[RCC] Any thoughts on my Milky Way and Perseids meteor? - Forums

Topic starter

Oct 27, 2022 · Edited: Oct 27, 2022

https://www.astrobin.com/dbxm17/0/

I've been shooting Milky Way for quite some time. I was always interested in astronomy but never got into astrophotography so I was usually shooting for fun, never cared about the details and editing process.

Now I got more into astrophotography as I am invested in a new lens (Jupiter 135mm f/3.5) and looking for a relatively cheap eq mount for deep space photography.

I took this photo during the a trip to observe the Perseids meteor shower in 2019. I took couple of shots and most of them I missed the focus. So this one was almost the only image that I get right.

I am aware the stars in the corner not round. I will increase the aperture to somewhere f/4. And I also realised that I can increase the shutter speed, I shoot with 8 seconds exposure here but i think I can go up to 15 seconds (lens is 18mm f2 Fuji lens so with ff eq its around 27-28mm).

Would like to hear your comments on the ways that I can improve my milky way shots.

Plus anyone has an idea what is the large shiny thing on the left of the milky way? a galaxy or a nebula? any ideas?

Thx in advance.

Engaging

Vlad Sazhen

Oct 27, 2022

I don't have much experience shooting the Milky Way with a wide lens, but Jupiter 135 lens is prone to chromatic aberrations unless you stop down (f/5.6 probably). You can reduce chromatic aberrations in Photoshop through the Camera Raw filter. I suggest you look towards the Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer 2i or iOptron SkyGuider Pro if you're looking for cheapest options out there. With the new Star Adventurer GTi out there people are selling their old trackers for cheaper, so you can get the SA 2i for ~300-350$ if you find one. This is a hassle-free solution and will last you a long time. Even if you will want to upgrade to beefier mounts in the future, SA will be your portable solution that you can take places. If you are a little more adventurous, you can look towards EQM-35 or motorized alternatives. However, for lenses SA looks like a straightforward option

On the picture you attached the large shiny thing on the left of the Milky Way is Andromeda Galaxy. I suggest you back off a little with noise reduction as it eats away stars and they look very quirky. But other than that - great picture! Don't give up and save up for the tracker, it's really worth it. In the meantime, follow Nico Carver's tutorials on his YouTube channel Nebula Photos on shooting the deep sky targets untracked

Clear skies,
Vlad

Helpful Engaging Supportive

Kerem Nasipoglu

Topic starter

Oct 27, 2022

Vlad Sazhen:
I don't have much experience shooting the Milky Way with a wide lens, but Jupiter 135 lens is prone to chromatic aberrations unless you stop down (f/5.6 probably). You can reduce chromatic aberrations in Photoshop through the Camera Raw filter. I suggest you look towards the Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer 2i or iOptron SkyGuider Pro if you're looking for cheapest options out there. With the new Star Adventurer GTi out there people are selling their old trackers for cheaper, so you can get the SA 2i for ~300-350$ if you find one. This is a hassle-free solution and will last you a long time. Even if you will want to upgrade to beefier mounts in the future, SA will be your portable solution that you can take places. If you are a little more adventurous, you can look towards EQM-35 or motorized alternatives. However, for lenses SA looks like a straightforward option

On the picture you attached the large shiny thing on the left of the Milky Way is Andromeda Galaxy. I suggest you back off a little with noise reduction as it eats away stars and they look very quirky. But other than that - great picture! Don't give up and save up for the tracker, it's really worth it. In the meantime, follow Nico Carver's tutorials on his YouTube channel Nebula Photos on shooting the deep sky targets untracked

Clear skies,
Vlad

Thank you for your detailed answer Vlad. Much appreciated.

as you said I am going to check used SA 2i as it looks the most budget friendly option.

Besides Nico Carver, I am watching Astrobiscuit and Helena's Astrophotography on youtube.

as you said, I played with the noise reduction a little bit but I don't think I managed to get a better result, however, I'll be playing more to get a better result.

Thanks again, really helpful.

Cheers,
Kerem