tonights images

Still not had a good clear night yet.
Does the mount actually track the object and move with it? Does it need to for a 60 second exposure?

I remember reading back when I was into astronomy more but not owning a suitable camera....that you took a series of exposures and used software to stack them into a better picture. Anyway, just waiting for a clear sky now !

Very nice pictures. I don't know where you are at, but I recently heard this NPR rebroadcast about Dark-Skies which was pretty interesting. I have always wanted to vacation to someplace with total darkness at night.

I've been reading up a bit on this, seems you can also do this without a tracking mount. Using the "rule of 600" you divide your focal length into 600 to get the length of exposure you can use without getting trails. It takes many more images and higher ISO to get the same type of results, but it is possible.

I, too, have been wondering what program you're using for stacking the images? Are you reducing opacity of each consecutive layer manually? Automatic star referencing for proper alignment or manual alignment? Color adjustments?

If you would be willing to do a basic how to, I'm positive that many of us would be very thankful and eager to try it out on our own! With spring on its way and the great images of the Milky Way coming available soon, I think it would be great fun!

Well done, sir!

StillShaving said:

Very nice pictures. I don't know where you are at, but I recently heard this NPR rebroadcast about Dark-Skies which was pretty interesting. I have always wanted to vacation to someplace with total darkness at night.

Click to expand...

it's very difficult to fine "totally" dark skies for most of us. http://cleardarksky.com/csk/ will get you to dark skies.

http://cleardarksky.com/csk/faq/2.html is the bortle scale. i shoot in a scale 4 area (dark green)