This post talks about upgrading the equatorial telescope mount I use for deep-sky astrophotography. This allows me to take long-exposure tracked images of deep-sky objects in the night sky. I was able to find a Sky-Watcher HEQ5 Pro SynScan GoTo mount on an astronomy classifieds website (Canada-Wide Astronomy Buy & Sell). I have found a…
Problems with Celestron CG-5 Mount Up until this point, my Celestron CG-5 mount has been very good to me. Despite what I have heard, it has been a quality mount, capable of 5+ minute exposures, no problem (with autoguiding). Recently though, the power has been cutting in and out. Last Friday night, under clear, dark,…
M81 and M82 Update: I’ve learned a great deal about autoguiding with PHDGuiding (Now PHD2 Guiding) since this post was first published. For an updated perspective, please read: Autoguiding a Telescope for Deep-Sky Imaging (PHD2 Guiding) I had a heck of a night this Friday at my Astronomy Clubs observatory. The skies were clear for…
M78 – Reflection Nebula in Orion I am finally done my “winter project” of M78 in the constellation Orion. The winter weather in the Niagara Region doesn’t bode to well for astrophotographers as the clear nights are slim to none. Last night, however, I was able to squeeze in another 1.5 hours of shooting on…
The following graphic provides an extremely basic break down of the steps that take place from a stacked image to a completed image. In reality, there are about 50 steps (or more) involved when processing a deep-sky astrophotography image such as this. You can click on the image for a larger view. Basic Processing of…
Here is my image of the M78 Reflection Nebula in Orion. The image below is a stack of multiple exposures combined over three nights, spanning three months! I captured this image using my stock Canon EOS Rebel XSi digital camera and my 80mm triplet apochromatic refractor telescope. M78 – A Reflection Nebula in Orion The…
The following photo of the California Nebula was captured using my DSLR camera before it was modified for astrophotography. NGC 1499 in Perseus is perhaps the best example of the difference removing the stock IR cut filter from your DSLR camera can make. For an emission nebula like this, an image with a stock camera…
To wrap up the late summer season, I photographed the North America Nebula in Cygnus using my Explore Scientific ED80 refractor telescope. The image includes nearly 3 hours of total exposure time using a stock DSLR camera (Canon EOS Rebel XSi). The North America Nebula is a fantastic beginner astrophotography target because it is large,…
I have been working on this video for the past 6 months. Not because I have been tweaking it to perfection, but because keep getting newer, better images to add to it! It’s basically a slideshow with music, but I think it does a good job a re-creating the feeling I get when I shoot…
M45 – The Pleiades Autumn Stars – Pleiades Rising Last Saturday I spent a very cold, but very dark and clear night at the RASC Observatory in Wellandport, Ontario. There were 4 of us that stayed the night, and I think every one of us complained about being underdressed! I began my night by shooting…
Back in 2012 when I wrote this post, I had no idea of the dedication needed for astrophotography. Spending a month taking pictures of and processing a single target is nothing. In fact, to spend less time than that on a particular subject now, would seem odd. I guess you could say that this experience…
The Iris Nebula is a beautiful, blue reflection nebula in the constellation Cepheus. Cataloged as NGC 7023, this deep-sky object is a superb choice for your camera and telescope. If you haven’t photographed a reflection nebula before, you are in for a real treat. The dust and reflected light associated with the Iris Nebula are…