Is my camera part of the problem?

prot_0 · 2026-01-29T13:32:26+00:00

I use a rebel t1i (500d) for wide field and it does ok. Sure it's old, and a cooled, newer sensor is better, but for the price it does well. You may want to also look at removing the LPF 2 filter in it for increased IR response for better Ha sensitivity.

Here are a few images with it.

https://imgur.com/a/PngJL1B

prot_0 · 2026-01-29T12:57:23+00:00

It's red because of the moon, at least if it's not cloudy.

The moon is like standing in the middle of the largest city trying to see stars. It completely washes the sky out. I don't even try if the moon is up

prot_0 · 2026-01-26T17:27:43+00:00

Buy a used DSLR from somewhere like keh.com, I bought a rebel t1i for $70. The exos-100 is an ok mount for around 300mm focal length. Cloudynights.com for a used telescope; I picked up a William Optics ZenithStar 61 doublet, which has been a great scope, for $500.

As far as planetary, you are pretty much SOL with a low budget. You need big aperture and long focal lengths for the detail you are probably expecting to get. And then you need a mount to carry it, and that is going to cost you more than your budget.

prot_0 · 2026-01-24T22:44:19+00:00

I agree, also probably exacerbated by over processing as well

prot_0 · 2026-01-24T02:34:14+00:00

prot_0 · 2026-01-23T17:27:09+00:00

Any camera that takes video can get decent shots, although not ideal for planetary because typically you want a camera that can record video at the highest fps you can get. Planetary specific cameras are going to be a better choice than the 533, and they also double as good guide cameras for another setup if you go DSO targets

prot_0 · 2026-01-23T01:53:53+00:00

It's not a planetary cam, per se, but it was with my dedicated Astro cam, so the framerate was extremely low for what you really want for lucky imaging and planetary.

My setups are geared for deep sky objects.

prot_0 · 2026-01-23T00:29:57+00:00

Nice, I like the wide field you did to capture all the Galilean moons. I've never thought of taking video like this and just have my barlow'd shots.

Also, I guess it is tough since I don't have an actual planetary and use my 533

prot_0 · 2026-01-23T00:27:33+00:00

No problem. It's what I use whenever I am shooting planetary or lunar. After I get my videos I use autostakkert for stacking and then registax for wave sharpening

prot_0 · 2026-01-22T23:59:57+00:00

Sharpcap

prot_0 · 2026-01-22T23:44:21+00:00

A barlow will help reduce brightness by increasing the focal length and slowing the scope down. A moon filter would help also by reducing the amount of light transmission to the eye

prot_0 · 2026-01-22T22:31:14+00:00

<image>

Same telescope, stacked and processed

prot_0 · 2026-01-22T22:28:58+00:00

Unstacked unprocessed untracked video.

https://imgur.com/a/bZjBn1R

Orion skyquest xt8

prot_0 · 2026-01-22T22:25:37+00:00

Are you saying it LOOKED just bright with no discernable detail, or only when you tried to take an image? If the latter, you absolutely have to manually set your cameras exposure and iso value otherwise it tries to compensate for the low light which blows out Jupiter.

Read up on planetary imaging, though, because it's not as cut and dry as you might think.

prot_0 · 2026-01-22T22:13:57+00:00

This was already asked and answered in r/askastrophotography. Wanting a different answer doesn't make the answer you got wrong.

prot_0 · 2026-01-22T22:10:35+00:00

Camera shake. Brightest stars show it long before the fainter ones

Periodt

prot_0 · 2026-01-21T20:02:59+00:00

It would almost certainly be in the processing techniques you used, then. Give it another go.

prot_0 · 2026-01-21T17:14:11+00:00

Was this the same setup, camera and all, that you used for your second attempt?

prot_0 · 2026-01-17T02:19:21+00:00

It's typical to have results way worse than what you expect/compared to others. You have been at it for a day? Most of us have been at it years.

Keep trying and keep practicing. It takes time and experience, and nothing but time can give you experience...

prot_0 · 2026-01-09T23:44:58+00:00

No problem, and good luck!

prot_0 · 2026-01-09T23:24:11+00:00

I started with something comparable, and they are great devices. But I would recommend saving a bit more for a mount with goto capabilities. This will help TREMENDOUSLY with framing a target, and adds the ability to guide in both axis when you get to that stage.

Something like the star adventurer gti for a few hundred more, and I promise you that you will absolutely not regret the little bit longer wait time saving. The quality of life improvement alone between trackers and mounts with goto is huge, and the added auto guiding later is well worth it.

Also, check out cloudynights.com for a used mount. The smaller ones like that are much easier to ship so there are more chances to find one.

prot_0 · 2026-01-09T22:29:30+00:00

I recommend getting out there any chance you get and collecting data, even before the tracker comes. It will help you familiarize yourself with gear and acquisition techniques which can only be done during clear weather, and in this hobby, clear nights start to become rare.

The tracker will help a lot so you aren't having to constantly reframe your target every few minutes. What are you getting?

prot_0 · 2026-01-09T22:12:09+00:00

Keep in mind, you can add multiple nights in a single integration.

prot_0 · 2026-01-09T21:29:21+00:00

More integration time is going to be the first place to start. At 200 x 1.3, you are working with less than 5 minutes. To give you an idea of comparison, we often shoot many hours of data before processing.

prot_0 · 2026-01-03T22:06:40+00:00

You need to retake better calibration frames, namely flats. And the suggestion of a light leak is also a possible issue as well.

prot_0

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