moon

I haven’t managed to do any astronomy for a while because the weather has been so bad. However, last night there was a brief break in the clouds and the moon shone through. It was just enough time to set up my telescope in the front garden and attach a DSLR. You might think theContinue reading “Moon”

Andromeda Galaxy

Some time ago I got a new telescope – a Celestron 130EQ-MD Newtonian rather than a Celestron NexStar 127 SLT Cassegrain-Maksutov formula. In short, it is more sensitive to light but sacrifices magnification. It’s perfect for deep-space observation like nebulae and galaxies, while the Maksutov is better for observing planets which are much brighter andContinue reading “Andromeda Galaxy”

Goodnight, Bristol

Taken from the top of Troopers Hill, overlooking Bristol, while I was actually out looking for the Pan-STARRS comet that should have been visible, but sadly wasn’t, due to atmospheric haze and light pollution. I processed this photo to make it monochrome, add a hint of sepia and fake some film grain to make itContinue reading “Goodnight, Bristol”

Astrophotography

It’s winter, it’s dark early, and the Arctic snap passing over the UK means it is nice and clear in the sky. Last night I went to my top-secret stargazing location in Somerset. It’s far enough to avoid the worst of Bristol’s light pollution, but there is still an orange tint in the sky. It’sContinue reading “Astrophotography”

Astrophotography tutorial: shoot the Moon

Whether or not they have an interest in astronomy, at some point most photographers are likely to take a picture of the Moon. There’s a lot more to astrophotography than you might think, so I’ll walk through this step-by-step guide on shooting the Moon. Capturing the best source image It’s important to capture the bestContinue reading “Astrophotography tutorial: shoot the Moon”

Crater face

Sorry, I’m running out of original titles for pictures of the moon. Last time I posted one, I said it was the best ever. This one is loads better, though. Composite of 4 frames, each shot at ISO800, 1/60s, f/11 on Canon 450D with Tokina 400mm f/5.6 lens and 3× teleconverter. Aligned and stacked withContinue reading “Crater face”

My best moon picture so far

Usually when it’s a clear night and the moon is out, I’ll have a go at photographing it. Last night there was actually a full moon and it was the first clear night in a week or two, so I got snapping. Technically, this is my best moon picture so far, using a Canon 450DContinue reading “My best moon picture so far”

The moon again

Yep, it’s the moon again – but this time through my new lens. It’s a Tokina 400mm f/5.6 prime for Canon FD mount, with 2× teleconverter, mounted on my Canon DSLR with a corrective adapter. For those who don’t know or care about lenses – this is my zoomiest lens so far. I also stackedContinue reading “The moon again”

Super-moon

Tonight is the “supermoon“, apparently. It’s the closest it’s been since 1992 and should look larger and brighter. Delving a little deeper into the numbers, it is only a small percentage closer and the effects probably won’t be visible to the naked eye, without some sort of measuring equipment. Whatever. We all know I loveContinue reading “Super-moon”

Stars in the sky

Sorry for the unoriginal post title – I’m trying to avoid having yet another post entitled stars at night, heavenly bodies, or anything else clichéd. In Bristol, the light pollution is pretty bad so I’ve been trying to find a decent compromise between somewhere away from street lights and somewhere that’s not a pain toContinue reading “Stars in the sky”