Another ...indirect sunlight. Amazing experience!
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Another ...indirect sunlight. Amazing experience!
I could not resist from sharing my enthusiasm from an amazing experience and a first for me.
This season provides very few opportunities for solar photography from my veranda, so yesterday and today I tried something new. It is something that before trying it you would never believe it is possible to capture... Nevertheless, many amateur astronomers have succeeded that and some of them (including members of our forum, like Alessandro) have taken amazing shots! Therefore, I decided to try it yesterday and today.
I am referring to the International Space Station, but not when it transits the moon or sun disk. Just when it crosses your sky! It is an amazing experience with a lot of adrenaline, but fully worthy. For those who have not searched about the techniques used to capture like this the ISS, you will be amazed -as I was- to think that (unless you can built a very sophisticated custom made tracking mount) you have to TRACK the ISS MANUALLY while it moves very fast!
These are my first photos (second time I tried) made with the C8, ASI290 and IR740.
Despite a horrible seeing and crazy winds, they are fully satisfying as a start.
Yesterday, I used the ASI1600 and also due to exposure longer than I should, the result was a blurry and small ISS.
The video is also very interesting to observe the rapid rotation of the ISS, but it is an AVI and I did not find the way to make it run in Flickr to import it here, so I just add the four frame animation.
People with large scopes and good seeing have achieved to capture fantastic details of the ISS. Alessandro has photographed the damage provoked to one solar panel by a meteor and just yesterday I saw photos from a C14 where an astronaut on a space walk out of the station is clearly visible!
It is really amazing how powerful tools we have!
Best wishes,
Alexandros
This season provides very few opportunities for solar photography from my veranda, so yesterday and today I tried something new. It is something that before trying it you would never believe it is possible to capture... Nevertheless, many amateur astronomers have succeeded that and some of them (including members of our forum, like Alessandro) have taken amazing shots! Therefore, I decided to try it yesterday and today.
I am referring to the International Space Station, but not when it transits the moon or sun disk. Just when it crosses your sky! It is an amazing experience with a lot of adrenaline, but fully worthy. For those who have not searched about the techniques used to capture like this the ISS, you will be amazed -as I was- to think that (unless you can built a very sophisticated custom made tracking mount) you have to TRACK the ISS MANUALLY while it moves very fast!
These are my first photos (second time I tried) made with the C8, ASI290 and IR740.
Despite a horrible seeing and crazy winds, they are fully satisfying as a start.
Yesterday, I used the ASI1600 and also due to exposure longer than I should, the result was a blurry and small ISS.
The video is also very interesting to observe the rapid rotation of the ISS, but it is an AVI and I did not find the way to make it run in Flickr to import it here, so I just add the four frame animation.
People with large scopes and good seeing have achieved to capture fantastic details of the ISS. Alessandro has photographed the damage provoked to one solar panel by a meteor and just yesterday I saw photos from a C14 where an astronaut on a space walk out of the station is clearly visible!
It is really amazing how powerful tools we have!
Best wishes,
Alexandros
Alexandros
Lunt 130MT+1800BF, C8 Ultima PEC+AstroSolar, Skywatcher Mount EQ6-R Pro
Baader Solar Prism, ZEISS Abbe Barlow 2x, Celestron Barlow 2x Ultima Series
ZWO ASI290MM, ZWO ASI1600MM Pro,
Greece
Lunt 130MT+1800BF, C8 Ultima PEC+AstroSolar, Skywatcher Mount EQ6-R Pro
Baader Solar Prism, ZEISS Abbe Barlow 2x, Celestron Barlow 2x Ultima Series
ZWO ASI290MM, ZWO ASI1600MM Pro,
Greece
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Re: Another ...indirect sunlight. Amazing experience!
Very well done, Alexandros. I can only imagine how difficult it must be to get on target and stay on target with such a high degree of magnification. Presumably you use a well aligned low power guide scope to get a fix on the ISS.
This is something I was thinking about just the other day now we’re in the longer darker days of the winter months.
As for the video, there are many online options to convert AVIs to GIFs. It would be interesting to see the rotation in real time.
Thanks for sharing.
Stu.
This is something I was thinking about just the other day now we’re in the longer darker days of the winter months.
As for the video, there are many online options to convert AVIs to GIFs. It would be interesting to see the rotation in real time.
Thanks for sharing.
Stu.
H-alpha, WL and Ca II K imaging kit for various image scales.
Fluxgate Magnetometers (1s and 150s Cadence).
Radio meteor detector.
More images at http://www.flickr.com/photos/solarcarbon60/
Fluxgate Magnetometers (1s and 150s Cadence).
Radio meteor detector.
More images at http://www.flickr.com/photos/solarcarbon60/
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Re: Another ...indirect sunlight. Amazing experience!
Amazing work! This has to be difficult to do!!
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Astro-Tech AT72EDII with Altair solar wedge
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Astro-Tech AT72EDII with Altair solar wedge
Celestron NexStar 102GT with Altair solar wedge
Losmandy AZ8 Alt/Az Mount
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- Montana
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Re: Another ...indirect sunlight. Amazing experience!
Wow!! that is a quite amazing, well done
Alexandra
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Re: Another ...indirect sunlight. Amazing experience!
Thank you, Alexandros, great images and post.
Franco
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Re: Another ...indirect sunlight. Amazing experience!
For a difficult to capture ISS, you have done extremely well Alexandros.
Thanks for sharing.
Terry
Thanks for sharing.
Terry
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Re: Another ...indirect sunlight. Amazing experience!
Hi Alexandros,... you have to TRACK the ISS MANUALLY while it moves very fast!
Tracking the ISS manually is a very big achievement. Chapeaux ! Hat Off !
There is a software developed by a Canadian Guy Brent Boshart which you can download here. Works like a charm as I was one of his Beta testers ...
Some mounts allow continuous tracking and some not, but the ones who do not allow continuous tracking can be used in Leap Frog mode and it works good.
https://www.heavenscape.com/
regards Rainer
Observatorio Real de 14
San Luis Potosi Mexico
North 22° West 101°
Observatorio Real de 14
San Luis Potosi Mexico
North 22° West 101°
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Re: Another ...indirect sunlight. Amazing experience!
Very nice!
http://brierleyhillsolar.blogspot.co.uk/
Solar images, a collection of all the most up to date live solar data on the web, imaging & processing tutorials - please take a look!
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Re: Another ...indirect sunlight. Amazing experience!
Excellent captures Alexandros
Brian
Brian
Brian Colville
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Maple Ridge Observatory
Cambray, ON Canada
Photos: https://www.flickr.com/photos/185395281@N08/albums
10'x15 Roll-off Roof Observatory
Takahashi EM400 Mount carrying:
C14 + Lunt 80ED
Deep Sky Work - ASI294MM Pro+EFW 7x36/Canon 60D (Ha mod), ONAG
Planetary Work - SBIG CFW10, ASI462MM
2.2m Diameter Dome
iOptron CEM70G Mount carrying:
Orion EON 130ED, f7 OTA for Day & Night Use
Ha Setup: Lunt LS80PT/LS75FHa/B1200Ha + Home Brew Lunt Double Stack/B1800Ha on the Orion OTA + Daystar Quantum
WL, G-Band & CaK Setup: Lunt Wedge & Lunt B1800CaK, Baader K-Line and Altair 2nm G-Band filter
ASI1600MM, ASI432MM, ASI294MM Pro, ASI174MM, ASI462MM
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Re: Another ...indirect sunlight. Amazing experience!
Thank you all Stu, James, Alexandra, Franco, Terry, Rainer, Mark, Brian for your nice comments.
I converted the AVI to GIF, but probably because the quality of the original image is already low, the final GIF comes out with very poor quality.
It seems very promising and I will try to learn the software and try it with the first new opportunity.
I may contact you with a PM if this is ok, to ask for some additional help if needed, since you have tested it and made it work like a charm.
Best wishes,
Alexandros
Thanks Stu. Yes, a crucial step is to align very well the guide scope with the main scope. However, it is impossible to stay on target manually! All you need to do is to make the target pass from the cross-hair of the guide scope once and then again and again as many times as you can and have the time before the ISS reaches the horizon. I think the maximum consecutive frames I could have with the ISS in them was never more that 10-15. With a Barlow this drops to some 5-6... watching the capture a posteriori is very funny. You see something like a mosquito or other insect passing from the screen very fast and with a very peculiar trajectory. ;-)
I converted the AVI to GIF, but probably because the quality of the original image is already low, the final GIF comes out with very poor quality.
Thanks a lot Rainer for this! You opened a new window for me. ;-)rsfoto wrote: ↑Fri Dec 10, 2021 4:50 pm
There is a software developed by a Canadian Guy Brent Boshart which you can download here. Works like a charm as I was one of his Beta testers ...
Some mounts allow continuous tracking and some not, but the ones who do not allow continuous tracking can be used in Leap Frog mode and it works good.
https://www.heavenscape.com/
It seems very promising and I will try to learn the software and try it with the first new opportunity.
I may contact you with a PM if this is ok, to ask for some additional help if needed, since you have tested it and made it work like a charm.
Best wishes,
Alexandros
Alexandros
Lunt 130MT+1800BF, C8 Ultima PEC+AstroSolar, Skywatcher Mount EQ6-R Pro
Baader Solar Prism, ZEISS Abbe Barlow 2x, Celestron Barlow 2x Ultima Series
ZWO ASI290MM, ZWO ASI1600MM Pro,
Greece
Lunt 130MT+1800BF, C8 Ultima PEC+AstroSolar, Skywatcher Mount EQ6-R Pro
Baader Solar Prism, ZEISS Abbe Barlow 2x, Celestron Barlow 2x Ultima Series
ZWO ASI290MM, ZWO ASI1600MM Pro,
Greece
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Re: Another ...indirect sunlight. Amazing experience!
I hope this is not off topic
Hi Alexandros,
Well I beta tested it quite some time ago.
Look here how a Leap frog video of a satellite look alike. The videos are from July 2020
https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/350632027
and the next one is an Iridium satellite. The result of the video depends on the speed of the satellite ...
https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/350632123
Using an Alt-Azi mount is better as you have no meridian flip as you can see in my first video.
Hi Alexandros,
Well I beta tested it quite some time ago.
Look here how a Leap frog video of a satellite look alike. The videos are from July 2020
https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/350632027
and the next one is an Iridium satellite. The result of the video depends on the speed of the satellite ...
https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/350632123
Using an Alt-Azi mount is better as you have no meridian flip as you can see in my first video.
regards Rainer
Observatorio Real de 14
San Luis Potosi Mexico
North 22° West 101°
Observatorio Real de 14
San Luis Potosi Mexico
North 22° West 101°
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Re: Another ...indirect sunlight. Amazing experience!
Thanks a lot Rainer.
I already downloaded the software and saw the tutorial videos and some examples like yours.
I am excited to try it because it will certainly improve a lot the captures of space stations.
My C8 has an old mount without GO TO, but the Lunt 130MT is on an EQ6-R Pro, so according to the tutorial it should work fine.
The main issue is that I never learned so far how to use the GO TO because from my veranda I can see very few stars. Too many buildings around.
The software you proposed to me will be one more motivation to try and achieve the GO TO.
Best wishes,
Alexandros
I already downloaded the software and saw the tutorial videos and some examples like yours.
I am excited to try it because it will certainly improve a lot the captures of space stations.
My C8 has an old mount without GO TO, but the Lunt 130MT is on an EQ6-R Pro, so according to the tutorial it should work fine.
The main issue is that I never learned so far how to use the GO TO because from my veranda I can see very few stars. Too many buildings around.
The software you proposed to me will be one more motivation to try and achieve the GO TO.
Best wishes,
Alexandros
Alexandros
Lunt 130MT+1800BF, C8 Ultima PEC+AstroSolar, Skywatcher Mount EQ6-R Pro
Baader Solar Prism, ZEISS Abbe Barlow 2x, Celestron Barlow 2x Ultima Series
ZWO ASI290MM, ZWO ASI1600MM Pro,
Greece
Lunt 130MT+1800BF, C8 Ultima PEC+AstroSolar, Skywatcher Mount EQ6-R Pro
Baader Solar Prism, ZEISS Abbe Barlow 2x, Celestron Barlow 2x Ultima Series
ZWO ASI290MM, ZWO ASI1600MM Pro,
Greece