Ultimate space simulation software

 
A-L-E-X
Galaxy Architect
Galaxy Architect
Posts: 3498
Joined: 06 Mar 2017 20:19

Asteroids, meteors, and meteorites

13 Dec 2020 02:23

https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/64629918

Wow he got such an amazing Orion Nebula image with a Canon superzoom camera that can't do longer than 15 sec exposures at ISO 100.  He uses the same DSS freeware for stacking that I have, but the one difference is key, he has a tracking mount and I dont have that.  Cant even see Polaris here to do an alignment.  He did 41 frames 15 sec each at ISO 100.  I wonder if I can do 246 frames at 2.5 sec each at ISO 100....but since I have a M43 camera, I can actually use much higher ISO to achieve a similar result too....and I dont even have to use ISO 3200 like in my image!  I could do 31 frames at 2.5 sec each at ISO 800....or I could do 24 images at 2.5 sec each and ISO 3200 and let the stacking take care of the noise (but would nebular colors be blown out at that exposure level and high ISO?)  He said it's 184mm, is that EFL? If so mine is 150mm EFL. I dont think his can be actual focal length because that would be around 1000mm EFL which would nearly fill the frame with the Orion Nebula I think?
 
A-L-E-X
Galaxy Architect
Galaxy Architect
Posts: 3498
Joined: 06 Mar 2017 20:19

Astrophotography

14 Dec 2020 06:20

I used DSS to stack 24 images (set to 80% best so it actually stacked 19) and according to the program at a 2% threshold it detected 6000 stars.  I didn't actually see 6000 stars though.  What I did see was only slightly more stars than each subframe and the nebulosity looked the same, the big improvement was an improvement in the SNR, the noise floor of the background sky was much much lower and looked silk smooth especially at ISO 3200.  But I'm disappointed that it didn't show a lot more stars or more of the nebulosity, especially since it's a 48 sec total exposure as opposed to each sub only being 2.5 sec....whats going on here?  Not going to post a 154 MB TIF file either lol.
 
vlad01
Pioneer
Pioneer
Posts: 525
Joined: 03 May 2018 01:33

Astrophotography

15 Dec 2020 03:35

First pic of the horse head nebula my friend and I took, only managed 2 exposures before clouds ruined the night.

Also yet to try stack the ones of M33

horse head.jpg
 
User avatar
midtskogen
Star Engineer
Star Engineer
Posts: 1537
Joined: 11 Dec 2016 12:57
Location: Oslo, Norway
Contact:

Astrophotography

21 Dec 2020 09:42

Anyone getting a photo of Jupiter and Saturn tonight?  Fog and clouds here, and they're soon setting. :(
NIL DIFFICILE VOLENTI
 
User avatar
Watsisname
Science Officer
Science Officer
Posts: 2318
Joined: 06 Sep 2016 02:33
Location: Bellingham, WA

Astrophotography

21 Dec 2020 18:21

Anyone getting a photo of Jupiter and Saturn tonight?  Fog and clouds here, and they're soon setting.
No luck here, either. Have not had a clear sky all December, and now it's snowing.
 
User avatar
FastFourierTransform
Pioneer
Pioneer
Posts: 356
Joined: 17 Nov 2016 15:09

Astrophotography

22 Dec 2020 04:03

No luck here, either. Have not had a clear sky all December, and now it's snowing.
Spain has also been covered in clouds all the week :(
Image
 
A-L-E-X
Galaxy Architect
Galaxy Architect
Posts: 3498
Joined: 06 Mar 2017 20:19

Astrophotography

22 Dec 2020 10:04

It was cloudy here last night but tonight should be clear so I'm stoked!  I have heard that the best time to look is 45 min after sunset in the SW sky, but I hope it's not too close to the horizon because we have some tall buildings here!  In degrees, how far above the horizon will they be?

I also saw this post and wonder if it's true?

 Personally, I'm looking forward to the 'great conjunction', when Jupiter will pass directly in front of Saturn.  That will occur next on February 16, 7541 (seriously.)  I'm hoping that if I diet and exercise I can be around to see it happen.  By the way, if you're busy that day or if it is cloudy (does Accuweather's long range go out this far?), it happens again later that year on June 17th, 7541.

my response to that was this:

I didn't even know that could actually happen lol.  I'd settle for a nice lunar occultation of either Jupiter or Saturn or both in the same night ;-)

Do you have any numbers for when that might happen next?
 
A-L-E-X
Galaxy Architect
Galaxy Architect
Posts: 3498
Joined: 06 Mar 2017 20:19

Astrophotography

22 Dec 2020 10:06

Anyone getting a photo of Jupiter and Saturn tonight?  Fog and clouds here, and they're soon setting.
No luck here, either. Have not had a clear sky all December, and now it's snowing.
and this is one reason why we need climate engineering pronto.  For spectacular events like this (and for other reasons.)  We can develop a vaccine to a pandemic within a year and we can't suck some clouds out of the skies? lol
 
A-L-E-X
Galaxy Architect
Galaxy Architect
Posts: 3498
Joined: 06 Mar 2017 20:19

Astrophotography

22 Dec 2020 11:29

There's a Venus–Jupiter mutual occultation coming up relatively soon... 2060s I think? But it's only going to be a few degrees from the sun and so either invisible or extremely difficult to see. A re-enactment of what happened in 2 BC?
 
vlad01
Pioneer
Pioneer
Posts: 525
Joined: 03 May 2018 01:33

Astrophotography

22 Dec 2020 20:30

Anyone getting a photo of Jupiter and Saturn tonight?  Fog and clouds here, and they're soon setting. :(
We having the best place to see it here in Australia... clouds
 
User avatar
midtskogen
Star Engineer
Star Engineer
Posts: 1537
Joined: 11 Dec 2016 12:57
Location: Oslo, Norway
Contact:

Astrophotography

23 Dec 2020 02:56

There's a Venus–Jupiter mutual occultation coming up relatively soon... 2060s I think?
22 November 2065, last one was in 1818.  Wikipedia.
NIL DIFFICILE VOLENTI
 
A-L-E-X
Galaxy Architect
Galaxy Architect
Posts: 3498
Joined: 06 Mar 2017 20:19

Astrophotography

25 Dec 2020 01:22

Thanks!  I stacked some images of M42 and was wondering which was the best acceptable star trailing image (star trailing = 7 pixels or less) from these untracked stacks at 75mm using 4:3 (150mm EFL).  The first is 2.5 sec the second is 3.2 sec and the third one is 4 sec.  The fourth is 2 sec (but a different FOV) and the fifth one is 2.5 sec but processed slightly differently.
Autosave005x.jpg
Autosave005x.jpg (47.19 KiB) Viewed 3324 times
Autosave011x.jpg
Autosave011x.jpg (43.78 KiB) Viewed 3324 times
Autosave018x.jpg
Autosave018x.jpg (42.81 KiB) Viewed 3324 times
Autosave030x.jpg
Autosave030x.jpg (23.24 KiB) Viewed 3324 times
Autosave007x.jpg
Autosave007x.jpg (48.26 KiB) Viewed 3324 times
 
A-L-E-X
Galaxy Architect
Galaxy Architect
Posts: 3498
Joined: 06 Mar 2017 20:19

Astrophotography

30 Dec 2020 00:43

Now I'm using different processing software which enhances stars a lot better.  It's called Sequator and it also processes the pictures a lot more quickly.  I think the 3.2 sec version came out the best what do you all think?

I posted them on an excellent astrophotography site called astrobin which also does astrometry and plate solving.

https://www.astrobin.com/full/vj01zt/0/?real=&mod=

3.2 sec version

https://www.astrobin.com/full/tsya6o/0/?real=&mod=

2.5 sec version

https://www.astrobin.com/full/5b81b4/0/?real=&mod=

4 sec version

https://www.astrobin.com/full/t6n9ez/0/?real=&mod=

2 sec version

So I looked for detail and number of stars close to the Orion Nebula and I found that the 3.2 sec version brought out the most stars.  The 2 sec version doesn't have M42 in the frame but I used stars below it to make the comparison.
 
A-L-E-X
Galaxy Architect
Galaxy Architect
Posts: 3498
Joined: 06 Mar 2017 20:19

Astrophotography

30 Dec 2020 01:19

Alright one more set of four since someone just commented that they thought the JPG to JPG versions were better than the JPG to TIF versions.  So I'll post links to all four shutter speeds from that set also:

https://www.astrobin.com/full/73qqe2/0/?real=&mod=

2.5 sec

https://www.astrobin.com/full/s5l60i/0/?real=&mod=

3.2 sec

https://www.astrobin.com/full/sw9jcl/0/?real=&mod=

4 sec

https://www.astrobin.com/full/34pdgg/0/?real=&mod=
 
vlad01
Pioneer
Pioneer
Posts: 525
Joined: 03 May 2018 01:33

Astrophotography

30 Dec 2020 18:12

My friend just bought a ZWO ASI2600 colour camera and a ZWO advanced auto focuser. 

Should arrive next week.  We are going to have a bit of a learning curve to work out how to use it with Nina.

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Google [Bot] and 16 guests