MadMan's Astronomy and Astrophotography Pages - Photos of the Week
During a long 'weekend' from 2/10-2/13, I went on what was for me at least a very physically exerting 3 nights in a field in middle Georgia on my cousin Jay Smiths 3000 acre farm.  With
the intent of testing a variety of setups for solar, DSO and wide-field astrophotography, I headed to this very dark location that I have been to 3 other times - but never in February.  While I
thought I was prepared, 25 degree temperatures combined with gusts of 25+ mph wind eventually turned my cozy little field lab into a scene from the wizard of oz.  Rain and clouds the
first night provided only a 1 hour break to align and park the mounts.  Wind and cold on the second day eventually led to the destruction of one of my tents, an impossible guiding situation
for even  PHD and Lodestar to manage and having to image in the open and "sleep" in a running truck.   Despite being equipped with some of the better duck hunting attire one can find,
using a computer in an open Georgia field in 20 degree temperatures with no indoor 'respite' for 4 days resulting in minor frostbite and real exhaustion.  I did not want to leave my
equipment to the elements or wildlife and go to any one of a number of relatives houses some miles away - and I paid for it .

The 3rd and final night, however, provided the most amazing sky I have ever seen - even in the desert or at altitude.  Greg and I stuck it out and tried to collect some of the data and turn it
into something useful.   Hopefully that works out - but the wind and a possible bad polar align combined to make guiding very difficult.

Also, just before the trip I purchased and ended up testing the Vixen Polarie portable mount head in a variety of modes with promising results.  Below are two of the 'Star Scape' single
frame captures I liked the most.  They will lead what will be, I hope, decent results to be posted here from the rest of the trip.

CLICK ALL IMAGES BELOW FOR LARGE VERSION (anywhere from 1-10 MB)
14 months and counting
since I bought my first
telescope and took my
first picture.....

Mike
Photos of The Week - February, 2012
Dark Sky Session - Middle Georgia - Various optical systems and tests
Imaging:  Michael DeMita and Greg Myers
Processing:  Michael DeMita
"The Wizard and his Dog".  That's what 3 nights with little sleep and staring at
the same landscape in a dark, cold field will make you name two trees.  

Above: Tests using the Vixen Polarie portable guide head on a simple tripod with
a ball tilted to align with Polaris through a small peephole in the Polarie.  Single
(albeit cleaned up) 20 second exposure in 'Star Scape' mode.  Canon EOS 5D, 800
iso, f5.6, 24mm focal length.
Above: Imaging with the scopes back to an almost full moon.  
Losmandy G-11 with G2 mount, Tak FSQ-106EDXiii imaging
with a SXVR-H18 mono camera and filterwheel.  Side-by-side had
been mounted with an SXVR-M25C and a Canon EOS 24-105mm
zoom - but was removed prior to photo.  Canon EOS 5D, 800 iso,
f5.6, 24mm focal length.
The setup prior to it blowing away
with Greg, my equipment and me
in it.
We thought you said "STEER
PARTY", not "STAR PARTY"!
He would not leave us alone.  I
named him Hub-Bull.
Narrow Band Imaging:

Wide-field Bubble Nebula, Tadpole Nebula, Crab Nebula - Hubble Palettes
SXVR-H18 Camera, Tak 106 EDXiii @ Prime, Astrodon filters, G-11 mount, Lodestar/PHD guide.  Note I had a bad polar align the entire trip making
processing very difficult and hurting quality.  Too cold to re-check it I guess.
Planetary and Solar Imaging:

PGR Grasshopper and Flea3 Camera.  Best 20% of 4000 frames @ 120 fps.
Solar - Lunt double and triple stack 80mm, Planetary - Celestron C11 Edge HD @ 2x Barlow, Satellite - Tak 106@prime with Flea3 (overexposed).
Baader filters, CGEM mount, Color Lodestar/PHD guide.  
ISS - Manual capture (negative)
with Flea 3 in Tak 106 @ prime
- no barlow.  Hey, it sucks but I
tried for a LONG time to even
get it on film through a scope!
NGC 2403 - HaRGB - 1 h 12 m
- H18, Tak 106 @ Prime
Coronado 80mm 2x etalon - Grasshopper
Camera (from field day at my office with
Stephen Ramsden - processed by me)
Sun - Lunt 80mm 2x
etalon - M25C Camera -
from Hawkinsville
MORE COMING FROM
THIS TRIP SLOWLY!
Sun - Lunt 80mm 2x etalon - Flea3 Camera
Venus - Tak FSQ-106EDXiii @
Prime - Flea 3 camera.  Lum
image taken as test for ISS
attempt.
LRGB & Ha Imaging:

LRGB with Ha Luminence and/or HaRGB Imaging.
SXVR-H18 Camera, Tak 106 EDXiii @ Prime, Astrodon filters, G-11 mount, Lodestar/PHD guide.  Note that between 25 mph wind and a poor polar
alignment these images are not of the best quality.
Simultaneous Wide-Field Imaging:

SBS with the M25C and a Canon EOS 24-105mm zoom @ 75mm and f4.0.
SXVR-M25C Camera, Tak 106 EDXiii @ Prime, IDAS-LP filter, G-11 mount, Lodestar/PHD guide.  These images were taken at the same time in a
side-by-side setup on the G-11 mount as the main H18 camera images were taken.
NGC 2170 - LRGB & Ha - 1 h
15 m - H18, Tak 106 @ Prime
Crab Nebula centered in Taurus -
M25C with IDAS-LP - 1 h 15 m
Antares in Scorpius - Only 25
minutes - M25C with IDAS-LP
M42 & IC 434 in Orion - M25C w/
IDAS-LP - 1 h 15 m - Add 1h20m Ha
to the right from H18 camera
M101 in Ursa Major - M25C
w/ IDAS-LP Filter. 1 h 15 m  
Tadpole Nebula in Auriga - M25C
with IDAS-LP - 1 h 15 m
Bubble Nebula in Cassiopeia -
M25C with IDAS-LP - 1 h 15 m