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midtskogen
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Astrophotography

29 Nov 2021 00:16

 what did it look like as far as what you could actually see with your eyes?
I used video from one of our meteor cameras, I wasn't even there, if I had been there, it would look like pretty regular aurora but it was more popping up here and there than a continuous display, so the stack doesn't get too washed out and it looks a bit like something that actually could happen if the sky really exploded in aurora (perhaps a bit over the top, but not too far from something that could possibly happen).
what do you use to stack videos? I assume you extract the individual frames?
I decode the video frame by frame and for every pixel in a certain position I store the one which has been the brightest in that position.  And finally some simple post processing to reduce noise.  In all about 18,000 frames (20 minutes, 15 frames per second).
the little streaks that are visible embedded in the display, are those meteors?
No, star trails.  This is like a 20 minute exposure, but because no single exposure is more than 1/15th second, I avoid overexposure.
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Astrophotography

29 Nov 2021 16:20

 what did it look like as far as what you could actually see with your eyes?
I used video from one of our meteor cameras, I wasn't even there, if I had been there, it would look like pretty regular aurora but it was more popping up here and there than a continuous display, so the stack doesn't get too washed out and it looks a bit like something that actually could happen if the sky really exploded in aurora (perhaps a bit over the top, but not too far from something that could possibly happen).
what do you use to stack videos? I assume you extract the individual frames?
I decode the video frame by frame and for every pixel in a certain position I store the one which has been the brightest in that position.  And finally some simple post processing to reduce noise.  In all about 18,000 frames (20 minutes, 15 frames per second).
the little streaks that are visible embedded in the display, are those meteors?
No, star trails.  This is like a 20 minute exposure, but because no single exposure is more than 1/15th second, I avoid overexposure.
oh wow so you did that by hand rather than using a program like Registax.  I think Sequator has an option like the one you mentioned it is called "best pixel".  Very well done, it almost seems like movement can be seen even though it is a combined still.  Almost like fireworks going off at the same time in different parts of the sky.
 
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midtskogen
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Astrophotography

30 Nov 2021 01:38

oh wow so you did that by hand rather than using a program like Registax. 
Well, "by hand" would then mean writing a C program doing the work.  I've never tried Registax and I don't know how well it would do for this task.
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Cantra
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Astrophotography

13 Feb 2022 16:47

I wonder how astrophotography would work from say, Ganymede or Callisto.
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Watsisname
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Re: Astrophotography

04 Sep 2022 08:26

Another excellent aurora show this morning! Very bright pulsing greens this time, with a few red and purple pillars mixed in. The show wasn't sparked by a solar eruption this time, but just an unusually long lasting high speed solar wind stream. Space weather prediction center or spaceweather.com for more details.

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midtskogen
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Re: Astrophotography

06 Sep 2022 10:43

Looks like quite a bit of aurora activity lately.  I captured this "double" aurora last night (video):
x.jpg
Seen from Gaustatoppen, southern Norway 2022-09-06.  On the left, towards the north, we see the aurora borealis or northern lights.  On the right, towards the northeast, we see the literal aurora, the dawn.
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Re: Astrophotography

06 Sep 2022 11:23

Nice real-time video. It was a surprisingly good and long-lasting show. Looks like every time zone potentially had a view, and I've seen photos from people as far south as Lithuania, and Oregon along the Columbia River. Excited to see what will come next as we get further into this active solar cycle.
 
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PropsValroa
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Re: Astrophotography

13 Oct 2022 11:10

I do not have a telescope camera. I rely on holding my Iphone 6s up to my telescope lens. A few nights ago I used the Celestron 114LCM telescope. I got it in late 2015.

Can clearly see the moons of Jupiter.

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Image

Moon was pretty good that night as well.
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midtskogen
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Re: Astrophotography

03 Nov 2022 08:25

x.jpg
The most spectacular show ever captured by the meteor cameras: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3T3QhnfsN0

Extremely rapid motion and too bright even for 1/25s exposures.
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Watsisname
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Re: Astrophotography

08 Nov 2022 08:32

Another nice total lunar eclipse here. I tried compositing a few shots to show the shape and color gradation of Earth's shadow. :)

Image



There was a bit of déjà vu as well -- it's the second time I've seen one where Uranus was so close to the Moon (just 1.5° away).

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midtskogen
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Re: Astrophotography

01 Dec 2022 14:51

This aurora show is pretty impressive for southern Norway: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgZvB0h9hwo

Recorded by one of our meteor cameras yesterday.
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Re: Astrophotography

03 Dec 2022 18:49

Another nice total lunar eclipse here. I tried compositing a few shots to show the shape and color gradation of Earth's shadow. :)

Image



There was a bit of déjà vu as well -- it's the second time I've seen one where Uranus was so close to the Moon (just 1.5° away).

Image
Wat, I took pictures of the eclipse too, but my focal lengths were 600mm EFL on my M43 gear....what focal length and what kind of exposure would be needed to get the moon and Uranus in the same frame?  I tried to do it handheld and I was using some high ISO ..... a typical shot for me was ISO 4000 1/4 sec shutter speed f/6.7 at 300mm (600mm EFL)...yes I did that handheld lol.

Total lunar eclipses are more difficult to photograph than total solar eclipses (aside from the brief period when one can photograph a total solar eclipse.)

What's the ideal focal length for both total lunar and total solar eclipses (since I am going to be traveling to Syracuse or further north to see the one on April 8, 2024)?
 
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Watsisname
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Re: Astrophotography

04 Dec 2022 12:56

Wat, I took pictures of the eclipse too, but my focal lengths were 600mm EFL on my M43 gear....what focal length and what kind of exposure would be needed to get the moon and Uranus in the same frame?  I tried to do it handheld and I was using some high ISO ..... a typical shot for me was ISO 4000 1/4 sec shutter speed f/6.7 at 300mm (600mm EFL)...yes I did that handheld lol.


What's the ideal focal length for both total lunar and total solar eclipses (since I am going to be traveling to Syracuse or further north to see the one on April 8, 2024)?
For lunar eclipse I was photographing at 300mm, 800ISO, about 2s exposures. But exact exposure settings vary throughout the eclipse, especially between partial phase and totality. It's best to experiment and see what works. With a lunar eclipse you have plenty of time to take a shot, review on the camera screen, adjust and try again.

For the total solar eclipse, settings were roughly the same except the exposure time covered a much wider range.

"Total lunar eclipses are more difficult to photograph than total solar eclipses"

Having done both, I strongly disagree. Total solar eclipses don't last as long, and the corona has far more dynamic range. It is not hard to get photos of totality, but it is more difficult to get good photos of totality.
 
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midtskogen
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Re: Astrophotography

06 Dec 2022 08:40

I find 2400mm good for Moon shots.  For a total solar eclipse, however, something around 500mm sounds good in order to capture the corona.

Solar eclipses are definitely more difficult to photograph since you need a filter during the partial phase, and because of the high dynamic range of the corona.  Also, a total solar eclipse is over in a matter of a few minutes at most, so much more stressful to photograph.  Actually, make solar eclipse photographing as little complex as possible and rather enjoy the experience.
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Re: Astrophotography

08 Dec 2022 00:28

Caught the occultation of Mars by the full Moon tonight, through thin clouds and high winds. Pretty neat. I have seen bright stars occulted before, but not a planet. :)

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