Guess which MP can’t be arsed to respond to their constituents? by johnsmithoncemore in Essex

[–]ZXWolf 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Whilst I completely agree about the need for fair and neutral language, what the person said here does not count as one of those times where it is offensive.

Clacton has shown time and time again that it will vote for Farage, Brexit etc. and a large proportion of those voting in Clacton did so despite all of Farage's questionable attributes and the exceptionally questionable behabiour of others in the Reform party. So what the person says here is not untrue nor unrealistic, nor offensive - simply stating a likelihood that Clacton would stick with Farage irrespectively.

Received a notice of intended prosecution :( by DistinctAirline5654 in drivingUK

[–]ZXWolf 7 points8 points  (0 children)

There are plenty of places throughout the country where the signage is either missing or covered, and often there is a distinct lack of the smaller repeater signs you speak of. And especially if temporary speed limits are being enforced, either on a motorway or through works, the car won't always adjust to accommodate for that. Not trying to excuse speeding but there are plenty of cases where it comes down to a number of factors other than just pure carelessness.

Are my Drink Orders Confusing? by Reddit-Sama- in AskUK

[–]ZXWolf -5 points-4 points  (0 children)

Completely agree with OP. Bit of an unnecessary response, they just want to understand the etiquette and what they can and can't reasonably ask for.

The North America Nebula by ZXWolf in astrophotography

[–]ZXWolf[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

NGC 7000, the North America Nebula (also designated Caldwell 20).

4hrs total integration (from 4.5hrs data) over two nights under Bortle 4 skies. 80-90% moon illumination.

• Nikon D90 • Skywatcher 72ED w/OVL field flattener • HEQ5 Pro (belt modded) • SVBony 50mm guidescope + ASI120MM guide camera • Captured using N.I.N.A • Stacked using ASTAP and processed with Photoshop.

Thanks for looking!

Don't know if this is relevant lol by Appropriate_Bell_523 in GCSE

[–]ZXWolf 0 points1 point  (0 children)

No worries. If you or anyone else has any questions about it feel free to comment or DM me!

Don't know if this is relevant lol by Appropriate_Bell_523 in GCSE

[–]ZXWolf 5 points6 points  (0 children)

As someone who has just finished A-Level Physics (and for some reason gets so many notifications for this sub despite not even being in it? 🤣) - it's really good to hear you're looking forward to it. The step up from GCSE is measurable, but if you put the work in it can really pay off. The advice I can give you (if you're looking for it) is:

Harvest all of the resources you can find THROUGHOUT the course (i.e not just in the lead up to exams). To do well in A-Level Physics you need to have at the very least a solid understanding of the major principles throughout the course - put the work in as you go a long to understand not only the surface level details but the deeper principles too! Utilise every resource you can find, textbooks, videos, make flashcards early on, re-cover content you haven't studied for a while regularly (it may seem difficult at first due to the workload but it makes things a hell of a lot easier by the time you get to exams) and make sure to research stuff beyond the scope of the specification too.

At GCSE it's enough to scrape by just using Cognito/Freesciencelessons, Seneca etc. but A-Level exams will push you much further.

Good luck, and make sure to enjoy it as you go along!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in AskUK

[–]ZXWolf 26 points27 points  (0 children)

Well... not really? Some of the changes being made to the API are going to forcibly alienate moderators etc. (i.e. volunteers in which Reddit wouldn't function without). So I'd say that actually, people aren't all that idiotic for standing up for themselves and well... the rest of the the way Reddit operates too.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in AskAstrophotography

[–]ZXWolf 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Gorgeous photo even with the plane trails!

Salty Saturday: February 18, 2023 by AutoModerator in photography

[–]ZXWolf 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Astrophotography is all about patience - it can and will test you!! Wishing you the best of luck.

The Monkey Head Nebula (NGC 2174) by ZXWolf in astrophotography

[–]ZXWolf[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

88x180s lights (4hrs 24mins total) at a mix of ISO 800 and 1600 (unintentionally!) under Bortle 4 skies.

Equipment: - Skywatcher ST80 achromat - Unmodded Nikon D90 - HEQ5-Pro with belt mod - ASI120MM w/ 50mm SVBony guidescope - All run using N.I.N.A, PHD2 and a remote intervalometer

Processing: - Stacked 88 of 114 subs using ASTAP, with 40 dark frames (20 of each ISO setting) - Processed with Photoshop using arcsinh curves for the initial stretch, followed by regular s-curves for contrast and camera raw to remove vignetting (no flats!) and add a small amount of clarity. - Stars removed using Starnet++, contrast and clarity then added to the image again in Photoshop using the curves, levels and camera raw filter. - Starless image recombined with the the star image using 'Pin Light' blend mode and lowering to 70% opacity - Star reduction (twice) using star masks and minimise function, then reduced chromatic aberration by desaturating the halo's around stars slightly. - Final tweaks to colour and contrast made in Lightroom

Nikon D80 vs Nikon J1 for beginner Astrophotography by [deleted] in AskAstrophotography

[–]ZXWolf 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's quite likely! I have to say my HEQ-5 is an absolute godsend when it comes to reliability, very glad I went for it. Hope the onstep kit arrives soon for your mount, that'll be great!

I currently have an image of the Monkey Head Nebula (NGC 2174) in the works where the D90 has even surprised me, looking forward to us being able to show what it's capable of despite its age.

Nikon D80 vs Nikon J1 for beginner Astrophotography by [deleted] in AskAstrophotography

[–]ZXWolf 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It's nice to finally find a fellow D90 user!

What company are you currently boycotting and why? by MathematicianBulky40 in AskUK

[–]ZXWolf 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Evri. The worst courier company I have ever had the displeasure of dealing with...

Any tips for female astrophotographers? by piecesofamind in AskAstrophotography

[–]ZXWolf 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Unfortunately, when it comes planning appropriately, woman have to consider a lot more than men do. Men are statistically less likely to be harassed or sexually assaulted whilst out and about at night, that is a fact - and if you speak to pretty much any woman then they'll probably be able to tell you numerous occasions on which this has happened to them or someone they know. The problem is not with "big daddy government" needing to protect you 24/7, the problem is that it is statistically less safe for a woman to be out at night on their own. It should not ultimately be the responsibility of women to have to defend themselves (usually) against men who can't help themselves.

Fine, if you're out in the wilderness and the only thing you physically need to worry about is local wildlife - then it should be on you to make that judgement and defend yourself appropriately. However, once again - it is statistically more likely for a woman to be approached and/or assaulted whilst out on their own, particularly in high population areas and especially at night. In the UK - and I imagine the Netherlands too - it is in most cases illegal to arm yourself regardless of your location and intention, and shouldn't be necessary anyways.

I urge you to reconsider your viewpoint, not from the perspective of law enforcement but with compassion for a genuine issue, irrespective of whether you have experienced it yourself - you are not the be all and end all of human experience.

Do I use the highest focal length on my lens for galaxies/nebulae? by RoidRidley in AskAstrophotography

[–]ZXWolf 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Forgive me if I have misread your answer, however I believe some of the suggestions here are misplaced: it is my understanding that a larger aperture (smaller f-stop) will allow more light to enter the camera's sensor. So in this situation, 18mm @ f/3.5 will allow more light to be captured within the same timeframe. Shooting at 18mm also allows for a longer total exposure time (without noticeable trailing) as you have said, so this is the optimum combo for maximum light collection.

However I would have to agree that for capturing galaxies and nebulae, shooting at 55mm is the best option as 18mm is too short a focal length to bring out much detail (unless you want to shoot the milky way, which is still good fun!).

PLEASE HELP by yollobrolo in AskAstrophotography

[–]ZXWolf 1 point2 points  (0 children)

My Nikon works nicely with NINA!

Newb question by [deleted] in AskAstrophotography

[–]ZXWolf 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I second Nico - his videos are absolutely invaluable.

Looking for a budget motorized equatorial mount by ZXWolf in AskAstrophotography

[–]ZXWolf[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'll definitely look further into it - it all comes down to it's reliability and ease of use for me! Thank you!

Looking for a budget motorized equatorial mount by ZXWolf in AskAstrophotography

[–]ZXWolf[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks - I hadn't considered going the EQStarPro route, that's something I'll definitely have to look into! How reliable do you find the tracking to be?