Stargazing Did I finally capture decent pictures of Mars and other celestial objects?

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on astrophotography achievements using a Meade ETX-105 telescope and a Meade Deep-Sky Imager camera. The user successfully captured images of Mars, the Andromeda galaxy, and various open clusters, despite challenges such as light pollution and wind. The Mars image was created using a stack of several hundred frames, while other celestial objects were photographed with a 135mm SLR lens mounted on the telescope. The user aims to improve their image quality by learning enhancement techniques.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of astrophotography techniques
  • Familiarity with the Meade ETX-105 telescope
  • Knowledge of stacking images in astrophotography
  • Experience with light pollution effects on celestial imaging
NEXT STEPS
  • Research image enhancement techniques for astrophotography
  • Learn about stacking software options for astrophotography
  • Explore the capabilities of the Meade Deep-Sky Imager
  • Investigate methods to mitigate light pollution in astrophotography
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Astrophotographers, amateur astronomers, and anyone interested in capturing celestial images and improving their photography techniques.

russ_watters
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Busy night last night. I finally got some decent pictures of Mars, and with my new piggyback rig, I captured a bunch of open clusters and the Andromeda galaxy. With the moon near full and with a somewhat humid night and lots of light pollution, the Andromeda galaxy is pretty low contrast, but I need to learn some enhancement techniques anyway, so it's something to work on. It was also a little windy, so I'll be able to get more detail on Mars on a calmer night (and when it gets higher and closer). The tracking error is noticeable, but small enough with the 135mm lens that I don't have to throw away many of the long-exposure pics. Anyway, here they are:

The first three are the easy to recognize ones: M31, Mars, and the Pleaides. The number after the name is the exposure. The Mars photo is a stack of several hundred frames and the rest are several dozen.
 

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These next two are the Perseus double-cluster and M-34.
 

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What telescope are you using russ, and how much is it?
 
The telescope is a Meade ETX-105 (~$800) and the camera is a Meade Deep-Sky Imager (~$300). Of the pictures in the last two posts, only the Mars pic was taken through the scope (and a 2x barlow lens: ~$50). The rest were taken through a 135mm SLR camera lens (~$40, used) piggy-back mounted to the scope and adapted to the DSI (see post #84). Page through the thread for more pics...
 
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very nice . Thanks every one.
 

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