SonnyE Loc: Communist California, USA

Sorry. I'm just really, really fascinated with Orion, and particularly the Orion Nebula.
So I set up the telescope and play around, then lately I program it for M42 and cover it.
Later on I come back out ~ 23:30 hrs - midnight, uncover, and start taking exposures.
I was shooting the lower end of the time frame last night/this morning. I was liking the detail I was getting, so shot from 15 seconds, up to 25 seconds.
But I liked the shorter ones and exported them as both tiff and as jpg for Element 12. The jpg were workable, the tiff's were duck doo-doo.
So... still learning, still playing.
G3 camera, in RGB color mode. jpg's slightly sharpened, but no other fiddling.

These are also "Saved for the Web" jpg's. (An option in Elements 12)
So let's see how they appear on UHH...

15 second, sharpened in AE 12

(Download)

18 second, sharpened in AE 12

(Download)

22 second, sharpened in AE 12

(Download)

SonnyE Loc: Communist California, USA

Humm, they uploaded really, really fast.
I'm wondering why they aren't zoom-able.
Any ideas?

And do you think my camera is upside down? This is as it appears in an eyepiece.
But not like other pictures I have seen on the web. :?:

Singing Swan

Maybe when you 'saved it for the web' it took away the choice of being able to enlarge the image. Is the exif data different?? I'd go looking there first. I don't know about the upside down. Is there an upside down in outer space??

And they may not be as good as others, but I see your improvements so I expect I'll be seeing the 'good stuff' you do in about six more months :) :)

gekko11 Loc: Las Cruces NM

[quote=SonnyE]Sorry. I'm just really, really fascinated with Orion, and particularly the Orion Nebula.
So I set up the telescope and play around, then lately I program it for M42 and cover it.
Later on I come back out ~ 23:30 hrs - midnight, uncover, and start taking exposures.
I was shooting the lower end of the time frame last night/this morning. I was liking the detail I was getting, so shot from 15 seconds, up to 25 seconds.
But I liked the shorter ones and exported them as both tiff and as jpg for Element 12. The jpg were workable, the tiff's were duck doo-doo.
So... still learning, still playing.
G3 camera, in RGB color mode. jpg's slightly sharpened, but no other fiddling.

These are also "Saved for the Web" jpg's. (An option in Elements 12)
So let's see how they appear on UHH...[/quote

Hi Sonny, I have always struggled with critical focus when imaging Orion (perhaps because it's a bit nebulous? lol). My longer exposures usually suffer from tracking issues combined with focus issues :? This is an example , if the linking works, of 9 stacked 20 sec exposures from last year . I have recently removed the optics from my telescope and given them a much needed cleaning , collimated and am ready to try again, very soon. http://static.uglyhedgehog.com/upload/2014/3/9/thumb-1394342853015-nebulositym42v2.jpg

SonnyE Loc: Communist California, USA

Maybe so about the Elements 12 'save for the web' mode.
I have seen others post pictures on UHH and when downloaded, they aren't zoom-able.
As far as EXIF, the camera/program stores in a .fit file format. (From what I have learned, that is a somewhat archaic astronomy file format. A raw type of format.)
And so far, I haven't been able to observe any EXIF data on them. So I think we are working with a different animal than a DSLR camera.
Plus this is from a CCD camera. So it may be an entirely different kind of raw file.
But below is the same 15s jpg file, but not compressed into a web format by E-12. Just for a check...

Thanks for the encouragement. ;)
6 months ago I couldn't take an image from my equipment. I couldn't figure out how to use it.
I hope I can continue to improve. I think if one is not improving, then they must be dead. :-o :lol:

As far as orientation, I have but the images I see from other pictures. So I asked in the interest of learning so I can get my images as correct as is acceptable by higher authorities than my lowly fiddling. :-D :roll: :wink:

Anyway, here is the same image as it was exported from a fit file to a jpg.

Edit in: Uhh, nope. Didn't make a difference. But the EXIF Data is view-able. And there is a 'Rotated EXIF data' that turns the image ~90 degrees. Interesting.

fit to jpg 15s file

(Download)

SonnyE Loc: Communist California, USA

Well, that makes a very pretty picture!
Humm, if I am to make a reasonable presentation, I guess I'm going to have to rotate my spaceship. :lol:
Thanks for sharing! :-D

Let's see if this works:
http://imgsrc.hubblesite.org/hu/db/images/hs-2006-01-a-small_web.jpg

From the Hubble site.
http://hubblesite.org/gallery/album/nebula/pr2006001a/small_web/

stepping beyond Loc: usa eastcoast

Is that coming from your Nikon ? Kudos Buddy, I'll can't wait till it gets up higher than the trees before I get my chance.

SonnyE Loc: Communist California, USA

Thanks!
No, these are still from my Orion G3 CCD color camera.
(Except the one I stole from the Hubble site for a comparison of orientation. To which I supplied the link...)

I have turned my G3 camera 90 degrees to see if I can get a more accurate representation.
But the G3 does not work in daylight. So I'll have to wait for dark. (Or, I don't know how to make it work in daylight.)

If I keep pecking away, pretty soon I'll eat this crow. :lol:

Thanks, S.B.

BTW: I have an app from Celestron called Sky Portal that (among other things) has an Object Info button that gives a lot of info on what I can search for.
Most interesting to me is the visibility part that is updated daily as to when an object rises, transitions, and sets. It also gives the Celestial coordinates. And it can talk.
So if you have a way to utilize the app, it might help plan when Orion will be available to you.
It's a free app, pick what can work for you:
http://www.google.com/search?q=Celestron+Sky+Portal+app&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8

stepping beyond Loc: usa eastcoast

Thanks SonnyE , that Orion G3 does a really good job . I'm still using Stellarium. It stays behing the trees till Dec. then it's up high enough above the trees to view. I love viewing the Trapezium and trying to split the 2 stars that look as if they were 1 and the nebulosity you captured is off the hook. Kudos Buddy

SonnyE Loc: Communist California, USA

Thanks, S. B.
I'm finally beginning to walk.
But I still see I have a long way to go.
A long, long way to go.
But it is fun.

What nebula's might be available to you now?
Are there any you particularly want to view or photograph?