My first Astrophotography

Kenny_10_Bellys · Post by **Kenny_10_Bellys** » 2006-09-09 01:45pm

Recently I started an astronomy degree course with the OU and got myself a couple of decent mid-range telescopes and an astro-webcam setup to try and get some photos. Last night I got a chance to stick my scope out of the kitchen window and try for a shot of the full moon. Here's the result of 5 seperate shots in a mosaic stitched together with an amazing bit of software called autostitch.

http://www.axeman3d.com/posts/moon.jpg

Under normal circumstances you have a powered, guided scope tracking the object and the webcam takes about 100 shots in a row and stacks them together, filters them and spits out a cracking picture free from turbulence effects. Not so with this, but next time I get it out and about I'll try and get something a bit more exciting than the ful moon.

Einhander Sn0m4n · Post by **Einhander Sn0m4n** » 2006-09-09 01:47pm

Definite A for effort. Yup, that is indeed a big ball of rock...

Kenny_10_Bellys · Post by **Kenny_10_Bellys** » 2006-09-09 02:37pm

That's the point Einy, it really is a big ball of rock a quarter million miles above our heads, and we get so used to it being there it's like it's just painted on and has always been there. The first time you actually see it through a decent telescope and see it as a 3-dimensional planet with mountains and craters, you're REALLY seeing it. Quite an eye-opener.

The other night I was looking at the Andromeda Galaxy, fer christ sake. Another galaxy, a whole other galaxy 2,400,000,000 light-years away and on good night you can see it with the naked eye! If I get a chance it's my next target.

Watch the skies!

FSTargetDrone · Post by **FSTargetDrone** » 2006-09-09 07:34pm

Heh, a very important ball of rock.

The shadows at the edge really help to accentuate its shape. A full moon looks nearly flat, but with some shadow, the curve really pops out. Especially crater detail.

I've been looking at the moon the last few nights with binoculars. Quite beautiful, even with relatively low magnification.

Men have walked on that big ol' ball o' rock... Even now that endlessly impresses me!

Kenny_10_Bellys · Post by **Kenny_10_Bellys** » 2006-09-10 07:28am

We should be impressed, it's a helluva achievment. I think these days we're being spoiled by CGI and simulations and so forth. We see so many images of space and other worlds that we forget it's not actually real, and that if we continue to sit on our hands it wont ever become real. We all assume that we're becoming so advanced that it's inevitable that we'll go all over the place, but right here and now we can do almost squat. We occasionally go a couple of hundered miles above the Earth for a little while and occasionally make it back in one piece.

Ford Prefect · Post by **Ford Prefect** » 2006-09-10 07:42am

Kenny_10_Bellys wrote:That's the point Einy, it really is a big ball of rock a quarter million miles above our heads, and we get so used to it being there it's like it's just painted on and has always been there. The first time you actually see it through a decent telescope and see it as a 3-dimensional planet with mountains and craters, you're REALLY seeing it. Quite an eye-opener.

Damn straight. My dad got me a telescope a few years ago and I spent practically every night during my summer holidays checking out the moon. It have always been there, but looking at it close up is real awesome. It's pot-marked and pitted with age. It's amazing.