Skip to main content

Amateur Astrophotography

Patrick Frank speaking to William Herschel Society 5/12/2014 at BRLSI
Picture of Hersche Nebula looks much better with a modern digital camera on a smaller telescope, similarly with  Orion Nebula.

Ideally use exposure time of an hour in total and at least several minutes to achieve this.
Examples of objects: Andromeda, Heart and Soul Nebula, Pheides, M3

Simple formula devised to maximise image quality:

Dark – from quantum temperature effects on CCD chip
Read – from CCD chip – determines exposure time
·         Use multiple exposures and integrate to reduce other terms

Trick

·         Use short exposures of a couple to a few minutes
·         Align them
·         Integrate
Lights    -              Normal photo x2 or so
Darks     -              with lens cap on to subtract “dark” effect of sensor from integrated image
Flats       -              use a uniform background such as a white T-shirt
Bias        -              rapidly taken darks with same ISO

“stretching” image – concentrated on lower end of spectrum to reduce noise to signal ratioe and increase contrast on interesting objects.


Not sure what this software package is called.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

LETTERS TO BEN: Accessing Better Housing in Bath

Notes from Energy & Utility Forum 2017

1. Robert Symons, CEO of Western Power Distribution said: “Energy demand could rise by 100% by 2030. Smart grids will be needed to manage electric vehicle charging so that the usage does not exceed the supply capacity at any time during the day.” 2. Spoke to Harry Vickers, Business Development Manager of Camborne Energy Storage, Camborne Capital at the Energy and Utility Forum in London on October 23rd 2017. He told me his company is working with Elon Musk to bring Tesla battery grid storage solutions to the UK. 3. Spoke to Sally Barrett-Williams, Chairman of Energy and Utility Forum on October 23rd, who said subsidies for solar projects had ended and her company’s focus has shifted to energy storage schemes. 4. Spoke to Simon Dowland, PhD, at 13:00 on Sunday 29th October, Simon is now working up in Cambridge at the Cavendish Physics Laboratory at the University of Cambridge, he is working in industry for the company Eight19 Ltd a spin off from a research project to bring ne

Camden Crescent and Hedgemead Park

Camden Crescent at the centre of the image, just above Hedgemead Park viewed from Prior Park Landscape Gardens Here are my thoughts: Did you know that Camden Crescent, originally Camden Place and Upper Camden Place (which is now round the corner) was named after the Earl of Camden, Charles Pratt, who was Chancellor of the Exchequer so sponsored the scheme with his symbol on every door and crest of the exchequer on the decoration at the centre of the crescent? Charles Pratt was actually lord of Camden Place in Chislehurst in Kent. He was mates with William Pitt the Elder from Eton and Cambridge days. It was built 1788-1792 by John Eveleigh the architect.  One third of the 22 house crescent collapsed during a landslip which claimed 136 houses on the slopes of Lansdown Hill leading to the creation of Hedgemead Park below Camden Crescent. John Eveleigh was notoriously bankrupted in Bath, being called to the coffee shop in the Bath Chronicle by his creditors. Earl Camden was famous