M31, 32, and M110 in The Andromeda Galaxy in Andromeda

Date: 10/19/2007

Location: Tierra Del Sol, California

Conditions: 49% moon, seeing 8/10, transparency 7/10, temperature 75-60 F, very dry night.

Telescope: Side by side Canon Rebel 300d camera with Canon 70-200mm F4 EF lens

Guiding: C8, .63 focal reduce, 2000mm, F10, prime focus, no diagonal, Images Source camera, PHD software

Mount: Losmandy G11, Gemini goto, polar scope used to polar align.

Camera: see telescope above.

Focusing: Used Canon auto focus on star and then switched lens to manual. Confirmed focus by taking short jpeg exposures with the Rebel.

Exposures: (5) light 4 min raw 800 ISO, (10) darks 4 min raw, 800 ISO, (10) bias 800 ISO, (0) flats

Processing: IP 2.82 - converted raw to FITS, dark & bias frame calibrated, centroid 2 pt align-rotate, combine median, digital development, convert to 16 bit TIFF, PS CS , white balance, neutralize sky, black balance, color enhance, highlights enhance, high pass filter soft light blend, converted to JPEG for web.

Comments: Not my best of M31. Needs more light frames for sure. Try short exposure for core and layer mask in Photoshop.

M31 The Andromeda Galaxy in Andromeda

Date: 10/22/2006

Location: Vallecito County Park, California

Conditions: 0% moon, seeing 7/10, transparency 8/10, temperature 75-50 F, very dry night.

Telescope: none

 

Mount: Losmandy G11, Gemini goto, polar scope used, then drift aligned using a C8 with a 10mm reticule ep at 200 magnification, taking about 1 hour to do.

 

Camera: Canon Rebel 300d with 70-200mm L series Canon zoom lens at 200mm mounted on the Losmandy G11 with a Losmandy 2point camera attachment.

Focusing: Manual on Capella using a right angle Canon 2.5 magnifying view finder.

Exposures: (3) 2 min raw 800 ISO, (4) 4 min raw, 800 ISO

Processing: IP 2.75 - converted raw to FITS, dark frame calibrated, centroid 2 pt align-rotate, combine median, digital development, convert to 16 bit TIFF, PS CS , auto levels, auto color, auto contrast, color hue- saturation, cropped, sharpen edges, mild unsharp mask, converted to JPEG.

 

Comments: I am very happy with the performance of this lens and will be doing many more photos with this set up.

 

 

 

M31 The Andromeda Galaxy in Andromeda

 

Date: 7/24/2006

Location: Clearwater National Forest, Continental Divide, Idaho

Conditions: 0% moon, seeing 5/10, transparency 7/10, temperature 75-55 F, very humid and dewy night.

Telescope: Televue 85mm refractor, 600mm focal length, F7, prime focus, no diagonal.

Mount: Losmandy G11, Gemini goto, polar scope used to align,.

Camera: Canon Rebel 300d

Focusing: Manual on star using right angle Canon 2.5 magnifying view finder.

Exposures: (3) 2 min raw 800 ISO, (4) 4 min raw, 800 ISO

Processing: IP 2.75 - converted raw to FITS, dark frame (amp glow checked) calibrated, graded, align-rotate, combine average,. digital development, convert to 16 bit TIFF, PS CS , levels, color saturation, cropped, sharpen edges, unsharp mask, converted to JPEG. Comments: My first try. I sent the photo to the Yahoo Digital Astro Group. Paul Gaylord worked on the photo and came up with this one, which is very good compared to my effort. He got rid of all my amp glow on the right side and really got more detail out of it.

Comments: