I did collimation around a month ago:
2005 and 2006 (GMT+1), seeing rather bad since Jupiter was still quite low.
I could see low frequency seeing disturbance even at 50x.
Anyway, it's enjoyable to resume bigger aperture imaging after all those years, something like 20 years ago!
Catching the last dose of summer.
1313 (UT+1), with reducer:
My 8" white light filter arrived, but the collimation seems no good, all images failed badly.
1036 (UT+1):
Switch back to my H-alpha setup:
The Sun is very active today.
1106 (UT+1), taken with a reducer:
Really need to fine tune the collimation of the 8" SCT, I did try before but it seems not going well.
First Jupiter shot of the Meade 8" SCT
Just an exercise, and to try out the flip mirror.
This is my new setup, the small chair and bench were both DIY projectors, they're helpful as some astronomy equipment too!
Close up with 2x Barlows:
Mosaic of two frames:
I made a solar finder and this is the first trial, much quicker and simple to use, no need to crank my neck and to stand the glare of the bright sun.
1520 GMT+1, this is a failed shot, couldn't be stacked in avistack but asivideostack managed to do it partially.
Finally push up the exposure, 1527 (GMT+1):
Cloud moving around, can't really make any decent image, just a record.
1048 and 1050 (GMT+1), Ranger at prime focus, Solarmax 60 with BF10, ASI 290mm
1229 (GMT+1), exposure pushed up to show prominences better, taken with 2x barlows:-
1226 (GMT+1), AR3310 taken with 2x Barlows:-
1223 (GMT+1), taken with reducer, slightly drifting to allow full disc after stacking:-
1122 (GMT+1), taken with reducer:
I'm glad to announce that my BF10 was repaired successfully!
In business again!
Scanning around the web, and found some other possible solutions. Better yet, they might offer better solution than Meade, which will get rust over time again.
Send an email to https://beloptik.de/, got a slow but positive response. The cost is slightly lower, and I don't have to send my BF10 there. That possibly account for the price difference, since I'll have to replace that ITF myself. But it seems not too hard.
Good me luck, I really want to resume H-alpha imaging.
Actually, |I don't have to process this image but since it might well be my very last shot, why not just keep it as a record?
The view is very great with my eyes, just very bad with the camera, guess what.
The exposure had to be very long, I believe my blocking filter has heavy rust.
Naked eye view tends to be a bit too bright for H-alpha, but then it's prettty dim now. Therefore, it's still good enough for the eye, but it's already too dim for a cmaera.
I have sent email to Meade to see if they can help, but the chance probably slim.\
I would keep the filter for visual observation, and it still works out great.
I might sell the azgti mount, for it's more liike for imaging the sun., maybe selling that ASI too.
Solar activity has been high, leading to Aurora as well, but I was unlucky to miss all of them so far.
1044 (GMT), two frames stitched together. Uneven illumination has to be fixed.
Ranger at prime focus.
The only 2x closeup before cloud rolled in, AR2345 and AR3247 at 10:47 (GMT)
Watched it briefly last month with my 18x50 IS before dawn from my very light polluted front yard.
Did some imaging tonight in my backyard, no tracking with my Canon 70D with a 50mm f1.8 closed down to f2.2, cropped and around 8 images stacked. Forgot to use the raw mode.
No second chance for cloud rolled in.
Result comes first:
Poor seeing, windy and moving cloud. Most H-alpha images taken were useless.
This is the most interesting shot taken accidentally, the eclipsed sun was captured by internal reflection of the camera lens:
A few snapshot of my setup:
Taken at around 22:50pm, Canon 100-400mm with 2x handheld, Canon 70D
Thin cloud, windy.
M31 taken with my mobile phone, Samsung S20+
Next up is Jupiter with my 80mm refractor, 5x powermate with my ASI
upper one higher gain with faster shutter, apparently more detail, faster shutter is better for freezing poor seeing.
lower one clean at lower gain with slower shutter, a bit over exposed.
Just my very first Jupiter in Scotland, very poor capture, one of my worst shots.
Probably out of focus and very poor seeing.
Just a record, pretty cold outside at six degrees celcius only, it's now autumn.
The OTA probably couldn't reach thermal equilibrium from inside taken outside, no need to be serious for taking planets with a 80mm scope.
Second imaging session, still learning to work with the new stuff and new environment.
1546 UT, Ranger at prime focus, ASI190mm
AR3089
Two frames mosaic, it's hard to tune Tmax and richfield under bright sun light.
False color:
I rather took images during my stay in Leeds, and I have recently relocated to Scotland, and we have bought a small home and so it's now to resume imaging!
The small foldable table is for placing my computer, a cardbox was used as a sunshield. The trusty Nextar mount was dead while in Leeds, it's now placed by a az-gti mount.
The sun has been active, and we have aurora alerts at night. My backyard was not dark enough probably.
This is my first solar shot in Scotland, less than desirable but absolutely a new start.
Two frames merged together 1519 and 1523 (GMT), captured with ASI190mm without reducer, prime focus of my trusty Ranger.
