Posts Made By: Paul Hyndman

My apologies for the cross-posting, but I never know how to classify my CMOS-based Canon D60...

A partially completed M1 image from my little 8-incher (central 600x400 pixel cropping from a 1536x1024 [2x2binned] pixel shot).

Nine ISO400 images at 300 seconds via an 8" Mak-Newt and Canon D60. Processing via Images Plus (V1.69 Beta4).

Wishing a healthy, happy, and prosperous New year to all!!!

Paul

Attention solar imagers... here's your chance for fame, glory, and immortality!!!

Coronado is preparing their 2003 print materials and seeking your best shots for inclusion in the new publications. They are requesting high resolution with a brief bio, number of year's observing and favorite 'thing" about your Coronado filter.

They are also producing a DVD and can also use video/animation sequences.

Submit them to Gerry at:

[email protected]

Cheers,

Paul

PS: My only connection to Coronado is that I love my Solarmax filter!!!

Hi All,

I recently processed this November wide-field shot whose raw image was filed away and forgotten (Oooops!) until stumbling upon it while doing some hard-disk housecleaning.

Canon digital D60 SLR, 20mm Sigma @f/1.8, and 5 minutes, Images Plus software... more info at:

http://www.astro-nut.com/mw-cygnus.html

I just completed a batch of M45 images taken during my Monday night session. The 0 to 5 deg F temps allowed the camera (Canon D60 digital SLR) to be pushed a little harder... 240 seconds at ISO800 for each of the 15 images used in the stack. Quite a bit of difference from last year's attempt, in which ice-packs and "averted imagination" were needed to detect even a trace of fuzz around Merope!

I need to mask some border amplifier noise, and am going to add another set taken a week earlier (to push the S/N ratio further).

I've got a dozen or so Flame/Horsehead images to go through yet (taken the same night), and am anxious to see how much can be teased out of them.

Paul

Image details can be found at: http://www.astro-nut.com/m45.html

Hi All,

The mailman left a "pick-up" notice in my box yesterday, regarding a
piece of registered mail that required a signature and ID. Hmmmm, am I
being sued?!? Audited perhaps?!?

Swinging into town today, the mystery was solved. An acquaintance used
some of my November solar images for an article in the Italian
astronomy magazine "Coelum Astronomia", and had kindly sent a copy my
way (cool!)

Superb magazine too... and a tad easier to understand than the Tenmon Guide (Japanese).

Chow... uhhh, I mean Ciao!

Paul

http://www.astro-nut.com/

Hi All,

I just updated the previous image (that was here) with a few more shots added to the stack. It now contains dozen 420 second images and 15 300 second images, all taken at ISO 200 last week via a Canon D60 digital SLR and 5" Tak'.

My "little weiner-dog" scope barely pulled out the horsehead at those settings, and I had to massage the be-jammers out of the stack to get what little I did... so be gentle with me! )

(larger image and further info is at: http://www.astro-nut.com/flame-horsehead.html )

Ciao,

Paul

Hello All,

(Note: Visually optimized scopes can present a special challenge for imagers or binoviewer
users, as the focal plane is often formed so close to the tube that additional devices cannot
be accomodated. This can be partially resolved with the use of a relay lens or Barlow to "pull"
the image from the OTA, though creating a larger image scale and increased EFR in the process.)

Denkmeier Optical (an AstroMart sponsor) has developed a low-amplification 2" Optical Coupling
System that, while primarily intended to complement their binoviewer line, may provide relief for
"back-focus challenged" scopes as well. Having been fortunate enough to get one of the
first units, I've thrown together a few test shots to illustrate its capabilities.

The below images illustrate the attainable image scale difference, with the foreground
Denkmeier sun using a 2x Powermate shot as a backdrop. Each was an uncropped 3072 x 2048
pixel image (re-sized down to 800 x 533 for web display).

This scope could NOT previously reach focus for imaging without relay lenses/Barlows. The
Denkmeier OCS increased back focus here by approximately 37mm.

More test images and text are posted at:

http://www.astro-nut.com/denkmeier.html

Hi All,

Although clouds rolled in by late afternoon yesterday (dashing my plans to attend our club's public observing session), it was nice to see the sun again! Coronado's new CEMAX H-a optimized eyepieces exhibited splendid contrast... I'd love to try binoviewing with 'em!

I gathered some white-light shots using a Baader/Kendrick filter on an 8" Mak-Newt and a few H-a pics with a Coronado SolarMax90 equipped 5" Takahashi refractor. Having gone in to work today (sigh...) I've only had limited opportunity for image processing, but here's one of the H-a finals.

Cheers,

Paul

(Image info at: http://www.astro-nut.com/sun-ha-03mar08.html )

Hi All,

... still picking through Saturday's solar images, and thought I'd share this quadrant view just processed.

Paul

Info for this image is at: http://www.astro-nut.com/sun-ha-03mar08.html

Hi All,

A fellow club member called yesterday to give me the heads-up on a massive filament that was unfurling
from limb to limb! As fortune would have it, I was home and had already been gathering a few images.

Soooo... for all those who could not play hookey yesterday, this is what we were treated to!

bon apetit!

Paul

Info and additional image is at: http://www.astro-nut.com/sun-ha-03mar14.html