Author Archives: Astro Photonic

App Tip #1: Dark Sky Meter

From time to time, I will find apps that are useful for astrohotography. Some are well known but others maybe not so much. In the “App Tip” series, I will highlight some of these apps that I find useful in the hopes I can help other people capture better images. I use an iPhone, soContinue reading “App Tip #1: Dark Sky Meter”

Nikon D5300 – Lossy NEF Compression (AKA Nikon Concentric ring problem)

So, one of the huge benefits to shooting RAW on a DSLR is the increase in image quality over JPEG – you are recording exactly what the sensor sees, as compared to a “visually lossless” image such as a JPEG. Of course, JPEG was mostly designed around regular images of the world around us andContinue reading “Nikon D5300 – Lossy NEF Compression (AKA Nikon Concentric ring problem)”

[IMAGE] – NGC1499 (California Nebula)

Primary Name: NGC1499 Alternate names: California Nebula Object Type: Emission Nebula Constellation: Perseus Distance: 1000 Light years Coordinates: RA: 04h 03m 18.00s , Dec: +36° 25′ 18.0″ Links: WikiSky, Wikipedia, NED, Telescopious, AstroBin Capture Details: Dates:Nov. 7, 2020 Frames: 49×180″ Integration: 2.5 hours Avg. Moon age: 21.09 days Avg. Moon phase: 61.12% Equipment: Imaging telescopes or lenses: Nikon 300mm f4.5 AI Nikon 300mm f4.5Continue reading “[IMAGE] – NGC1499 (California Nebula)”

Quick Tip #3: [Telescope Simulator]

Following on from the previous Quick Tip on N.I.N.As Manual rotator. What if you want to make use of plate solving and the manual rotator but you don’t have a GOTO mount? What’s to be done for us owners of SkyGuider Pro’s and Star Adventurers ? Well obviously with no GOTO, you will have toContinue reading “Quick Tip #3: [Telescope Simulator]”

[IMAGE] – M45 (The Pleiades)

Primary Name: M45 Alternate names: Messier 45,CR42, Mel22, The Pleiades, Seven Sisters, Subaru, Mutsuraboshi (Japan) Type: Reflection Nebula Constellation: Taurus Distance: 444 Light years Coordinates: RA: 03h 47m 24s, Dec: +24° 07′ 00″ Links: WikiSky, Wikipedia, NED, Telescopious, AstroBin Capture Details: Dates:Nov. 8, 2020 Frames: 22×180″ Integration: 1.1 hours Avg. Moon age: 22.09 days Avg. Moon phase: 50.67% Equipment: Imaging telescopes or lenses: Nikon 300mmContinue reading “[IMAGE] – M45 (The Pleiades)”

Quick Tip #2: [N.I.N.A] – Manual Rotator

There are many times when you need to put the scope to a very specific place and orientation in the sky. Some common cases are: Multi-night projects If you need to slew off to refocus on a bright star Changing filters For mosaics Getting the camera back to the same location in the sky canContinue reading “Quick Tip #2: [N.I.N.A] – Manual Rotator”

[IMAGE] – Andromeda Galaxy (M31)

Primary Name: Andromeda Galaxy (M31) Alternate names: NGC 224, Andromeda Nebula Type: Barred spiral galaxy Coordinates: RA: 00h 42m 44.3s, Dec: +41° 16′ 9″ Links: WikiSky, Wikipedia, NED, Telescopious, AstroBin Capture Details: Date(s): Aug. 25, 2020 Light Frames: 59×60″ Integration: 1.0 hours Avg. Moon age: 7.11 days Avg. Moon phase: 47.12% Equipment: Imaging telescopes or lenses: Nikon 70-300mm f4.5-f5.6 @ 200MM Imaging cameras: Nikon D5300Continue reading “[IMAGE] – Andromeda Galaxy (M31)”

Quick Tip #1: [Pixinsight] – Unlinked stretch

There are so many things I’ve learned or picked up along my journey into astrophotography. Many of these things I’ve learned the hard way but also a lot have been through the help of others. In order to pay some of this forward, I am starting a series on some tips & tricks I haveContinue reading “Quick Tip #1: [Pixinsight] – Unlinked stretch”

My Very (Very) First AstroImage – M31

So my goal for 2020 when I first ordered the SkyGuider Pro was to create one image that I would feel OK with showing to someone not related to or living with me. Well, it was actually “Of Jupiter” since that’s the first thing I looked at with the Dobsonian scope, but then I didContinue reading “My Very (Very) First AstroImage – M31”