Astrophotography

[SA Bill]

Thanks David!
   Bill

[moose58]

SA Bill,

Unfortunately no! Do you think I should stick with star trails for the moment, get what I can in the area of star trails and then move up later. I am heading to BIBE in March and was just looking for some night time photo ops. I love the one shot you posted with Casa Grande and the star trails. Awesome shot. I will be lucky and extremely happy with something that nice!

Michael

[SA Bill]

moose58:
Yeah, I'd suggest trying some star trail pics to start.

Tracking the stars with an equatorial mount is semi-complicated with a motor drive and very complicated without.

When will you be out there in March?

Glad you like the pic!
   Bill

[jamesb]

Michael, I will be in BIBE March 10th to the 17th.

My wife just had a nasty tread mill accident and hurt her knee. so she may no be doing to much hiking. if thats the case I may bring my scope out with me, but not sure at the moment. I sure would like to bring it so I can work some bugs out of the tracking mount before I spend a week in Ft. Davis for the Texas Star party in late april/early may this year.

James

[McTullis]

Michael, I will be in BIBE March 10th to the 17th.

My wife just had a nasty tread mill accident and hurt her knee. so she may no be doing to much hiking. if thats the case I may bring my scope out with me, but not sure at the moment. I sure would like to bring it so I can work some bugs out of the tracking mount before I spend a week in Ft. Davis for the Texas Star party in late april/early may this year.

James

The 10th-17th is gonna be Spring Break right? I'd like to come hang out and definitely chill for a few nights with you and learn some more about photographing with a scope...that and to catch up seeing as a lot has happened in the last 7 years. I need to track down some camping space somewhere.

[jamesb]

yes its spring break time.

yes we do need to catch up on old times and whats been going on lately.

James

The 10th-17th is gonna be Spring Break right? I'd like to come hang out and definitely chill for a few nights with you and learn some more about photographing with a scope...that and to catch up seeing as a lot has happened in the last 7 years. I need to track down some camping space somewhere.

[moose58]

SA Bill,

I will be in BIBE March 10th through the 15th.

Michael

[SA Bill]

Okay...I'm out there starting on March 18...we'll miss each other this time...maybe next time we'll be in synch. Good luck with the pics! Post whatever you get.
   Bill

[RichardM]

Good luck with the pics! Post whatever you get.

Even if they belong in this thread. :)

[JeffB]

I'm getting in on this discussion late but I'll add my 2 cents.

My favorite place to set up the scope is at one of the Nugent campsites, cant remember the number.   Just like Dryer said, it has  elevation and a wide flat area to set up, right next to the truck.  The views are good in every direction.  There are no artificial lights to deal with like state parks and also in the basin, which is important for long-exposure photography.  Gotta be pitch-black, with a new mooon.

The forecast in my sig is for nighttime sky transparency in the basin and is always up-to-date, including lunar phase.    For each night the five colored squares indicate the transparency forecast at 6PM, 9PM, 12AM, 3AM, 6AM.  Darkest blue means clear, transparent skies and white is cloudy or very opaque.

Michael, just add a clock drive to that EQ mount and learn to get it polar aligned and you can take some great widefield astrophotos, assuming you've got a camera that operates in bulb mode.

[moose58]

JeffB,

Thanks for the input. I am thinking of investing in a drive to do that. I am not going to be able to get it before my trip to BIBE in March, but will have it for the next one. Thanks again.

Michael

[JeffB]

This was with just an old film SLR with a 50mm lens.  The camera was mounted just as you described, on an equatorial mount with clock drive.  The exposure time was about 6 minutes at f/2.8.

Time/Location:  Crockett National Forest back in September.  That is the constellation Cygnus setting behind the trees.
I hope to take a coupe shots like this on my next BB trip, with  mountains in the foreground.  

[SA Bill]

Nice Jeff!
The red North American nebula is very prominent in the upper right.

What film did you use?
    Bill

[JeffB]

Thanks Bill
This was Fuji Sensia 400 slide film.  It doesn't pick up the red as well as Kodak E200 but I have about twenty rolls of Fuji in the freezer.  Turned out OK though and this type of astrophotography (widefield @50mm) is very easy to do.