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Wide Field Imaging. Not really a novice RV lifestyle forced change in 2009 Light weight and portable equipment Ideal for wide field imaging with camera lenses Technique provides a good place to start imaging Slides are on www.geoandpat.com. First, Why Do I Image?.
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Wide Field Imaging • Not really a novice • RV lifestyle forced change in 2009 • Light weight and portable equipment • Ideal for wide field imaging with camera lenses • Technique provides a good place to start imaging • Slides are on www.geoandpat.com
First, Why Do I Image? • Images provide more detail than visual • Allows for more thorough study • Color!
Transition from Visual to Imaging • Often start with visual equipment (I did) • SCT f/10 (long focal length) • Difficult place to start • Very small image scale (~0.5 arcsec/pixel) • Very narrow field of view • Focus always an issue with an SCT • Long focal length requires long exposures • May require guiding for good results
Image Scale, a Key Concept Image scale = (207 x pixel size)/focal length Good place to start Wide field minimum Difficult From New Astronomy Press CCD Calculator (Ron Wodaski)
Advantages of Wide Field Imaging • No telescope, use camera lenses • Low cost mount with RA tracking • Image scale is very large (5-50) • Polar alignment still important • Tracking less critical, no guiding • Very wide field of view • Very portable AstroTrac
18mm Lens Image Many more images at www.geoandpat.com
My Imaging Equipment • Canon XSi • Relatively inexpensive • Large sensor (12 MP) • Can use for terrestrial photography • Good color • Can be modified • AstroTrac mount and pier • Light weight (19 lbs) • Quick and easy to setup (15-30 min) • .
My Imaging Process • Laptop computer • Camera control (Images Plus) • Camera focus (Images Plus) • Camera aiming • Red dot sight • Green laser • Exposures usually 3min x 15-20 RAW; 5 darks; usually no flats or bias frames
Image Processing Software • Images Plus…. Simple, but complete • Registar…. Nothing better • Photoshop plugins • Gradient Xterminator • Prodigital Astronomy Tools • Picture Code Noise Ninja Gradient Xterminator