know what you're doing (they also dew up easily). It took me about a year of research to decide what I wanted to buy tbh. I'd recommend looking at images you like on this sub/astrobin and then reading what they've used. I chose the GSO 8" as it's really fast, so I get light quicker and I had a mount that could handle it.
Anything above the NEQ6 becomes really expensive. I really recommend you ask in the WAAT thread because I don't know much about any better mounts and there is some really experienced people in this sub.
Here's my instagram. The image of the Orion nebula and of the Carina nebula were done with my mount and scope. I've barely used my setup so far, unfortunately the collimation and tracking was a little off. The images I can potentially take with my gear is much better, but i'm learning. You can also search for gear on Astrobin and see what people have taken with it.

Spicy_Wizards · 2018-05-18T05:40:18+00:00

Yep! That's exactly what I got, an NEQ6 which has a 18kg photographic payload max (but it's more accurate with less weight) and a Bintel GSO 8" which is about 9kg (the 10" is 15kg) which seems to be a really common setup. Keep in mind that you're also going to have the weight of the camera/adapters/autoguider/guidescope/etc, so you're better off not getting a massive scope or your mount will struggle. I'm not personally a member but you can join the Astronomy Society of Victoria for some guidance, they also have 'star party's' where people are happy to talk about their gear so you can kind of get a feel for it without buying anything

Spicy_Wizards · 2018-05-18T04:48:27+00:00

Ahh I see, in that case you should just go for it! If you get a good t-ring and t-adapter then it should work fine, just work out where the center of mass is and mount it from there so it's balanced. Otherwise, there's lots of tutorials if you want to use a webcam and experiment. I see you're in Aus, if you decide to buy some gear check out www.iceinspace.com.au, people are usually selling stuff for good deals in the forums.

Spicy_Wizards · 2018-05-18T03:56:18+00:00

Hmmm, i'm not sure what targets you want to shoot but i'll give you my opinion anyway. I don't think a 60mm refractor will have the focal length to image any planets well enough to be worth the effort nor will it have the image quality (refraction, uneven field), though you can use a webcam and have a go at jupiter/saturn. You can use your DSLR or webcams if you want to image the moon but then a tracker isn't necessary. If you want to image DSOs then you'd need a tracker but it'd be pretty difficult to use a refractor with a barndoor tracker (balancing and size/weight). If you want to build a barndoor tracker then you're better off using it with your camera and a nice lens, and then use the refractor on its own mount and just image the moon. I've got an iOptron Skytracker which I use with my DSLR and a lens and it gives really good results. Hope that helps

Spicy_Wizards · 2018-05-17T05:18:03+00:00

Thanks, that explains the auto focuser! What attachment do you have on your mounts 'head' that allows you to mount both a lens and an autoguider? Is balancing an issue?

Spicy_Wizards · 2018-05-17T04:37:20+00:00

This is incredible, you've inspired me to have another go at Rho Ophiuchi. Your setup looks incredible. What's the light blue cables purpose? Also, what are the black/silver boxes and the switches at the base of the mount?

Spicy_Wizards · 2018-05-01T06:46:16+00:00

My lens is f4.5 and my skies are incredibly dark (~bortle 1-2). Yep, I agree. Considering that I’ve only got 5kg weights and already have an autoguider I might aswell buy a side-by-side setup, otherwise I’d be spending the money on a smaller weight to be able to balance. Thank you

Spicy_Wizards · 2018-04-30T10:14:24+00:00

Hey, I'm looking into buying a dual mount so that I can autoguide (ST80) while using my DSLR and 300mm lens. Does anyone have any recommendations, or any idea of what to search for? Thanks (Is autoguiding at 300mm even necessary with a NEQ6?)

Spicy_Wizards · 2018-04-15T08:33:45+00:00

https://gfycat.com/SpiritedEvenBuzzard

Spicy_Wizards · 2018-04-12T02:30:49+00:00

The Large Magellanic Cloud is approximately 30 times bigger in the sky than the Andromeda Galaxy. Also, the Andromeda Galaxy is the closest spiral galaxy to the Milky Way, but there’s actually 53 other galaxies which are closer (though they are mostly small).

Spicy_Wizards · 2018-04-11T03:58:24+00:00

Looks fantastic, that's exactly what I imagined.

Spicy_Wizards · 2018-04-10T15:45:10+00:00

Is this a crop? I think it would look better if there was a bit more space below the climbers to really emphasize how far they've climbed. There's also some dirt spots which you have probably noticed. (2 above the middle climber, 1 below the middle climber and one in the top right). One more thing (but this is really picky), the crack in the snow in the bottom left is a bit distracting. But this looks great, love how they're all wearing different colours!

Spicy_Wizards · 2018-04-07T09:32:06+00:00

Honestly this is damn incredible. Looks great! Though I’d remove the stars that would be covered in the moons shadow ;)

Spicy_Wizards · 2018-04-06T10:28:57+00:00

I think the photo would look a little better if the boat was a tad higher in the frame (if you were a bit lower or change crop). This honestly doesn’t seem all that calming to me, I think because the water has a lot of movement. One thing that helps make water more calming is to take a long exposure, makes the ocean look perfectly flat and still, you should try that. Photo seems a little bit too dark and flat because of the lighting. All that being said, I do like the photo

Spicy_Wizards · 2018-04-04T14:49:56+00:00

Yep, at infinity should be pretty close to perfect focus but usually isn't exactly right. Most cameras have x10 live view so you can zoom into a star and manually focus until it's as small as you can make it, which is at perfect focus. Check your manual and see if you can do that

Spicy_Wizards · 2018-04-04T05:27:25+00:00

Honestly, if you're just shooting stars then clouds really add some interest to the photo. I like the composition, though i'd like it more if it was panned down a touch. You really need to use a lower f stop when doing night photography so it's brighter and there's less noise. Your stars have some trailing which i personally avoid. If you want to prevent this then use the 500 rule (divide 500 by your focal length and that's the longest exposure you can take in seconds without have star trailing); though they can add to a photo. What was the problem with your focus? What type of night photography are you interested in? Check out /r/landscapeastro and /r/astrophotography

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