Bob Eisenman Posted September 26, 2019 Author Share Posted September 26, 2019 (edited) 9-25-2019 about 10:30 pm I had some recognizable results of the Pleiades constellation using my YI 4K action camera at about iso 400 for 20 seconds, mounted on a tripod. I decided to try using it mounted on the optical tube of the ETX90 EC while it was tracking the sky near the constellation Cassiopeia. Stellarium for that time and date plus 'artwork' looks like this with Andromeda to it's right. The YI 4K photo of Cassiopeia 9-25-2019 about 10:30 pm : cropped to the constellation Cassiopeia: Slightly cropped source photo: (black curve at bottom is the ETX90 optical tube). Both Cassiopeia (left) and Andromeda (right) in view: Why use a small action camera to image the night sky? It's the only (digital) camera I own at this time that allows time lapse up to 30 seconds at iso 400 or iso 800, settings which capture star points of light. The piggy back camera atop the telescope is a scaled down version of Weasner's Mighty ETX web site's (Nikon) DSLR camera mounted on an ETX 90 telescope. Edited September 27, 2019 by Bob Eisenman 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Eisenman Posted September 28, 2019 Author Share Posted September 28, 2019 (edited) 9-27-2919 Saturn (inverted) The Big Dipper 9-27-2019 Looking for the Andromeda Galaxy 9-28-2019 Andromeda Galaxy (approximate location) Cap A points to (faint smudge) - forms small triangle with two close stars. Cassiopeia to the left. Andromeda Galaxy - Star Walk 2 model 9-27-2019 search for Andromeda Galaxy Edited September 28, 2019 by Bob Eisenman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Eisenman Posted September 30, 2019 Author Share Posted September 30, 2019 9-29-2019 Cloudy Jupiter low in the sky Star Walk 2 model 9-29-2019 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Eisenman Posted October 1, 2019 Author Share Posted October 1, 2019 (edited) 10-1-2019 Some clear skies, patches of clouds Moon (about 6:40 pm) Moon (night enhanced) 10-1-2019 about 7:30 pm (R/L inverted) Moon 10-1-2019 (R/L correct) Jupiter 10-1-2019 Star Walk 2 model Jupiter (ETX90 TELESCOPE) 10-1-2019 Saturn 10-1-2019 (R/L inverted) Edited October 2, 2019 by Bob Eisenman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Eisenman Posted October 14, 2019 Author Share Posted October 14, 2019 (edited) Full moon 10-13-2019 Full moon (night enhanced) 10-13-2018 Google Moon https://www.google.com/moon/ Lunar maria https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunar_mare#/media/File%3AMoon_names.svg Edited October 14, 2019 by Bob Eisenman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FairFrank Posted May 31, 2021 Share Posted May 31, 2021 On 9/26/2019 at 10:57 AM, Bob Eisenman said: 9-25-2019 about 10:30 pm I had some recognizable results of the Pleiades constellation using my YI 4K action camera at about iso 400 for 20 seconds, mounted on a tripod. I decided to try using it mounted on the optical tube of the ETX90 EC while it was tracking the sky near the constellation Cassiopeia. Stellarium for that time and date plus 'artwork' looks like this with Andromeda to it's right. The YI 4K photo of Cassiopeia 9-25-2019 about 10:30 pm : cropped to the constellation Cassiopeia: Slightly cropped source photo: (black curve at bottom is the ETX90 optical tube). Both Cassiopeia (left) and Andromeda (right) in view: Why use a small action camera to image the night sky? It's the only (digital) camera I own at this time that allows time lapse up to 30 seconds at iso 400 or iso 800, settings which capture star points of light. The piggy back camera atop the telescope is a scaled down version of Weasner's Mighty ETX web site's (Nikon) DSLR camera mounted on an ETX 90 telescope. Oh God! It's great. Bob, what's the difference between etx90 and lx65? Thinking about purchasing the LX65 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Eisenman Posted June 2, 2021 Author Share Posted June 2, 2021 @FairFrank ETX 90 is old but durable stuff (ebay used?) https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1238401-REG/meade_205004_etx90_observer_90mm_f_13_8.html Optical Tube AssemblyOptical DesignMaksutov CassegrainAperture90 mm / 3.5"Focal Length1250 mmFocal Ratiof/13.9FocuserInternalEyepiece Barrel Diameter1.25" It sees Saturn but not enough to really see the 'Cassini division'. Astrophotography is kind of a hardware art. At f13.9 not much light is gathered so cell phone eyepiece projection (holder needed) or prime focus with DSLR (I bought one) is the way to go. Moon astrophotography with ETX90 is dependable and easy to find. Star finder database handheld , after good alignment is good for casual nighttime gazing. Jupiter with moons in different positions each night is an easy planet to spot but tricky to photograph. Sturdy tripod is a must due to shake. DSLR (800 mm or so) with a star tracker and tripod is popular (lower f stops than catadioptric) but get pricey like anything else. Astrophotograhy can be both expensive and not really fun at first depending on your choices. Once you know how to set things up it goes quicker. December - cold moon Meade ETX 90, Canon EOS T6 f 13.9, iso100, 1/50sec, 1250mm prime focus, plus post processing by Bob Eisenmanhttps://www.viewbug.com/photo/92187545 If you want to checkout some quality astrophotograher stuff try Astrobin (search by gear and more with a non free account). https://www.astrobin.com/ If you're interested in just having a look at the night sky without the expense or expertise of astrophotography stuff then a 6 or 8 inch 1000-2000 mm focal length, f # low as you can get, of your choice with a starfinder controller/database is probably what your looking for. Or maybe a light bucket (Dobsonisn reflector) might work for you. I read that Orion acquired Meade https://news.bloomberglaw.com/bankruptcy-law/meades-reorg-plan-sending-assets-to-competitor-orion-approved Clear skies! https://clearoutside.com/page/app/ I'm outside the loop in terms of telescope viewing and astrophotography following foot surgery. Foot/ankle strengthening and waiting for related problems to settle down leave me kind of sedentary for now except for PT sessions. A night time- low speed eBike collision with a vehicle in December almost left me wearing the front quarter panel as a bala clava. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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