Some photos

Discussion in 'Astronomy, Exobiology, & Cosmology' started by Xelasnave.1947, Sep 23, 2019.

  1. Xelasnave.1947 Valued Senior Member

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  3. Truck Captain Stumpy The Right Honourable Reverend Truck Captain Valued Senior Member

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    wow... this really surprises me. were they volunteers or pros?
    And not in their defense, but, wildland firefighting is a hard job. The beer-drinking is absolutely wrong though considering the heat, work and other factors. Personally, if I were working the scene and I saw some firefighters drinking beer on the scene, they would be fired and possibly charged.

    ah! When you said "a fire pump", I was assuming it was something like a portable bush-pump that had a 1,000 gpm minimum rating.

    That is f*cking AWESOME! I love moon pics. Most of mine involve security footage and streakers (joking - LOL - I don't have any moon pics of my own)
    I wasn't worried. like you said: it helps with the details.
     
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  5. James R Just this guy, you know? Staff Member

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    Alex,

    You take some great astronomical photos. Have you ever entered any into competitions?
     
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  7. Xelasnave.1947 Valued Senior Member

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    Thank you James. Competitions. I..am still very much still getting stuff together both with gear and processing.
    There is a big deal comp out here called the David Marlin Awards, a guy who is on the astronomy forum I frequent won it...I don't know but my guess is he has $100k in gear,....at the pointy end it goes like this...$25k for a mount, up to $50k for the scope, $35k for the camera...and the dome ...maybe $20 or $30 and add some flash computers.
    I am happy to be doing this at 72 years..the manuals I have to learn is rather taxing and I still have much more to learn.
    Thanks again.
    Alex
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Oct 10, 2019
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  8. Xelasnave.1947 Valued Senior Member

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    Volunteers but real turkeys.
    I know particularly if you are the only one.
    I had to rally 20 guys once and ...well you know how difficult it can be to take leadership and still get the job done. We put it out and then the captain came along and praised me for the statagy I implemented.
    I love it..it's like a military battle...attack the weak spots and let the stuff burn that you can't put out.
    They were lucky I was not there...you would have seen it on the news and YouTube.
    Others complained about various crews...they don't like to back burn..and as they say..you fight fire with fire.
    It's portable and probably more than you suggest...I just don't know any stats.
    If you have a DSLR and a tripod I can show you how to get jaw dropping images.
    You just take multiple shots on a short exposure and stack them...merge all into one...any lens will do.
    I should start a thread maybe.

    Thanks for all your kind and encouraging words.

    Back in the city..just walked in..10 hours drive..

    Alex
     
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  9. Truck Captain Stumpy The Right Honourable Reverend Truck Captain Valued Senior Member

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    I'm with James R on this one...


    I'm still using flash powder - LMFAO
    the only tripod's I have are for the rifle and the old transit (transit theodolite)
    that's just too bad.

    That's not a bad idea!
    Maybe you can talk @James R into creating a sub-group under astronomy where you can teach folk how to take the pics
     
  10. Write4U Valued Senior Member

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    Any comments on this contraption? Maybe a low cost investment for beginners?

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  11. Xelasnave.1947 Valued Senior Member

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  12. Xelasnave.1947 Valued Senior Member

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  13. paddoboy Valued Senior Member

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    Nice stuff Alex!! The "Pillars of Creation"is my favourite Hubble photo. It says heaps. Again nice stuff and keep it up. Oh and Hi, how have you been!
     
  14. Xelasnave.1947 Valued Senior Member

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    Thanks for your encouragement.

    I have been busy and mainly well.

    Very happy getting the van and the observatory going...only started back in May or June. Just keeping as busy as possible so I don't realise that I am a 72 year old cripple. Bought an automatic car with cruise control that has made driving less of a problem. And have times where I don't use my Walker just use a shooting stick...I only really need a portable instantly accessible something to sit on when my legs say no more.
    I hope you and yours are well.
    Alex
     
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  15. paddoboy Valued Senior Member

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    Take it easy!

    All well. Being an old fart like yourself, I need to understand properly how old age can slow you down somewhat. Just recently had a 60th old boys reunion, and had too much Fosters...Mrs complained about me falling into our house, then tripping over the lounge, then sent me in the back spare room to sleep it off! Plus it took me three days to get over it.

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  16. Xelasnave.1947 Valued Senior Member

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    Just received news that up North we are under threat from the bush fire which has taken off.
    My nephew lost a camper van and a boat and a couple of houses in the area also lost.
    Glad it only took three days.
    Alex
     
  17. wegs Matter and Pixie Dust Valued Senior Member

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    These are beautiful. I bought a telescope, my first one recently, but I didn't realize that it didn't come with the phone adapter for pics. It takes some getting used to, using the telescope. I'm wondering ...how much is too much to spend for a beginner star gazer, would you say?
     
  18. Seattle Valued Senior Member

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    Have you been able to see Jupiter and Saturn with it yet?
     
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  19. Seattle Valued Senior Member

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    Very nice, M32, M31 and M110 as I recall.
     
  20. billvon Valued Senior Member

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    Start cheap, but get a good transit mount. That will help tremendously.
     
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  21. wegs Matter and Pixie Dust Valued Senior Member

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    No.

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    It's been cloudy, rainy nearly every night since the harvest moon. Now, that...I could see, and it was beautiful.
    Okay, thanks. I don't like this mounting, come to think of it. I have to literally stand over it, and tilt my head...over the telescope to ''position'' what I want to look at. Remember the one on the other forum that I linked? Well, I didn't buy that one lol I should have, damn!
     
  22. Xelasnave.1947 Valued Senior Member

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    Thank you for your encouragement.
    How long is a piece of string would be an easier question.

    What scope and mount do you have?

    Knowing what I now know...I would suggest a 8 inch f5 Newtonian. If not taking photos you use a dobsonian mount. I have an eight inch for photography.
    With a coma corrector and additional tube rings it was under a grand...in Australia.
    If you want to take photos you just buy a tube and a coma corrector but you need a German Equatorial mount. I have one mount..the cheapest at $1200 which carries the eight inch (HEQ 5)..(you can spend up to 25 K for a mount)....and with a DSLR ( I have a Nikon D5500) but even the earliest cheapest Canon does wonders, you get great photos.

    If you want to get to the pointy end you go for narrow band imaging...the camera is cooled, to reduce noise, and has a filter wheel that houses seven filters..red, blue, green, luminance, hydrogen alpha, oxygen and sulphur...you take multiple images with each and combined them in photo shop or dedicated astro software.
    Doing it this way is hard work but the detail is much better.
    Here is a shot of the eight set up.

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    Alex
     
  23. Xelasnave.1947 Valued Senior Member

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    Edit..I only now realised the question was not directed to me..sorry..but I will answer anyways.
    It is probably a little short from a focal length point of view.
    I have seen the various planets mainly using a 1200 mm refractor with a 3x Barlow ( multiples focal length and hence magnification) but I gave that scope away. Planets don't interest me these days..
    But my first time out I pointed my scope at a bright star .turned out to be Saturn blew me away and then another bright star..turned out to be Jupiter. I was hooked. That was only a six inch scope.
    Alex
     

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