Photography of the Heavens.
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- Iroscato
- Jedi Council Member
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- Joined: 2011-02-07 03:04pm
- Location: Great Britain (It's great, honestly!)
Photography of the Heavens.
Just a few pictures of the night sky I've taken over the course of a couple of weeks. Considering I have an ordinary camera and am a complete amateur, I'm very happy with the results, and it's given me a thirst to continue...
This is a picture of Mars, which was taken a few nights ago, near its peak of brightness. This is my favourite of the bunch I've taken so far.
Venus, taken on the same night.
Jupiter (top), the Moon and Venus (bottom), taken earlier tonight, though it was slightly cloudy. They're the closest together that I've ever seen them...
All three photos were taken with an 8.1 million pixel Fujifilm A860.
I'd be very interested to see similiar or superior efforts by anyone on this here board
This is a picture of Mars, which was taken a few nights ago, near its peak of brightness. This is my favourite of the bunch I've taken so far.
Venus, taken on the same night.
Jupiter (top), the Moon and Venus (bottom), taken earlier tonight, though it was slightly cloudy. They're the closest together that I've ever seen them...
All three photos were taken with an 8.1 million pixel Fujifilm A860.
I'd be very interested to see similiar or superior efforts by anyone on this here board
Yeah, I've always taken the subtext of the Birther movement to be, "The rules don't count here! This is different! HE'S BLACK! BLACK, I SAY! ARE YOU ALL BLIND!?
- Raw Shark
Destiny and fate are for those too weak to forge their own futures. Where we are 'supposed' to be is irrelevent.
- SirNitram (RIP)
- Raw Shark
Destiny and fate are for those too weak to forge their own futures. Where we are 'supposed' to be is irrelevent.
- SirNitram (RIP)
Re: Photography of the Heavens.
"If the facts are on your side, pound on the facts. If the law is on your side, pound on the law. If neither is on your side, pound on the table."
"The captain claimed our people violated a 4,000 year old treaty forbidding us to develop hyperspace technology. Extermination of our planet was the consequence. The subject did not survive interrogation."
"The captain claimed our people violated a 4,000 year old treaty forbidding us to develop hyperspace technology. Extermination of our planet was the consequence. The subject did not survive interrogation."
- Eternal_Freedom
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Re: Photography of the Heavens.
Those are some good images for an amatuer. A question, were these images taken just with the camera held in your hands or on a tripod of some kind?
If they are taken with the camera being held, then that image of Mars is remarkable.
If they are taken with the camera being held, then that image of Mars is remarkable.
Baltar: "I don't want to miss a moment of the last Battlestar's destruction!"
Centurion: "Sir, I really think you should look at the other Battlestar."
Baltar: "What are you babbling about other...it's impossible!"
Centurion: "No. It is a Battlestar."
Corrax Entry 7:17: So you walk eternally through the shadow realms, standing against evil where all others falter. May your thirst for retribution never quench, may the blood on your sword never dry, and may we never need you again.
Centurion: "Sir, I really think you should look at the other Battlestar."
Baltar: "What are you babbling about other...it's impossible!"
Centurion: "No. It is a Battlestar."
Corrax Entry 7:17: So you walk eternally through the shadow realms, standing against evil where all others falter. May your thirst for retribution never quench, may the blood on your sword never dry, and may we never need you again.
Re: Photography of the Heavens.
I don't know about Chimaera, my but my camera has image stabilization. When you zoom in really far it can negate your movements enough to provide stability.
"If the facts are on your side, pound on the facts. If the law is on your side, pound on the law. If neither is on your side, pound on the table."
"The captain claimed our people violated a 4,000 year old treaty forbidding us to develop hyperspace technology. Extermination of our planet was the consequence. The subject did not survive interrogation."
"The captain claimed our people violated a 4,000 year old treaty forbidding us to develop hyperspace technology. Extermination of our planet was the consequence. The subject did not survive interrogation."
- Eternal_Freedom
- Castellan
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- Location: CIC, Battlestar Temeraire
Re: Photography of the Heavens.
I hadn't considered that. Right from the start on my uni course if we did astrophotography we either used tripods or t-mounts to attach the cameras to the telescopes in place of eyepeices.
Baltar: "I don't want to miss a moment of the last Battlestar's destruction!"
Centurion: "Sir, I really think you should look at the other Battlestar."
Baltar: "What are you babbling about other...it's impossible!"
Centurion: "No. It is a Battlestar."
Corrax Entry 7:17: So you walk eternally through the shadow realms, standing against evil where all others falter. May your thirst for retribution never quench, may the blood on your sword never dry, and may we never need you again.
Centurion: "Sir, I really think you should look at the other Battlestar."
Baltar: "What are you babbling about other...it's impossible!"
Centurion: "No. It is a Battlestar."
Corrax Entry 7:17: So you walk eternally through the shadow realms, standing against evil where all others falter. May your thirst for retribution never quench, may the blood on your sword never dry, and may we never need you again.
Re: Photography of the Heavens.
Professional lenses and telescopes require a little more finesse than ameture photography.Eternal_Freedom wrote:I hadn't considered that. Right from the start on my uni course if we did astrophotography we either used tripods or t-mounts to attach the cameras to the telescopes in place of eyepeices.
"If the facts are on your side, pound on the facts. If the law is on your side, pound on the law. If neither is on your side, pound on the table."
"The captain claimed our people violated a 4,000 year old treaty forbidding us to develop hyperspace technology. Extermination of our planet was the consequence. The subject did not survive interrogation."
"The captain claimed our people violated a 4,000 year old treaty forbidding us to develop hyperspace technology. Extermination of our planet was the consequence. The subject did not survive interrogation."
- Eternal_Freedom
- Castellan
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- Joined: 2010-03-09 02:16pm
- Location: CIC, Battlestar Temeraire
Re: Photography of the Heavens.
True. More cash too. Thank God I'm at a Uni with a large equipment budgetAlyeska wrote:Professional lenses and telescopes require a little more finesse than ameture photography.Eternal_Freedom wrote:I hadn't considered that. Right from the start on my uni course if we did astrophotography we either used tripods or t-mounts to attach the cameras to the telescopes in place of eyepeices.
Baltar: "I don't want to miss a moment of the last Battlestar's destruction!"
Centurion: "Sir, I really think you should look at the other Battlestar."
Baltar: "What are you babbling about other...it's impossible!"
Centurion: "No. It is a Battlestar."
Corrax Entry 7:17: So you walk eternally through the shadow realms, standing against evil where all others falter. May your thirst for retribution never quench, may the blood on your sword never dry, and may we never need you again.
Centurion: "Sir, I really think you should look at the other Battlestar."
Baltar: "What are you babbling about other...it's impossible!"
Centurion: "No. It is a Battlestar."
Corrax Entry 7:17: So you walk eternally through the shadow realms, standing against evil where all others falter. May your thirst for retribution never quench, may the blood on your sword never dry, and may we never need you again.
- Iroscato
- Jedi Council Member
- Posts: 2360
- Joined: 2011-02-07 03:04pm
- Location: Great Britain (It's great, honestly!)
Re: Photography of the Heavens.
Thank youEternal_Freedom wrote:Those are some good images for an amatuer.
The second one was taken with a tripod, the other two with me resting my hands on a wall or washing line (yes, really) as I took it, using the timer to help me get steady. Unfortunately, I have two things working against me; I have the hand stability of an 87 year old nun, and the area I live in is thick with light pollution, so I will try going to the local fields at night soon, with a tripod, to maximise my image quality.A question, were these images taken just with the camera held in your hands or on a tripod of some kind?
If they are taken with the camera being held, then that image of Mars is remarkable.
Yeah, I've always taken the subtext of the Birther movement to be, "The rules don't count here! This is different! HE'S BLACK! BLACK, I SAY! ARE YOU ALL BLIND!?
- Raw Shark
Destiny and fate are for those too weak to forge their own futures. Where we are 'supposed' to be is irrelevent.
- SirNitram (RIP)
- Raw Shark
Destiny and fate are for those too weak to forge their own futures. Where we are 'supposed' to be is irrelevent.
- SirNitram (RIP)
- Eternal_Freedom
- Castellan
- Posts: 10399
- Joined: 2010-03-09 02:16pm
- Location: CIC, Battlestar Temeraire
Re: Photography of the Heavens.
What part of Britain are you in? I know a few good sites: the Brecon Beacons are good, as is the North Norfolk coast. Peak district shoudl be reasonable as well. Of course that's totally useless if you're in Cornwall
Baltar: "I don't want to miss a moment of the last Battlestar's destruction!"
Centurion: "Sir, I really think you should look at the other Battlestar."
Baltar: "What are you babbling about other...it's impossible!"
Centurion: "No. It is a Battlestar."
Corrax Entry 7:17: So you walk eternally through the shadow realms, standing against evil where all others falter. May your thirst for retribution never quench, may the blood on your sword never dry, and may we never need you again.
Centurion: "Sir, I really think you should look at the other Battlestar."
Baltar: "What are you babbling about other...it's impossible!"
Centurion: "No. It is a Battlestar."
Corrax Entry 7:17: So you walk eternally through the shadow realms, standing against evil where all others falter. May your thirst for retribution never quench, may the blood on your sword never dry, and may we never need you again.
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Re: Photography of the Heavens.
I think those are great pics!
- Iroscato
- Jedi Council Member
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- Joined: 2011-02-07 03:04pm
- Location: Great Britain (It's great, honestly!)
Re: Photography of the Heavens.
I live in Stevenage, there's a nice area called Great Ashby that has huge fields and farms open to the public, with very little light pollution, it's a 20 minute walk from where I live, so there's no stopping me, provided I am not savaged by wee beasties of the night.Eternal_Freedom wrote:What part of Britain are you in? I know a few good sites: the Brecon Beacons are good, as is the North Norfolk coast. Peak district shoudl be reasonable as well. Of course that's totally useless if you're in Cornwall
Yeah, I've always taken the subtext of the Birther movement to be, "The rules don't count here! This is different! HE'S BLACK! BLACK, I SAY! ARE YOU ALL BLIND!?
- Raw Shark
Destiny and fate are for those too weak to forge their own futures. Where we are 'supposed' to be is irrelevent.
- SirNitram (RIP)
- Raw Shark
Destiny and fate are for those too weak to forge their own futures. Where we are 'supposed' to be is irrelevent.
- SirNitram (RIP)
- Eternal_Freedom
- Castellan
- Posts: 10399
- Joined: 2010-03-09 02:16pm
- Location: CIC, Battlestar Temeraire
Re: Photography of the Heavens.
Sounds about rightChimaera wrote:I live in Stevenage, there's a nice area called Great Ashby that has huge fields and farms open to the public, with very little light pollution, it's a 20 minute walk from where I live, so there's no stopping me, provided I am not savaged by wee beasties of the night.Eternal_Freedom wrote:What part of Britain are you in? I know a few good sites: the Brecon Beacons are good, as is the North Norfolk coast. Peak district shoudl be reasonable as well. Of course that's totally useless if you're in Cornwall
Baltar: "I don't want to miss a moment of the last Battlestar's destruction!"
Centurion: "Sir, I really think you should look at the other Battlestar."
Baltar: "What are you babbling about other...it's impossible!"
Centurion: "No. It is a Battlestar."
Corrax Entry 7:17: So you walk eternally through the shadow realms, standing against evil where all others falter. May your thirst for retribution never quench, may the blood on your sword never dry, and may we never need you again.
Centurion: "Sir, I really think you should look at the other Battlestar."
Baltar: "What are you babbling about other...it's impossible!"
Centurion: "No. It is a Battlestar."
Corrax Entry 7:17: So you walk eternally through the shadow realms, standing against evil where all others falter. May your thirst for retribution never quench, may the blood on your sword never dry, and may we never need you again.
- Iroscato
- Jedi Council Member
- Posts: 2360
- Joined: 2011-02-07 03:04pm
- Location: Great Britain (It's great, honestly!)
Re: Photography of the Heavens.
This is what happens when things go slightly wrong, due to my 87-year-old-nun hands. Still, look pretty cool IMO
This is...a star, I think, though I have no idea why it took on this odd shape.
This was my first attempt at photographing Venus, which turned out looking like some kind of misshapen green galaxy.
This is...a star, I think, though I have no idea why it took on this odd shape.
This was my first attempt at photographing Venus, which turned out looking like some kind of misshapen green galaxy.
Yeah, I've always taken the subtext of the Birther movement to be, "The rules don't count here! This is different! HE'S BLACK! BLACK, I SAY! ARE YOU ALL BLIND!?
- Raw Shark
Destiny and fate are for those too weak to forge their own futures. Where we are 'supposed' to be is irrelevent.
- SirNitram (RIP)
- Raw Shark
Destiny and fate are for those too weak to forge their own futures. Where we are 'supposed' to be is irrelevent.
- SirNitram (RIP)
- FSTargetDrone
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Re: Photography of the Heavens.
From 9 February, 2012 (a crop, but the picture isn't enlarged):
I use a Canon XSi (mounted on a cheap tripod) and I took this using my 18-135MM telephoto zoomed all the way in.
I use a Canon XSi (mounted on a cheap tripod) and I took this using my 18-135MM telephoto zoomed all the way in.
- Iroscato
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Re: Photography of the Heavens.
Very impressive picture, I like the slightly reddish hue the moon has. Nice work.FSTargetDrone wrote:From 9 February, 2012 (a crop, but the picture isn't enlarged):
I use a Canon XSi (mounted on a cheap tripod) and I took this using my 18-135MM telephoto zoomed all the way in.
Yeah, I've always taken the subtext of the Birther movement to be, "The rules don't count here! This is different! HE'S BLACK! BLACK, I SAY! ARE YOU ALL BLIND!?
- Raw Shark
Destiny and fate are for those too weak to forge their own futures. Where we are 'supposed' to be is irrelevent.
- SirNitram (RIP)
- Raw Shark
Destiny and fate are for those too weak to forge their own futures. Where we are 'supposed' to be is irrelevent.
- SirNitram (RIP)
- FSTargetDrone
- Emperor's Hand
- Posts: 7878
- Joined: 2004-04-10 06:10pm
- Location: Drone HQ, Pennsylvania, USA
Re: Photography of the Heavens.
Thank you! I missed out on the recent grouping of the moon, Venus and Mars. It was overcast here at the time. I did get some pictures of the 2010 Lunar eclipse I'll try to dig up.Chimaera wrote:Very impressive picture, I like the slightly reddish hue the moon has. Nice work.
Re: Photography of the Heavens.
Haven't posted in quite some time, but this topic was enough to bring me out of hiding as I just happen to have a few photos in my collection that fit the bill. All of the following were taken over the last year and a half using a Nikon D5000 and a 55-300mm lens, and all (except the eclipse collage of course) are 1:1 crops out of the original camera images.
The Moon, shot handheld: 300mm @ f/5.6, 1/500 s, ISO 200.
The lunar eclipse of winter solstice, 2010: Also shot handheld, as I was too lazy to set up my tripod. Given that the moon was obviously much dimmer, this required a much higher ISO setting to obtain steady shots, even with image stabilization (or VR, as Nikon calls it).
Jupiter and the Galilean moons. This is the only photo here taken using a tripod.
The sun, taken around midday in summer through an ND1000x filter stacked upon the usual UV filter. You can faintly see a sunspot near the center of the sun's disc (I confirmed this by taking several shots). This shot was taken in full Manual, with the shutter speed set to maximum, the ISO to minimum, and the lens stopped down to f/22 and locked at infinity focus. The yellow hue was achieved by shooting in RAW and setting the white balance to a much higher color temperature than the camera's automatic setting (with which the sun would appear white) when converting to JPEG.
Disclaimer time: (most of you probably know better, but just in case) Do not even THINK of looking at the sun through a DSLR viewfinder using a telephoto without placing a similarly strong neutral density filter (or stack of filters) on the front of your lens, or you'll be permanently blinded pretty much instantly. Using liveview instead of the viewfinder will merely destroy your camera's image sensor rather than your eyes. As an aside, even with my filter blocking 99.9% of the sun's light, I still found it quite uncomfortable to look at even for just the second or two need to take the shot.
The Moon, shot handheld: 300mm @ f/5.6, 1/500 s, ISO 200.
The lunar eclipse of winter solstice, 2010: Also shot handheld, as I was too lazy to set up my tripod. Given that the moon was obviously much dimmer, this required a much higher ISO setting to obtain steady shots, even with image stabilization (or VR, as Nikon calls it).
Jupiter and the Galilean moons. This is the only photo here taken using a tripod.
The sun, taken around midday in summer through an ND1000x filter stacked upon the usual UV filter. You can faintly see a sunspot near the center of the sun's disc (I confirmed this by taking several shots). This shot was taken in full Manual, with the shutter speed set to maximum, the ISO to minimum, and the lens stopped down to f/22 and locked at infinity focus. The yellow hue was achieved by shooting in RAW and setting the white balance to a much higher color temperature than the camera's automatic setting (with which the sun would appear white) when converting to JPEG.
Disclaimer time: (most of you probably know better, but just in case) Do not even THINK of looking at the sun through a DSLR viewfinder using a telephoto without placing a similarly strong neutral density filter (or stack of filters) on the front of your lens, or you'll be permanently blinded pretty much instantly. Using liveview instead of the viewfinder will merely destroy your camera's image sensor rather than your eyes. As an aside, even with my filter blocking 99.9% of the sun's light, I still found it quite uncomfortable to look at even for just the second or two need to take the shot.
The M2HB: The Greatest Machinegun Ever Made.
HAB: Crew-Served Weapons Specialist
"Making fun of born-again Christians is like hunting dairy cows with a high powered rifle and scope." --P.J. O'Rourke
"A man who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself." --J.S. Mill
HAB: Crew-Served Weapons Specialist
"Making fun of born-again Christians is like hunting dairy cows with a high powered rifle and scope." --P.J. O'Rourke
"A man who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself." --J.S. Mill
Re: Photography of the Heavens.
It's oddly annoying to just look at the picture. Huh.
It's 106 miles to Chicago, we got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it's dark... and we're wearing sunglasses.
Hit it.
Blank Yellow (NSFW)
Hit it.
Blank Yellow (NSFW)
"Mostly Harmless Nutcase"
- Iroscato
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Re: Photography of the Heavens.
Ma Deuce, you are a GOD at this. You have my deepest envy
Yeah, I've always taken the subtext of the Birther movement to be, "The rules don't count here! This is different! HE'S BLACK! BLACK, I SAY! ARE YOU ALL BLIND!?
- Raw Shark
Destiny and fate are for those too weak to forge their own futures. Where we are 'supposed' to be is irrelevent.
- SirNitram (RIP)
- Raw Shark
Destiny and fate are for those too weak to forge their own futures. Where we are 'supposed' to be is irrelevent.
- SirNitram (RIP)
- FSTargetDrone
- Emperor's Hand
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- Joined: 2004-04-10 06:10pm
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Re: Photography of the Heavens.
Fantastic shots. My 2010 eclipse shots look similar to yours (though yours are better and mine are of course smaller) so I won't bother putting them up. That night was incredibly cold and windy here in Pennsylvania. The downside of having an inexpensive tripod becomes readily apparent when the damn thing won't stop shaking in the wind. I was outside for quite some time before and after setting up and just checking out the moon in camera and with some binoculars. It was quite impressive to see.Ma Deuce wrote:Haven't posted in quite some time, but this topic was enough to bring me out of hiding as I just happen to have a few photos in my collection that fit the bill. All of the following were taken over the last year and a half using a Nikon D5000 and a 55-300mm lens, and all (except the eclipse collage of course) are 1:1 crops out of the original camera images.
Re: Photography of the Heavens.
Hey, don't heap too much praise . In my case it was mostly just a matter of having the right gear: A DSLR with a super-telephoto lens is obviously far better suited to astronomical photography than your average point & shoot.Chimaera wrote:Ma Deuce, you are a GOD at this. You have my deepest envy
Well there wasn't any wind up here that night, though it was still bitterly cold. I had only gotten home from work at midnight, so I was tired and didn't feel like setting up the tripod, or staying up late enough to see the end of the eclipse. Hell, I even went inside a few times to get away from the cold, while leaving my camera just outside the door so the lens wouldn't fog up. In the end, I got all the shots I wanted, so I can't complain.FSTargetdrone wrote:Fantastic shots. My 2010 eclipse shots look similar to yours (though yours are better and mine are of course smaller) so I won't bother putting them up. That night was incredibly cold and windy here in Pennsylvania. The downside of having an inexpensive tripod becomes readily apparent when the damn thing won't stop shaking in the wind. I was outside for quite some time before and after setting up and just checking out the moon in camera and with some binoculars. It was quite impressive to see.
The M2HB: The Greatest Machinegun Ever Made.
HAB: Crew-Served Weapons Specialist
"Making fun of born-again Christians is like hunting dairy cows with a high powered rifle and scope." --P.J. O'Rourke
"A man who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself." --J.S. Mill
HAB: Crew-Served Weapons Specialist
"Making fun of born-again Christians is like hunting dairy cows with a high powered rifle and scope." --P.J. O'Rourke
"A man who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself." --J.S. Mill
- Iroscato
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Re: Photography of the Heavens.
But I must, they look awesome XDMa Deuce wrote:Hey, don't heap too much praise .Chimaera wrote:Ma Deuce, you are a GOD at this. You have my deepest envy
I took a few more pictures of Mars last night, I think the light fog affected the quality slightly. At the moment I'm experimenting with the various settings, seeing which ones look best, etc.
Fun stuff
Yeah, I've always taken the subtext of the Birther movement to be, "The rules don't count here! This is different! HE'S BLACK! BLACK, I SAY! ARE YOU ALL BLIND!?
- Raw Shark
Destiny and fate are for those too weak to forge their own futures. Where we are 'supposed' to be is irrelevent.
- SirNitram (RIP)
- Raw Shark
Destiny and fate are for those too weak to forge their own futures. Where we are 'supposed' to be is irrelevent.
- SirNitram (RIP)
Re: Photography of the Heavens.
Nice photo, to think it was taken by ordinary camera. I wanted to see the conjunction of the moon and the planets....I’ll be back here and post my photography of moon on its colossal figure.
Re: Photography of the Heavens.
Transit of Venus taken through #14 welding glass taped to the lens hood of my 100mm macro
Really crappy quality, due to not having enough focal length and thus severe cropping and shooting through the clouds and a sketchy shaky tripod. Green tint comes from the welding glass.
Really crappy quality, due to not having enough focal length and thus severe cropping and shooting through the clouds and a sketchy shaky tripod. Green tint comes from the welding glass.
ah.....the path to happiness is revision of dreams and not fulfillment... -SWPIGWANG
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Re: Photography of the Heavens.
Still, a very nice shot! Edmonton's skies were completely cloud covered, all I saw was the NASA livestream
∞
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