Orion nebula and andromeda galaxy...

[Edsport]

Taken with my Canon 350D and 75mm-300mm kit lens @ 220mm piggybacked on a Meade LX 200 classic for tracking. Unguided...
Exposure 4 mins x 13 stacked
ISO 800.
F 5.0.
220.mm.

Taken with my 350D and 75-300mm lens @ 280mm...
Exposure 5 mins x 180 stacked.
(This is an edit, it should state 180 secs x 5 exposures).

 

[Marc-Etienne]

WOW :shock: didn't know you could get such a nice quality picture! I especially like #2, there is something mysterious with a nebula that makes it more attractive to my eye.
Could you post pictures of your setup? How do you rig your 350D to the Meade LX 200?

Thanks!

 

[KmH]

Well done.

Marc-Etienne - check out this web page: Scopeoptics Meade Piggyback Bracket 8 & 10 inch Meade SCT or ACF

 

[Marc-Etienne]

Thanks Keith.
Basically the Meade LX200 is only there as a "fancy tripod" tracking the sky to avoid star motion? The camera image never go trough the Meade?

Sorry Edsport, I don't mean to jack your thread. You're the first one I've seen since I joined the forum that posted such work and I'm curious on the way it works.

Thanks

 

[Allen]

Thanks Keith.
Basically the Meade LX200 is only there as a "fancy tripod" tracking the sky to avoid star motion? The camera image never go trough the Meade?

Sorry Edsport, I don't mean to jack your thread. You're the first one I've seen since I joined the forum that posted such work and I'm curious on the way it works.

Thanks

Marc,

I've done some astro-imaging, but not much.

Yes, the Meade is used for its tripod mount and to track the stars. I believe when he says that he was "piggy-backing" on it meant that no light was collected through the telescope, just through the camera lens.

Also where it is noted that an image is exposed for 5 mins and stacked x 15 means that 15 exposures, each 5 mins long were combined to produce the final image. These exposures could have been taken on the same night or on several different nights. The stacking software will usually also stretch and compress each layer so the stars line up giving you perfect registration between layers.

 

[Edsport]

Ok first off i made an error and i want to clarify. I stated that orion was 5 mins x 180, this was wrong, it should state 180 secs x 5 exposures.

To get my camera to the scope - I don't have a piggyback adapter so i used black electrical tape and taped it on there. I used a towel between the scope and cam so not to scratch my scope. The scope was used for tracking only. I used the camera lens and not the scopes optics. I don't have a pic but it's basically the same setup as in the link that KMH posted but instead i used tape. Any more questions feel free to ask and thanks for the replies...

 

[j-dogg]

holy **** that was awesome