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Felldisulfide Astro
Canada
เข้าร่วมเมื่อ 27 พ.ย. 2018
This channel is about amateur Astrophotography, featuring a 6" Celestron NexStar 6SE SCT. I use an Alt-AZ mount. It's on a wedge. Journey through learning, tips, and advice on how to photograph nebulae, galaxies, star clusters, wide-field constellations using a piggy-back DSLR, and just about anything else with this popular scope. I shoot mostly from my Bortle 8, light-polluted, suburban backyard.
How To Create a Starless Nebula Image and Combine With Star Mask In Siril and GIMP
How to generate a star mask and starless image in Siril, and recombine them in GIMP in order to combine stars from a UV/IR Cut filtered image with a nebula image produced using a Dual Band filter.
Thanks for watching, and clear skies!
#StarMask #StarAlignment
Helpful Links:
astrobackyard.com/starnet-astrophotography/
siril.org/tutorials/integrated-starnet/
The Best Free Astro Software just got even BETTER
th-cam.com/video/rFDwGnUwOh8/w-d-xo.html
Edit Along - The Pillars of Creation with Siril & GIMP
th-cam.com/video/TibmrYJEgVA/w-d-xo.html
Thanks for watching, and clear skies!
#StarMask #StarAlignment
Helpful Links:
astrobackyard.com/starnet-astrophotography/
siril.org/tutorials/integrated-starnet/
The Best Free Astro Software just got even BETTER
th-cam.com/video/rFDwGnUwOh8/w-d-xo.html
Edit Along - The Pillars of Creation with Siril & GIMP
th-cam.com/video/TibmrYJEgVA/w-d-xo.html
มุมมอง: 89
วีดีโอ
Crescent Nebula From Bortle 8 Using A Celestron NexStar 6SE On a Wedge
มุมมอง 240วันที่ผ่านมา
Improving on my best attempt at the Crescent Nebula, NGC 6888. I imaged the Crescent Nebula last year while camping at a Borgle 4 sky location. This year, I try to do better from my Bortle 8 backyard. Thanks for watching, and clear skies! #CrescentNebula #NGC6888 #Bortle8 #Celestron 6SE Equipment used in this video: Celestron NexStar 6SE Celestron Focus Motor Celestron Motor Model # 94155-A Cel...
Can You Capture Wolf-Rayet 134 From a Bortle 8 Backyard With a Celestron 6SE?
มุมมอง 2K14 วันที่ผ่านมา
I attempt to capture WR 134 with a Celestron NexStar 6SE on a wedge. I previously found this star in a wide-angle image. The rim of the blue bubble caught my attention, and here I attempt to get a closer look from my light-polluted backyard using a basic Celestron NexStar 6SE running on a wedge. Thanks for watching, and clear skies! #WolfRayet #WR134 #Bortle8 #Celestron 6SE Equipment used in th...
Using a Vintage 300mm f/4.5 Camera Lens for Astrophotography
มุมมอง 35814 วันที่ผ่านมา
Using a Vintage 300mm f/4.5 Camera Lens for Astrophotography I found a 30-plus-year-old NIKKOR camera lens with a fixed focal length of 300mm. This is an ED lens with seven optical components. I wanted to see how it would do given my excellent experience with the 135mm Rokinon/Samyang lens. Check out how this lens does against the Wild Duck Cluster! Thanks for watching, and clear skies! #NikonA...
How To Align Astrophotos With Different Orientations
มุมมอง 9714 วันที่ผ่านมา
Do you have images taken with different filters, or processed from different nights that are shifted and rotated, making them difficult to layer? This video covers three free methods for lining up the orientation of different sets of astro photography images, using GIMP, Deep Sky Stacker (DSS), and Siril. Chapters 00:00:48 Image Alignment Using GIMP 00:06:03 Image Alignment Using Deep Sky Stack...
Guiding With The SVBONY SV305 Planetary Camera and 40mm SV165 Guide Scope
มุมมอง 518หลายเดือนก่อน
Steps to set up guiding using the SV305 camera and the 40mm SV165 Guide Camera. Note: please make sure you size your equipment properly! The focal length of your guide scope and the resolution of your camera needs to be adequate for your primary scope's focal length! Please see the following helpful link: Agena Astro's write-up on guide scope to main scope ratios: agenaastro.com/articles/guides...
Setting up Guiding on a Celestron NexStar SLT Mount
มุมมอง 373หลายเดือนก่อน
Going over the steps of how to set up your Celestron Nexstar SLT or Nexstar GT mount for guiding, using a wedge for Equatorial mode. Using a 300mm Tamron lens to capture the Pelican Nebula and Cygnus Wall in NGC 7000. #nexstar #guiding #astrophotography Thanks for watching, and clear skies! Celestron Telescope ASCOM Driver can be found through the following thread: www.cloudynights.com/topic/81...
Can You Really Guide a NexStar SLT Mount?
มุมมอง 9622 หลายเดือนก่อน
Testing to see if you can use a Celestron NexStar SLT mount for long exposure Astrophotography in equatorial mode with guiding. Attempting to image Rho Ophiuchi and Sadr and its vicinity using a ZWO ASI294MC Pro and a Rokinon/Samyang 135mm lens. Thanks for watching, and clear skies! Equipment used in this video: Celestron NexStar SLT Mount SVBONY 50mm Guide Scope SVBONY SV905C Guide Camera ZWO ...
SVBONY SV160 SII Sulfur Filter with a Celestron NexStar 6SE on a Wedge
มุมมอง 2002 หลายเดือนก่อน
Imaging M17, The Swan, or Omega Nebula, using the SVBony SV160 SII filter and the SV220 Dual Band HA/OIII filter. The Swan, or Omega Nebula, is an H II region in the constellation Sagittarius. It lies between 5,000 and 6,000 light years away, and is 11 light years across. I was imaging using a Celestron NexStar 6SE mounted on a wedge, and using a ZWO ASI294MC Pro camera. #SV160 #NarrowBand #Cel...
A Budget Star Tracker? Imaging with the NexStar GT Mount in Equatorial Mode!!
มุมมอง 1.4K2 หลายเดือนก่อน
Converting one of the cheapest Alt-AZ Go-To resale mounts you can easily find to make a Star Tracker for less than $150 USD! A NexStar GT mount on a wedge! #StarTracker #NexStar #celestron #astrophotography I found the following blog article while looking into wedge support for the SLT mount. Hats off to you JT! That is a nice wedge! theskysearchers.com/viewtopic.php?t=3129 Discord Server: disc...
Long Focal Length Achromatic Refractor on an Alt-Az Mount: Celestron 102GT Telescope
มุมมอง 5603 หลายเดือนก่อน
Connecting a Nikon DSLR to a 1000mm Celestron NexStar 102GT and imaging a galaxy, a star cluster, and The Moon. I include a telescope review of the NexStar 102GT. Most of this video is also applicable to the 102SLT. #102GT #102SLT #NexStar #EAA #Alt-Az Thanks for watching, and clear skies! Equipment used in this video: Celestron NexStar 102GT Nikon D5200 Camera Telescope Control And Image Captu...
My Coolest Astro Photograph To-Date
มุมมอง 7573 หลายเดือนก่อน
I went out imaging to a dark sky site with a Rokinon 135mm sitting on top of my Celestron NexStar 6SE. I captured a comet, a nebula, and a cluster. Which do I think is the coolest image I have ever captured? Hint: it really puts into perspective our place in the Universe! Thanks for watching, and clear skies! Equipment used in this video: Celestron NexStar 6SE Celestron Focus Motor Celestron Mo...
Can you image a magnitude 10+ galaxy with a Celestron NexStar 6SE in Bortle 8 Skies??
มุมมอง 1.4K4 หลายเดือนก่อน
Can you image a magnitude 10 galaxy with a Celestron NexStar 6SE in Bortle 8 Skies??
Can You Image a Total Solar Eclipse with a Celestron NexStar 6SE?
มุมมอง 7514 หลายเดือนก่อน
Can You Image a Total Solar Eclipse with a Celestron NexStar 6SE?
Three Galaxies and a Comet IN A HURRY!!!
มุมมอง 7085 หลายเดือนก่อน
Three Galaxies and a Comet IN A HURRY!!!
Broad(er)band vs. UV/IR Cut Filter on Pinwheel Galaxy SUPERNOVA With Celestron 6SE on a Wedge
มุมมอง 2.2K6 หลายเดือนก่อน
Broad(er)band vs. UV/IR Cut Filter on Pinwheel Galaxy SUPERNOVA With Celestron 6SE on a Wedge
Celestron Skymaster 15-35x70 Astronomy Binoculars - Bored while imaging? Try these!
มุมมอง 1.9K6 หลายเดือนก่อน
Celestron Skymaster 15-35x70 Astronomy Binoculars - Bored while imaging? Try these!
Celestron NexStar 6SE Review for Astrophotography
มุมมอง 12K6 หลายเดือนก่อน
Celestron NexStar 6SE Review for Astrophotography
Connecting an Astrophotography Camera to a DSLR 18mm F3.5 KIT Lens and Dual Band Filter
มุมมอง 7948 หลายเดือนก่อน
Connecting an Astrophotography Camera to a DSLR 18mm F3.5 KIT Lens and Dual Band Filter
Imaging Auriga with a Celestron NexStar 6SE and Rokinon 135mm
มุมมอง 3618 หลายเดือนก่อน
Imaging Auriga with a Celestron NexStar 6SE and Rokinon 135mm
Let's image the SUN with WELDING GLASS! Celestron NexStar 6SE with Shade 14 Welding Glass.
มุมมอง 1.1K9 หลายเดือนก่อน
Let's image the SUN with WELDING GLASS! Celestron NexStar 6SE with Shade 14 Welding Glass.
PERFECT Collimation with ASTAP?!? Fixing Celestron NexStar 6SE 8Se Collimation & Tilt
มุมมอง 2K9 หลายเดือนก่อน
PERFECT Collimation with ASTAP?!? Fixing Celestron NexStar 6SE 8Se Collimation & Tilt
BORING Analysis (Unless you Care about Back Focus)
มุมมอง 6099 หลายเดือนก่อน
BORING Analysis (Unless you Care about Back Focus)
Setting Back Focus for Astrophotography with Celestron NextStar 6SE 8SE and f6.3 Focal Reducer
มุมมอง 3.1K9 หลายเดือนก่อน
Setting Back Focus for Astrophotography with Celestron NextStar 6SE 8SE and f6.3 Focal Reducer
Imaging The Cave Nebula With Rokinon 135mm & Celestron NexStar 6SE: Wide Angle And Up Close Imaging
มุมมอง 1.2K10 หลายเดือนก่อน
Imaging The Cave Nebula With Rokinon 135mm & Celestron NexStar 6SE: Wide Angle And Up Close Imaging
GIANT GAS PLANETS from a Bortle 8 Backyard with a Celestron NexStar 6SE
มุมมอง 1.5K10 หลายเดือนก่อน
GIANT GAS PLANETS from a Bortle 8 Backyard with a Celestron NexStar 6SE
Connecting a DSLR Lens to an Astrophotography Camera ... on a Celestron 6SE with a Wedge?
มุมมอง 5K10 หลายเดือนก่อน
Connecting a DSLR Lens to an Astrophotography Camera ... on a Celestron 6SE with a Wedge?
Compositing a Star Cluster and Nebula With Different Filters Using 6SE on a Wedge In Bortle 8 Skies
มุมมอง 89411 หลายเดือนก่อน
Compositing a Star Cluster and Nebula With Different Filters Using 6SE on a Wedge In Bortle 8 Skies
Polar Aligning Celestron 6SE 8SE Wedge Using Hand Controller & Imaging Globular Cluster M15
มุมมอง 6K11 หลายเดือนก่อน
Polar Aligning Celestron 6SE 8SE Wedge Using Hand Controller & Imaging Globular Cluster M15
Photographing The SKY From a Beach in Cuba
มุมมอง 19611 หลายเดือนก่อน
Photographing The SKY From a Beach in Cuba
Thanks lot... can i connect Asi Air box for celestron 6se 8 se telescope
Hi Sandaruwan, I can't speak from experience, but others have done it before. Looks like there might be some challenges but have a look at the following post with the evo mount: m.facebook.com/groups/ASIAIR/posts/hi-everyone-i-just-received-an-asiair-and-have-set-it-up-on-my-8-evolution-with-/2479663598863515/ Looking at the compatibility list, ASI Air Plus supports NexStar mounts. The process to setting up should be similar. I urge you to do more research before you try!
Great vid, im a senior in highschool with one and this vid really helped explain what I can aim for when im older.
Hi Thomas, I'm glad the video helped you. This is a fun and exciting hobby with a lot to experience at every level. Good luck with your astronomy and astrophotography journey, and Clear Skies!
3:14 Being able to use a controller is a game changer!! I have spent way too many hours trying to contort myself to reach my laptop while looking through the red dot finder. Do you recommend wireless or would the cheaper wired one work?
Hi Heather, I have not dug into this before, but according to Celestron: "Gamepad Setup-- If you have a PC Gamepad that supports XInput, then you can use it to control the mount. You can also use it to control the optional Celestron Focus Motor. Selecting “Gamepad Setup” will cause the Gamepad Confi guration window to appear." So, according to this, any XInput compatible controller should work. I use the cordless controller because often I'll have my laptop 20' or more from the telescope (upper deck vs lower deck). CS!
20:19 What is the metal bit that you added to the counter weight and under the cam?
It's a metal C-clamp. The 2.5lb weight was not enough to balance the scope, and I could not push the weight any further back as it would hit the mount, so I needed something additional. The C-clamp was convenient as I could easily reposition it if my equipment changed. CS!
Hey Chris! I noticed you have your guide scope mounted on the opposite side of the fork arm. That’s how I initially set mine up (8SE on NexStar with wedge) but then was told it needed to be on the fork arm side. Have you noticed any issues with either orientation? I kinda thought it being opposite the fork arm would help balance the weight, but I’m not sure which is best anymore!! By the way, thank you for your videos about doing AP with the NexStar. When I got mine as a gift, all the Facebook experts told me it would never work for AP and it’s a waste of time, blah blah blah. You gave me hope and now I’m getting pretty awesome shots! Not just planets either 😂. Thanks!
Hi Heather, I think the best position for the guide scope is as close to the mount as possible. If it is placed on the far side, like mine, it will cause additional torsion on the mounting clamp. Unfortunately, the 6SE does not have enough space on the left for the mounting shoe, so I have to put in on the right. If you have the space, then keep your guide scope on the left. Clear Skies!
@@Felldisulfide Thanks!!
May be you are using dithering ?
I do, but limited because the NexStar mount takes a long time to settle.
How do TH-cam manage to get such good star on the edges? I use the same focal reducer but all of them are alongated. I Washington looking for anoche focal reducir which could give me round stars. Whats is your secret ?
Hi @yvangarcia3535, no secret, just collimation and back focus. If you are using filters, you need to add a spacer to the standard back focus distance. I have also found that this telescope is very sensitive when collimating. Although I typically collimate indoors using ASTAP, I still have to tweak the collimation by shooting a rich star field (look for open clusters) and looking at the corners. I still get it wrong quite often, but I'm getting better at reading the difference between a corner being too close vs too far. Just the same, I have not yet been able to get a completely flat field of view. Maybe a better flattener would help. Clear Skies! Collimation using ASTAP th-cam.com/video/weaREykf8iM/w-d-xo.html Back focus th-cam.com/video/daCEZNRcgrU/w-d-xo.html
Nice images. I've imaged the Crescent with my 6" Petzval F7 refractor from my Bortle 4 ish backyard without filters. The difference between my image and yours is huge, we both show about the same amount of nebulosity but my image shows hundreds of times more stars, I estimate down to magnitude 22+ (even more stars than the Palomar 48 inch sky survey). I'm guessing that this might be an artifact of four things - TH-cam's image compression, the filters you used, your technique for processing the stars separately from the nebulosity and/or your Bortle 8 skies. Any idea which?
Hi Mark, thanks for the comment. I think it's a combination of light pollution and processing. I just can't make out dimmer objects against the bright sky glow. Narrow band filters cut through much of the light pollution, but they emphasize specific frequencies, and leave stars dull. This is why very often I'll get a lot of signal on the nebula, but less on stars. Processing also has a lot to do with it, especially when imaging nebulas, I don't stretch the stars layer nearly as because the larger stars would simply bloat and overpower the nebula. I think that has more to do with seeing conditions where the bright stars are more dispersed, so I keep them turned down. Clear Skies!
@@Felldisulfide Makes sense. Thanks!
Looking good Chris I love the Crescent nebula one of my favourite targets, one thing I do like about using Altair cameras is that they already have a built in IR cut filter so by using a dual band filter maybe I'm already combining the data as I go. Hopefully when my astro mojo rises up again I'll do more but I just haven't got the will right now lol. Clear skies
Thanks Tich! Sorry to hear about the astro mojo... hope you get it back soon, looking forward to seeing your double barrel setup in action. Clear Skies!
great tutorial Chris I love SIRIL as it's been a bit of a game changer for me
Me too, I just learned how to use it to do image alignment. I had been struggling with that since I started!
Great video! Very helpful. I have the same mount setup for my 8se. I'm 74 and am attempting to learn this hobby. However, I'm only 2 months in and am very overwhelmed and getting frustrated. My 8se hits the base making alignment a nightmare! I'm afraid of burning up the motor & gears. What extension would you suggest? Thanks
Hi @seniorcordcutter, I'm using the StarPal 40cm dovetail as an extension, and I have it bolted to the original Celestron dovetail. There are two reasons I am doing it this way: 1) the StarPal dovetail is flat, meaning it does not "hug" the curve of the OTA, and would be unstable if bolted directly, and 2) the plastic corrector plate and mirror housings stick out from the telescope tube and would prevent a longer dovetail from sitting flush. I believe (please check yours) that the 8SE has an 8" narrow dovetail. I would suggest going with something 11" or longer. Celestron's dovetails have pre-drilled mounting holes sized for specific telescopes and would therefore not work as extensions, but SVBONY does have an 11" extension bar which is curved, but you would have to mount it such that it sits on the plastic lens and mirror housings and away from the OTA if you want to use it by itself. The other thing to consider is if you push the OTA forward past the primary mirror, you will need some sort of counterweight, which will really push the limits of the NexStar mount, but is doable if you don't have any other options. This is what I'm doing with the 6SE, but the 6 is lighter than the 8. Celestron's Dovetails (for reference) www.celestron.com/products/dovetail-bar-kit-11-narrow SVBONY 11.8" www.amazon.com/SVBONY-Compatible-Accessories-Equatorial-Astrophotography/dp/B0BXNZMNQB/ref=sr_1_5?crid=10YNM3OJGP6VT&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.LrOcZaSjy7n5v4ibNtsFhUriEAAU96QV9xSSTEFS4NvIsl9R9pGJL9tj9kNy6gv8njYN82gO0wnFopUz8rwr2OR6kcbth59M5jPD2Pla6vlyW9ooJCkid7EeoAVIiL2tSc6xFt2J5yUIpqHZ0MWL7VI2RWdLnQnxx-Cd1gZnOSUg5oppPJJjfcw0c0aKiDopTLn-CPVHMDZ5DV0NnbS3f-9LA5CNhVMK7Qh2SC41cl0.sBeY_gAamZC3KQozerCfV0O5HyjVqckkEy78KzdBvog&dib_tag=se&keywords=telescope+dovetail+long&qid=1723478662&sprefix=telescope+dovetail+long%2Caps%2C77&sr=8-5 StarPal 40cm www.amazon.com/StarPal-Dovetail-Telescope-Equatorial-Binocular/dp/B093GRXKW3/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2LCE3GOE2PSXE&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.VAVDm0tzKJhXnBhZSlMZpfWr-58NnXL1Riti18leB7HIrNBHsNwmvEKhqm92TPLsB366unL86ZkbMY_0BaWDQkD-5gNGC_NGUssxuBZG8bHeA-9cZBH4kXJXUBPdwW7poMpCUKrNB6LBg2AuwthTMg.vZnsCV6OONS9Ea9wHs0HByA5fRh8f_TDQcPUALiLFzg&dib_tag=se&keywords=%22StarPal%22+40cm+Dovetail&qid=1723479271&sprefix=starpal+40cm+dovetail%2Caps%2C65&sr=8-1 You can get a better view of my assembly in this video at around the 11:30s mark: th-cam.com/video/c0q-Dg9N1zY/w-d-xo.html Clear Skies!
Hi, Can this telescope used for deep sky viewing?
Hi @jatinpunga9054, yes, the NexStar SE line were primarily visual telescopes. The 6SE is a favourite grab-and-go telescope for many people and can be used for deep sky and planetary viewing. The 8SE gathers more light, but the 6 is lighter and therefore more portable. In fact the whole point of my channel is showing what you could expect if you were to try using the 6SE for imaging, as it is not something most people would think to do! Clear Skies!
A great video there and very informative 😊. Could you give me your TH-cam link of how you combined your stars and nebula in GIMP as I'd be keen to understand how this is done? Hope you can help. Cheers
Hi @dougiesmart1623, thanks for the comment! Here's the link to the orientation alignment video along with a new video I just posted on generating star masks in Siril and GIMP: How To Align Astrophotos With Different Orientations th-cam.com/video/abHoSfLnnLg/w-d-xo.html How To Create a Starless Nebula Image and Combine With Star Mask In Siril and GIMP th-cam.com/video/tz0KYVduMaM/w-d-xo.html
@@Felldisulfide thanks very much for the info. I look forward to watching your videos later tonight 👍
It's just a BEAUTY 🤩! And seeing the improvements over these two years really show your dedication and attention to detail. But I am kind of torn: Widefield or closeup 🤫? If I had to choose I would go with the widefield image! Because the details of the nebula are very well visible, but the faint red nebulosity around it make it stand out, put it into perspective! Greetings over the Atlantic
Thanks Stefan! I admit, I've been quite taken with wide field imaging lately!
Top work
Best video on the 6SE, I've found so far Chris. Really well done with content, pace, and production quality!! Before and after shots are what I aspire to and your kit addresses my current issues. I've subscribed and will recommend your channel in my circle. Please keep 'em coming.
Any thoughts on similar video for your PC & SW setup? Any other channels you would recommend?
Thanks Patrick, I appreciate the comment, and welcome to the channel!
Hi Patrick, I have thought about it but wasn't sure I would be adding much to the conversation. Now that I have a bit more experience, maybe it's time to revisit the laptop setup. Thanks for the suggestion! Here are a couple of channels I would suggest which speak in some way to the 6SE and 8SE: Astro Explorers has many videos about setting up and using an 8SE www.youtube.com/@AstroExplorers Astro Blender has a variety of videos, including some related to Celestron CSTs. I have found his content on focus motors and back focus especially helpful. www.youtube.com/@AstroBlender Clear Skies!
Thank you for your time and knowledge. This video is 👌
I have been searching for hours to figure out how to get the ZWO cameras to work with my DSLR lens and got really excited when I found your video...until you didn't show how to make the camera actually work! It looks like you are using NINA but are you wired to your laptop? I'd hoped to be able to use my Star Watcher Adventurer 2ii mount but it doesn't look like I'll be able to do that.
Hi @TheSplashingPirate, The ZWO camera runs off whichever capture software you would normally use. In my case, I'm using Astro Photography Tool (APT), but you could just as easily use NINA, SharpCap, the ZWO proprietary software, etc. The difficulty in connecting the DSLR lens to the camera is the adapter itself: you need to have an adapter that has the right 'flange' to click into the lens, the proper thread size to connect the camera, and be the right length to place the camera sensor at the focal point (i.e. the correct back focus). There are some third-party adapters, but I found that the ZWO one works best for ZWO cameras because not only does it have the proper back spacing, but it also contains a filter tray. Once the camera is physically connected to the adapter, and the adapter to the lens, and you have the assembled optical train mounted on rings and a dovetail bar, you can connect the dovetail bar to your mount, and you should be good to go. Which part are you having a hard time with?
@@Felldisulfide Wow! Quick reply! I have the adapter and everything set up. But it wasn't until I tried connecting it to the Sky Watcher Adventurer that I realized it would not connect. I need to figure out how to do the NINA part...it scares me...but I've not even looked at the others. I don't think this will be happening tonight. Nothing is quick and easy with this hobby, is it.
Normally I do everything through ASI AIR…
:) no, there's always something more to learn. That's what makes it exciting. Think of it this way: the mount is independent of the telescope (or DSLR lens) and camera. You can put your camera/adapter/lens on a stationary tripod and take some time lapses if you like. The camera (image capture) is controlled by whichever software you prefer. It sounds like you have not set this part up yet, so work on that first. Your mount runs using it's own internal controls, and, in case of most mounts, it can ALSO accept signals from a laptop or mini-PC. Some people use dedicated 'Planetarium' software on their laptops to control their mounts. Others use phones of tablets to control their mounts using proprietary phone/tablet apps and built-in Wi-Fi on the mount. The point where the mount and camera 'intersect' is where you want to use your imaging software to send additional control signals to your mount. This would be for one of two reasons: 1) guiding. For guiding, you have a separate smaller scope with a separate camera which connects to your PC/laptop via USB, and runs on different software, most commonly PHD2. PHD2 takes images through the guide scope and compares each image to the one before to determine if the stars in the image are shifting. If they are, it sends a signal to the mount to adjust the mount's position either using the ST4 port and cable between the guide camera and mount, or the USB connection between the PC/laptop and mount. 2) Plate Solving. Plate solving is where your imaging software (via plugin of another helper plate-solving software) can analyze the image you have taken, and figure out where your scope is pointing based on internal star maps. With plate solving, some imaging software can send a signal to the mount to move to specific co-ordinates. The way this works is your PC/laptop would need ASCOM drivers (universal standard astronomy device drivers, ascom-standards.org/Downloads/Index.htm ) for the mount and camera, and the imaging software would use the plate-solving information to send a signal to the mount via the ASCOM driver to move in the desired direction, and by the desired distance. The connection between mount and PC/laptop would be either USB or wireless, depending on your mount and preference. My advice is start easy, try doing some time lapses with your camera/adapter/wide field lens on a tripod using some easy to use camera control imaging software. ZWO points you to use the free version of SharpCap. You can use that, or if you are very keen, go nuts with NINA or APT. Once you have that working, do a rough polar alignment with your star tracker, don't worry about guiding, and try taking some 30-60s exposures with a longer focal length lens. I have a couple of more recent videos where I use a Celestron GT and SLT mount as a cheap star tracker to do something similar if you are looking for some ideas. Hope that helps. Clear Skies!
@@Felldisulfide thank you so much for taking the time to help me. I’m getting my head wrapped around this a bit more…thanks to you!
Great channel. I have an evo mount on wedge and I’m trying autoguiding with phd but can’t get good results. Are you willing to share your exact settings? Thanks
Hi Running, here are my settings: RA--> Histeresis: 10, Aggressiveness: 70, Min Move: 0.20, max RA duration 2500 Dec--> Resist Switch, Aggressiveness: 100, Min Move: 0.20, fast switch checked, max Dec duration 1500 I usually use backlash compensation on Dec as well For guiding I use multi-star My guide refresh rate is 0.5s I found that the biggest obstacle to good guiding on a wedge is polar alignment. If your guiding is all over the place, try running the drift alignment tool in PHD2, hopefully that will help sort you out. Clear Skies!
@@Felldisulfide thanks very much sir. I’ll give that a go
I'm at 36h with the L-Ultimate and want to reach 60h before I start processing because the OIII is so faint. Good job.
Let me know if you post it!
Old sometimes is gold. Thank's . i was woundering if they were any good. great telescope on a budget.
Just heading out to pick up a used NIKKOR 20mm for wide field! CS!
I also have a 6se but I use alt az.
It really is a very versatile scope! CS!
I did try some widefield stuff with old lenses but haven't had much luck using them as they produced to much CA so I guess I chose badly lol. I know a friend of mine uses old lenses for widefield stuff & has had more luck than me.
I'm still learning, but I've been told I need to stop down the lens a bit. The old lenses certainly don't have the same quality as current triplets, but they cost a fraction of the price, so there is that too ;)
Looks like it came out great wish I'd bought the quadband instead of the triband but hey ho it works ok I guess. Clear skies!!
And here I was thinking I should have gone for the tri. I don't know if I like how much the quad bleeds into the IR. I'm working on a project combining the quad, with the dual and UV/IR Cut, and the Quad's stars actually seem washed out in comparison to the UV/IR Cut, even though it picks up more nebulosity. CS!
Very nice video and great capture! The sound level of your voice is quite low in my opinion, especially compared to the music. Great job anyway! CS!
Thanks JD, I appreciate the feedback. I usually overdo the gain on the audio, tried going lower this time, but did not reduce the background music enough. CS!
👍🤩!
Nice video, and an amazing picture! Question, what is the device you put on the tube of the 6SE?
Thanks! I added a counterweight to the OTA because I had to push it forward past the primary mirror in order to fit the camera. Here's a closer view (before I added the filter tray) Celestron NexStar 6SE With Wedge Astrophotography Setup th-cam.com/video/IpqPej8mayI/w-d-xo.html
Wolf-Rayet 134 was a challenging target. I had to push the Oxygen to see enough detail in the bubble. This was also my first time using the Antlia Quad filter to capture more natural looking stars than the Ha/OIII filter produces. Others had done a much better job on WR 134, so the point of this video is simply to show what you could expect to get from a basic telescope like the Celestron 6SE imaging in Bortle 8 light-polluted skies. CS!
Thanks for putting this together Chris! Really like the music and the timelapses! And yes, I will go online and search for a lenses like this! Because that's right along the path I am on: I try to keep it simple, but still want to improve my images step by step. I just re-discovered my 14mm Samyang lense and don't know why I left it aside taking on dust. Focussing and changing f-stop is manual, that's right, but for astrophotography that's really no issue.
A 14mm Samyang! That's fantastic, I was looking at their other lenses, but they are not all made for Nikon. I'd love to see you image the Milky Way core with that Samyang!
Vintage high-quality ED lenses can make great substitutes for more expensive short focal length telescopes. I wish I had thought of this before! Let me know if you've imaged with one of these classic lenses!
In addition to PixInsight and Photoshop, people also swear by RegiStar to fix image orientation. If you have any other suggestions for free methods of aligning astro images, please let me know. Clear Skies!
How do you attach a nebula narrowband fiter, on the lens or telescope scope itself?
You can do it two ways. When I started out, I had a 1.25" light pollution and high contrast filter which would screw into the T-Adapter. Later on I got a filter tray which sits between the camera and the extension rings (it acts as a 16.5mm extension). The filter tray supports both 1.25" and 2" filters, but now I only get the 2" versions in case I ever go full frame and find 1.25" too small.
Also - I have taped a filter to the front of my DSLR lens before as a test, but I would not recommend that method!
How did you get that??
I was lucky to get out alive!
Meanwile Texas: ah got a glimps ever 30 minutes
We had some people from our club who were headed to Waco for the eclipse. They turned around last minute and headed up to Quebec.
this video inspired to me so much.. thanks dude.
Glad to hear it, good luck with your astro journey! Clear Skies!
waaaw
Amazing!!!...that lens beat any refractor..!😅
It really is a great lens. I don't know if they designed it as an astrograph, but that's what they ended up calling it. I'm testing out the NIKKOR F 300mm lens (made in the 80's and 90's) and am pretty happy with that as well. CS!
@@Felldisulfide Great...!, and for the rokinon/samyang 135mm, they are not made for astrophotography purposes, but an amateur astronomer came out with that idea, and now that lens is pretty much a must have for anyone in this hobby, f2.0 and can be used with any camera, dslr of course and dedicated cameras. CS
I did not know that, thanks!
@Felldisulfide with the proper adapter, you can attach a qhy or zwo cooled camera...
That's right. I'm using the ZWO Nikon adapter with built-in filter tray.
There is an article on Cloudy Nights re: the use of vintage telephoto lenses for astrophotography (Evidently I'm not allowed to post a link.) It's an excellent discussion by Rudy Kokich. To tame any coma he advises to reduce the aperture by at least one stop using step-down rings. He says that such lenses are better used for narrow-band imaging rather than broadband to improve image quality. I am using the 135mm and 200mm lenses that he recommends with good results.
Thanks for that. I read the post, it's very good. He mentions the Nikkor F 200mm - I'm using the 300mm, so I'm in good company. I don't mind defraction spikes so I will stop down from f/4.5 with the internal iris. The other option is using narrowband filters, which I am, but they don't produce natural stars. If I can get the stars through lower f/stops and image nebulas in narrow band, that would be great.
Wow you made me splurge money on my 6se i just bought your guide scope and camera. I really needed this video lol. And i already have a eq mount im so excited any tips?
@CodaSloth haha, congratulations! Best thing you can do for guiding is really good polar alignment. The guide scope/camera can help quite a bit to make your alignment better through methods like Drift Alignment. If you are using a reducer, then you should get pretty good results with guiding error under 1.8", but ideally closer to 1". Welcome to longer exposure times. Now you're going to need filters! CS!
@Felldisulfide what filters would you recommend. Also, I have been looking at focail reducers. What would you recommend for that as well.
I only have experience with the Celestron f/6.3 reducer, but there are other options, including some unnamed brands, and some more expensive options like the Starizona reducer, which is at least $100 more than the Celestron version. The Celestron reducer is not perfect, and still leaves a bit of lensing. As far as filters go, stay away from cheap light pollution filters. I also have not had much luck with the high-contrast filters when it comes to imaging. Get a good UV/IR Cut filter to start with. UV/IR Cut filters give you most of the broadband spectrum. I leave mine on unless I'm imaging in narrow-band. From there, most people get an Ha filter or a dual band Ha/OIII. Dual band is more expensive, but you can't go wrong with it! There are additional, more expensive filters which are broader than the narrow pass Ha/OIII/SII filters, but still tighten to limit which colours they permit through, such as RGB. I just ordered the Antlia Quad Band filter for the fall galaxies, hoping to use it as an all-in-one broader spectrum filter.
This was so incredibly helpful!! I just mounted my 8SE on a wedge and had no idea what I was doing when I tried my first polar alignment. 😂 I really appreciate you giving such a simple explanation and helping us newbies understand!
@IslandSkyPhotos thanks for the comment, I'm glad the video helped! Most of the online forums were so focused on where to measure degrees from that they didn't really cover the why and the how. Good luck with your scope, and clear skies!
Nice job Chris I used a colour planetary for a few years before using mono & it worked just fine even though in forums people were saying to use mono, but I think todays cameras are far more sensitive than they were back then.
Thanks Tich! You know, I don't think too many people starting out put much thought into sizing their gear so that it works together. Guide scopes are a great example of this. If you are imaging at a short enough focal length, you can get away with a less precise guide camera and a smaller guide scope. I hope your weather has improved since the spring! We went from clouds to heat and humidity... CS!
Amazing. Discovering amateur astronomy visual observing while....observing the sky. This to me shows that people are approaching astrophotography just for the images and not the curiosity of the night sky. I'm glad you've discovered visual observing. Now I hope you follow this insight to grow in your visual astronomy path. It's a totally different joy.
Actually, I got into imaging because visual became impossible where I live due to light pollution. My sky went from Bortle 7 to 8. Every year it seems we have to drive further and further to find a dark sky. I'm happy there's a new generation of astronomers who experience the hobby through imaging, and I hope that some of them will give visual observing a try, hence this video! I'm currently using a 4" refractor for visual, along with viewing through my astronomy club's other members' scopes whenever we get together at a dark sky site, and also, of course, the binoculars. Clear Skies!
Well done for getting it all to work I'd probably look at getting an EQ wedge of some sort so finer adjustments could be made for polar alignment but other than than that it's a great build.
Thanks Tich, the camera tripod I'm using is unstable, shaky, not well balanced. I have to extend the legs very far out to keep the whole thing from pitching over - and while the RA is easy to make fine adjustments to, the Declination is unwieldy because all of the weight pulls to one side. However... that Polar Pen... I spent at least an hour trying to polar align this rig the first time (I had it on a part of my deck where Polaris was not visible), and a half hour drift aligning the second time, but once I added the Polar Pen (TM) ;) alignment was a breeze. Provided I could align such that I could see Polaris in the pen tube, my guiding has been consistently in the 1.5" range, which at the focal lengths I've been using is pretty much perfect. So I'm conflicted - it's been a while since I built my last wedge, and I'd like to have a go at it, but... provided I don't breathe too close to this setup, it's just too damn convenient...
Hi, new to the channel. I would assume the process is similar for southern hemisphere, but I guess the advantage of a pole star is gone?
@ankurmishra3054 yes, the process is pretty much the same except you would be pointing your OTA North towards the Prime Meridian, not South (using a wedge). There are a few constellations astronomers in the Southern Hemisphere use to help with alignment, such as the Southern Cross, but nothing as simple as Polaris. There are also apps that can help you point your wedge in the right direction. I think you would need to get comfortable with drift alignment in order to fine tune your alignment once you have it more or less oriented based on the other methods.
@@Felldisulfide thanks a lot 😊
Nice video, thanks for this.
Thanks for the comment! I saw some of your observatory build videos. How's it coming along? Cheers, and CS!
@Felldisulfide Not too bad thankyou, I live in Ireland, middle of summer here in Ireland so no observing time. We've also had the worst weather too 😫 Hopefully first light soon 😀