Switching Things Up - Orion 10/30/21

Taking a Tracking Break

All this work around troubleshooting the Lego Star Tracker has started to do my head in.  So it's time to just put it away for a bit and focus on something else to clear my mind.  I'm not in any hurry with the tracker and I'm at peace with the fact it's a long term project.

So on the back end of a disappointing tracking session, I decided to try and grab a few snaps of Orion with the Samyang 135mm.  Didn't really plan anything fancy, just a quick setup on the back porch.  It's just another opportunity to test some things out with this lens.  Here is a look at results.

 Orion Nebula - Canon 250D, f/2.8 ISO 3200 Exp 280 x 1.3s, DSS, Siril, Gimp

I had to fight to get this snap as the nebula was drifting across my neighborhood power lines and into the treeline in my backyard.  But I managed to keep it well centered in my field of view by changing my shooting spot.  I also went ahead and took dark and flat frames and stacked this in Deep Sky Stacker.  Just a light post-process in Siril and then a small levels adjustment in Gimp to finish this picture.

I'm still not overly motivated at this point to up my Gimp game with post-processing.  I suppose that I've had other priorities in working with the tracker and the Samyang takes such nice photos that I can produce good quality photos by simply using the Siril tools.

Anyway, that's all for a short and sweet update today.

Lego Star Tracker V4 Test 4 - I'm Still a Moron

Lack of Focus

I added a couple of 8 tooth spur gears on the left and right side of the 24 tooth gear being driven by the worm gear which added just a touch of stability to the system.  Another clear but cool night and I was all set to get testing.

But a lack of focus led to, well, a lack of focus.  I'm happy to report that I had another good night of tracking.  However, when I got back inside and took a closer look at the RAW files, I realized I was tracking donut stars.  After focusing, I wrapped a dew heater around the lens and obviously knocked my focus way out of whack.  Either that or the temperature drop really messed things up. 

So.... Here's a plate of 60 second yumminess!

Canon 250D, f/2.8 ISO 800 Exp 60s, RAW

 

I'm surprised I didn't notice that on my screen, but apparently I wasn't paying enough attention.  Who can blame me, I was still riding that high from my last session.  I got a little ahead of myself in my eagerness.

Ok, better luck next time.

Messing About With the 135mm - Pleiades 10/08/21

A Joy to Use

The nights are getting longer here in the North and the shooting conditions are really pleasant when the skies are clear.  The temperature is cooler but very comfortable and the light breeze that rolls through carries a hint of warmness.  My backyard has become my astrophotography lab and despite the heavy light pollution, it's just nice to be able to step out at a moment's notice to take some snaps.  Which is exactly what I was able to do this evening.

After messing about with the Samyang for a few days, I can say that this lens is a joy to photograph with.  While this is an entirely manual lens, there is nothing difficult at all about using it.  And the quality of the photos is really impressive - even without a lot of post-processing.

Happy Anniversary - Samyang 135mm f/2

Surprises!

My wife and I just celebrated 20 years together in marriage.  What a journey.  And for such a big event we did what most parents of 4 boys do - nothing.  Just kidding - kind of.  We decided we'd like to get away for a weekend so at the end of November, we're going to be heading to a spa for a couple of days in Southeastern Poland while dad watches the boys.

What makes this especially exciting is that this spa is located in a Bortle 2 zone.  The weather is obviously a coin flip and that's not the reason we're getting away - but this is part of the plan.  And in hopeful anticipation, there is another surprise - A Samyang 135mm f/2 USM lens.  I'm blessed.

So I've got some work to do in learning how to use this new lens.  Best way to learn is to do.

Lego Star Tracker V4 Test 3 - Tonight Was A Good Night

Yes, I Bought Batteries

Hopefully, I'll never repeat that mistake again.  And on that note, I think I'll pop my batteries into my charger right now just to be sure.  Anyway, I had to wait about 3 days before getting back out again but that gave me a little time to make another little adjustment.

Basically, I added a linear actuator to my base to be able to adjust the angle of the tracker.  This way, I should be able to really dial in the polar alignment.  Hopefully with this change, I'll get a lot more tracking time tonight.  Once again, I'm going to shoot Cygnus and I'll be looking to shoot 60 second exposures.

 

Lego Star Tracker V3 Test 1 - Sizzle or Fizzle?

A Brief Window of Opportunity

To my great surprise, the weather folks got it right.  There was a brief window of opportunity for me to get out and test my tracker.  I didn't really put a lot of thought into what I was going to photograph as my goal was just to point the camera in a direction and see how things go on the tracking front.

So, I got out, got aligned, got focused, and got started shooting.  So was I dancing or crying?  Did the tracker sizzle or fizzle?

Where do I even start?  OK, I got some results.  But at the moment I have a lot more questions than I have answers.  

Eh, let me take you through what happened and explain where this leaves me with this project.

What a Difference Darkness Makes - Andromeda 08/04/21

Hoping for the Best

After a long day on the road, we rolled up to Kopalino and I'll bet I spent more time looking at the sky than I did the village.  Lots of clouds but I was hoping they'll blow out after sunset.  Mind you, Kopalino is another 5 degrees North of Krakow, so the sunsets were late and long.

My son and I headed out on our first night in town to find a spot away from the streetlights.  There was a nice breeze and sure enough, the clouds ended up rolling out.  We were tired, so the plan was to just take a few snaps and then head in for the evening. 

Once the sun went down, man, it was a totally different scene than in Krakow.  The difference in light pollution was pretty stark.  The Milky Way was faint but clearly visible in the sky above us.  And Andromeda was ripe for shooting.  Here is a recap of our week.

Vacation Time with the Nifty Fifty

Something To Look Forward To

Things have been quite busy for me lately but one thing we've always prioritized as a family is getting away for a week or two every summer together.  This year, my wife booked us a cottage in the Northern village of Kopalino, Poland which sits a little over a mile away from the Baltic Sea.

I love being around the water so I was already pretty excited about getting away.  But imagine my enthusiasm when I discovered that Kopalino is located in a Bortle 4 zone.  This is a significantly darker location than where I am used to shooting, so I need to make the most of this opportunity - skies willing.

That is why I decided to take the plunge and go ahead and purchase my first new lens.  For this, I went with the very affordable Canon 50mm f/1.8 STM.  Now, before we hit the road, I have a couple of days to get out and learn how to use it.

Curse You Light Pollution - Deneb 06/28/21

Let's Try Something New

I was sorely tempted to take another crack at Cassiopeia having been blessed with clear skies.  But with what I had learned the previous night, I was eager to try something new so I thought I'd see what I could catch around the constellation Cygnus and more specifically, its bright star Deneb.

New challenges, new problems.  Generally speaking, this imaging session went a lot more smoothly than the previous one.  The results were a lot a better as well.  However, I got my first taste of the pernicious nature of light pollution.  Curse you light pollution!

 

 

 

 

Living Up to Low Expectations - Cassiopiea 06/27/21

When Failure is a Brilliant Outcome

I've wrapped up my first night of shooting and I'm delighted to say that I didn't let myself down as I was able to produce a picture that is about as pleasant to look at as dog-barf.  It was an absolute comedy of errors but as I like to remind myself, nobody ever learned anything from success.  And let me tell you, I learned a whole lot tonight.  

Kidding aside (kind of anyway), I had a great time out with my son.  And rather than be in any way discouraged by my results, I'm more eager to get back on that horse and try again.  When you live up to low expectations, it can only get better from here.  Let me share a few of the many things that I learned.