Deep space digital astrophotography - astro image slide show - Space in motion

[KyleLee0910]

Make I ask what the focal ratio were for the telescopes used? Did you use any guider? They are awesome pictures!

[MarkHellweg]

@KyleLee0910

Mostly I use f/6 or f/8. My guider is a simple Toucam webcam which works very well. Thank you for the nice comment!

[gmanw3]

great video. I have had the honor of viewing many of these objects through my 14" dobsonian GOTO Skywatcher telescope. Not as clearly mind you

[xanaxou78]

great collection !!!

[HiggyB61]

great pics! looks like they were taken with Hubble! lol got a question for u if thats ok,

when doing prime focus astrophotography i can not use the lcd screen on the dslr to focus as it is blank,no image,the image only displays after it has been taken, is that normal? thanx p.s ive got a celestron 8 is well! cant wait to attempt images like urs, jus need the knowledge, lol

[MarkHellweg]

@HiggyB61

first sorry for my late answer. Just forgotten it...

You are right. In case your dslr didn't has the "live-view" function you can use a so called Bahtinov-mask in front of the lens to get the right focus.Good luck!

[HiggyB61]

@MarkHellweg no probs, thanx for ur reply!

[MrMetalhead0124]

what guide scope did you use? is that a losmandy g-11? and where did you find the weight bar mount for the guide scope? great work! i have a 10" cave astrola mounted on a g-11/canon 20d and 40d/no guide scope yet so i am curious.

[MarkHellweg]

@MrMetalhead0124

I use a 3" Vixen refractor piggy pack. Yes a Losmandy G11 but controlled by a littlefoot step controller mad in Germany.

[25TriggerHappy]

Can a StarMax 127 Maksutov Cass. compile these types of images with the same resolution on a Equ. mount?-age 14

[KOOLJDJ]

i am an amateur. how are you taking these pics..does the camera mount you use replace the eye piece and then place the camera into to it..or some other way

[MarkHellweg]

@KOOLJDJ

You're right as you explained it. It's called - taken in prime focus -

[DaveKarl]

If you had a budget of 700 Euros for both scope and camera - what equipment would you buy? I interested in deep sky photography. Is it possible to get a good setup with this budget?

[MarkHellweg]

@DaveKarl

Buy a used "modified" Canon 300D or 350D at one of the online astro-forums. Also with the scope or the mount. Buy it used!

[jcollem]

Congratulations. Impressive work, indeed. Mark, I believe all the pro DSLR nowadays are absolutely capable of doing this. The operator, and the post-processing, are MUCH MORE important. Regards!

[MarkHellweg]

@jcollem

Thanks for your nice comment and you're so right with your opinion about the processing

[caiovini10]

amazing 

[DirtyCs]

Amazing pics Mark, Truly Inspired to now get into it, great site too i noticed most of your pics of nebulae where taken using your tak 102 and canon eos obviously as a startup kit i think that scopes well out of my price band, but i wondered if you think amatuer shots could be achieved with skywatcher startravel 102 as a first scope, if hooked up to my nikon d3000.

[MarkHellweg]

@DirtyCs

there is not so a big difference in that equipment. The later image processing method is more important. The raw images you'll get with your equipment are absolutely suited.

Good luck !

[DirtyCs]

@MarkHellweg Hi mark took months but i finally got it, i actually went for the 120 instead of the 102 because of the light gathering/faster shutter speed so could use it as a 600 wildlife prime too, cant wait to start practicing, will be popping to the shop later in the week for a motor for my eq3 2 to track and T ring, but having allready used it with great views of the moon/jupiter thought i'd ask you about projection, would you recommend an adapter or save for a zoom piece like the AC721? Thx

[Dantemayi]

congratulations well done

[Neanderthalcouzin]

Amazing. Did you take all of these? They look like something from Nasa.

[cope101Productions]

Dear I have a skywatcher 150pl and a cannon for astrophotography. We got some good shots of Jupiter and lunar but we tried deep space photography and we couldn't capture andromada. There doesn't seem to be enough light coming into the camera and we have tried changing the setting. We also can't get Jupiter just right ATM. I get the detail in jupiters face but you can't pick out any of the moons. But when we get the moons in the picture jupiters to bright and just looks like a huge glowing plane

[bayouastro]

@cope101Productions

Zip on over to the Hubble website and call them your own, thats what most people do, LOL!

[cope101Productions]

Dear Mark I have a skywatcher 150pl and a cannon for astrophotography. We got some good shots of Jupiter and lunar but we tried deep space photography and we couldn't capture andromada. There doesn't seem to be enough light coming into the camera and we have tried changing the setting. We also can't get Jupiter just right ATM. I get the detail in jupiters face but you can't pick out any of the moons. But when we get the moons in the picture jupiters to bright and just looks like a huge glowing

[sewa01]

Hello Mark,

I'm looking at your website. Its amazing to see what an amateur can do with love and dedication to his/her hobby. I make electronic music myself but I'm also beginning to look towards astronomy. I like your philosophy of 'freeware' information and knowledge. Many thanks for sharing all this.

[flowinicee]

Very awesome man did you take any of these photos with your c11? I have a c11 and wondering how it will make out.? Is that a CG5 mount? This is by far the best video like this, smooth to the point good editing and flow.

[flowinicee]

Very awesome man did you take any of these photos with you c11? I have a c11 and wondering how it will make out.? Is that a CG5 mount? This is by far the best video like this, smooth to the point good editing and flow.

[Ishcoa]

Hey!

I didn't realize that this was taken using a 20Da! Is it worth it for astrophotography, or should I stick to only one body, the D200? It would be nice to have a camera optimized for astrophotography.

[MarkHellweg]

@Ishcoa

you can optimize every DSLR after my opinion and yes it make sense. Normally the Canon ones are a bit better for astrophotography but the I think the Nikon will also do a good job!

[Jules7892]

@MarkHellweg This Astro-Photographer of ASTRONOMY Magazine December 1982 BackIssues. Please Sir. I bit more DEMOCRACY, PENTAX, OLYMPUS, SONY, and FUJI Pro-DSLRs are EQUALLY as Capable as my NIKON D3100 or my PENTAX K10D, K200D, K20D, K7, K5, K100D Super, OLYMPUS and SONY ALL Fully Capable of Astro-Photography on the Professional level if you KNOW what you are doing the Manual Settings with both DSLRs and Equatorial Computerized Telescopes either PHD Auto-Guidance or Manual Illuminated Reticle.!

[5842345]

very well done .Ansgard Thomson

[opfor137]

wow nice captures (and great music )

[Ishcoa]

Wow! The Hubble space telescope looks at your pictures and says,

"If only I could photograph like that!"

[MarkHellweg]

@Ishcoa

many many thanks for you're nice comment.

[ZbLuffer]

Great images BTW!

[ZbLuffer]

I had an Intes Micro M603 (6" F/10) for a few years, and it was a great little Russian telescope. Used it for visual observation on a Vixen GP. I somehow miss it even if I love my ATM Dobson.

[MarkHellweg]

I bought the Intes M703 deluxe but there is a lot of work to do before getting started... The optic is perfect but the assembling is Russian!

Thanks and best wishes

Mark

[ZbLuffer]

I indeed had to disassemble the OTA and replace the lubricant with a better grease to make focusing smoother. Of course the mechanical assembly is not on par with Takahashi, but they're not in the same price range!

All the best

[MarkHellweg]

You're right. And the dovetail was made from 2 mm metal sheet and riveted with the tube! Aweful done by these russians. These are the main reason why Intes is not so widespread in the market. The price here in Germany is not so cheap... They know about these perfect optics

[JonNebula11]

realy nice/ would you say a 90mm skywatcher skymax cassegrain is good enough to take photos and would it be better than my 127 eq reflector celestron power seeker

peace alasclar

[MarkHellweg]

Thanks!

Better hold the reflector because it can collect more light. It's important to have a low focal ratio....

[JonNebula11]

thanks for the tip so the cassegrain 90mm is not better than the 5" reflector i though the quality was more in the cassegrain even though it was smaller in Diameter ?

also why does the focal ratio have to be low . and the celestron neximage cam isnt any good for nebulas is it and the exposer is kinda crap so ive been told is this right ?

thanks mark

jon lol

[MarkHellweg]

Dear Jon,

I can't say something about the quality because I don't know the difference between these two optics. But the focal ratio should be as short as possible to catch more light in same time! The smaller ration is more light! (deep sky appl.)

Diameter is not everything! The cam is made for solar system objects like moon, sun, planets etc. In that case the focal ration is not so important because these are bright objects. Both telescopes are good for that.

best wishes and clear skies

[patsosas]

Beautiful

P.S. Where can astrophycisist work when he finishes university magistrate?

[Edsan91]

Very Nice Images! Hey I am Staring in astrophotohgraphy and I was wondering how do you you keep the camara still? OVer a 30 sec exposure? Iso of 400? I can't keep it still that long the picture comes out blurry. I need help. I have a sony DSC-P73 Cam Its a really old cam but its good. Plz help

[MarkHellweg]

All you need is a so called mount which is driven by motors to track the stars. Then you can take long exposures up to 15 min with modern DSLR