Antares Region over 8 years with travel kit

[Carastro]

Peter Shah's recent image inspired me to have another go at processing this as was never happy with the previous attempts.

 

However you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear, and I did not have great data to start with having taken most of it on 2 separate holidays in Spain and you can't take an HEQ5 on the plane with you.  So took an ioptron Sky tracker which means the images can't be too long.  I was using also a Nifty 50 and the stock lens on both occasions, which has resulted in the star shapes being like comets on the tiny stars.  Have improved this by Star removal and putting back just the bright stars and using the data from 2013. 

 

First trip I took DSLR on the Sky tracker in 2017.  

Then in 2019 I took another trip and this time took my Atik460EX and a luminance filter. 

I also used an image I took from the UK in 2013 which only covered a small area, but it did show the globular cluster better. 

 

Anyway, without more ado - it's not perfect, but the best I have come up with.  How I wish I could take an Equatorial mount and my Samyang 135mm with me, but I hadn't got the latter in 2019. 

 

Ioptron Sky tracker and camera lens with Modified canon 1100D and an Atik460EX

Combination of 30 exposures @ 3mins, 16 exposures of 2 mins
DSLR approx 4 hours using Nifty 50 & Zoom lens
Lum 30 x 3mins + 16 x 2 mins combined
Total time 6 hours approx

 

 

 

Edited August 10, 2021 by Carastro

[AstronomyUkraine]

50 minutes ago, Carastro said:

Peter Shah's recent image inspired me to have another go at processing this as was never happy with the previous attempts.

 

However you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear, and I did not have great data to start with having taken most of it on 2 separate holidays in Spain and you can't take an HEQ5 on the plane with you.  So took an ioptron Sky tracker which means the images can't be too long.  I was using also a Nifty 50 and the stock lens on both occasions, which has resulted in the star shapes being like comets on the tiny stars.  Have improved this by Star removal and putting back just the bright stars and using the data from 2013. 

 

Firstly trip I took DSLR on the Sky tracker in 2017.  

Then in 2019 I took another trip and this time took my Atik460EX and a luminance filter. 

I also used an image I took from the UK in 2013 which only covered a small area, but it did show the globular cluster better. 

 

Anyway, without more ado - it not perfect, but the best I have come up with.  How I wish I could take an Equatorial mount and my Samyang 135mm with me, but I hadn't got the latter in 2019. 

 

Ioptron Sky tracker and camera lens with Modified canon 1100D and an Atik460EX

Combination of 30 exposures @ 3mins, 16 exposures of 2 mins
DSLR approx 4 hours using Nifty 50 & Zoom lens
Lum 30 x 3mins + 16 x 2 mins combined
Total time 6 hours approx

 

 

 

A great result considering the equipment used to capture the data.

[peter shah]

 Its always good going over old data Carole, to see if you can squeeze a bit more out of it. 

 

I've been chasing Rho Ophiuchus for years, ever since seeing it in the Astronomy magazine when I was 17.

A few years back I went to La Palma with the goal to capture it..... The air was so dry there that a static charge actually fried the camera on the first night, so I came back with nothing, I was gutted! 

You came back with usable data and a great result especially with the equipment limitations.

 

I took this pic right after I blew the camera, you can see the white car with the HEQ5 next to it...I was dismantling it but had to stop to take this pic of the sunset.

Edited August 10, 2021 by peter shah

[Bob-c]

Very nice result.

[Carastro]

2 hours ago, peter shah said:

 Its always good going over old data Carole, to see if you can squeeze a bit more out of it. 

 

I've been chasing Rho Ophiuchus for years, ever since seeing it in the Astronomy magazine when I was 17.

A few years back I went to La Palma with the goal to capture it..... The air was so dry there that a static charge actually fried the camera on the first night, so I came back with nothing, I was gutted! 

You came back with usable data and a great result especially with the equipment limitations.

 

I took this pic right after I blew the camera, you can see the white car with the HEQ5 next to it...I was dismantling it but had to stop to take this pic of the sunset.

Thanks Peter, looks like we have both been on the same mission.

 

Carole 

[rwillits]

Carole, I  just got a Skywatcher EQM35 Pro mount. I used it last weekend at a the Northwoods Starfest. I seems much lighter than the EQ5, but even with the backlash it tracked quite good. Even though the EQM35 is lighter, it is not shorter. I think that I could be put it in it's own travel case with a few other items and make weight. Being that it is a Skywatcher, all your cables and software work. It weighs 10.3kg (22.7lbs) according to the specs. I found on a China site smaller weights that work with this mount. If you use your Samyang 135 these small weight will work. I used them with my Samyang and they where fine. If you are interested email me and I will send photos and links to the site with the weights.

 

I love the photo.

 

 

Edited August 10, 2021 by rwillits

[Carastro]

Thanks Richard, still a heavy weight to put in a suitcase though.  Is the weight including the counterweights? 

[P Holdsworth]

Beautiful image Carole. Love the colours