June astrophotographs taken at the Chiefland Astronomy Village were taken mostly to test out imaging equipment for upcoming trips during July and August to locations with (hopefully) more transparent skies. On June 8, a series of widefield images were taken with two EF 35mm f/1.4L lenses mounted on a Kenko Skymemo tracking mount. This system will be packed in carryon and checked luggage for trips to Colorado, Australia and New Zealand. The first two images are my first attempt at assembling large montages of the Milky Way stretching from Southern to Northern horizons. On June 16-17, test images were taken with Fisheye lenses and my Hutech modified 20D.

01_assembly_ps1ms.jpg Summer Milky Way - Montage Lens: Canon EF 35mm f/1.4 L Image format: Elitechrome 200 pushed 1 stop Exposure: 17x f/2.8 15 minutes Mount: Kenko Skymemo Guider: None Date/time: June 8, 2005, 12:15 to 3:30 am Site: Chiefland Astronomy Village Processing: 17 images scanned from film assembled as montage in Photoshop 7 using layers and free-transform functions Comment: Light dome at bottom is from farmette street lamp at end of CAV property and Ocala/Gainesville light dome. Chiefland light dome is at top.	02_assembly_ps1m.jpg Larger image of previous montage	03_5061801_15f2.8_5.jpg Summer Milky Way - 15mm Fisheye Lens: Canon EF 15mm f/2.8 fisheye Image format: Elitechrome 200 Exposure: f/2.8 5 minutes Mount: Kenko Skymemo Guider: None Date/time: June 17, 2005 about 3:30 am Site: Chiefland Astronomy Village Comment: Light dome at right is from farmette street lamp at end of CAV property.	04_5061805_8fef4_10.jpg Summer Milky Way - 8mm Fisheye Lens: Sigma 8mm f/4 fisheye Image format: Elitechrome 200 Exposure: f/4 10 minutes Mount: Kenko Skymemo Guider: None Date/time: June 17, 2005 about 3:30 am Site: Chiefland Astronomy Village Comment: Light dome at right is from farmette street lamp at end of CAV property. Chiefland light dome is at left
05_V2S6130_129_2+4_oc.jpg Omega Centauri (NGC 5139) Telescope: AP155 f/7 refractor Image format: Canon EOS-1D mark II Exposure: ISO 800 2 and 4 minutes RAW Mount: G-11 Guider: ST-4 Date/time: 6/18/04; 10 pm Site: Chiefland Astronomy Village Processing: RAW develop with Phase One Pro 3.6. Stack in Registrar and brightness/contrast adjustment in Photoshop 7.	06_c8284mc.jpg Jupiter Telescope: AP155 f/7 refractor TV 8mm Plossl projection eyepiece Image format: Canon EOS 20D Exposure: ISO 200 2 seconds RAW Mount: G-11 Guider: None Date/time: 6/16/05; 10 pm Site: Chiefland Astronomy Village	07_c8399a.jpg Moon detail Waiting for it to set Telescope: AP155 f/7 refractor TV 8mm Plossl projection eyepiece Image format: Canon EOS 20D Exposure: ISO 400 0.6 seconds RAW Mount: G-11 Guider: None Date/time: 6/16/05; 10:40 pm Site: Chiefland Astronomy Village	08_m8_5min_3+7L.jpg M-8 (Lagoon nebula) Telescope: AP155 f/7 refractor Image format: Hutech modified Canon 20D (no filter) Exposure: ISO 800 5 and 7 minutes RAW three 5 minute and one 7 minute Mount: G-11 Guider: ST-4 Date/time: 6/17/05; 3-4 am Site: Chiefland Astronomy Village Processing: RAW develop with Phase One Pro 3.6. Dark-field subtract in Photoshop 7 Stack layers in Photoshop: three 5 minute RGB and one 7 minute red channel as luminance.

Astrophotography Index

posted 23 June 2005

© 2005, William L. Castleman