I’ve got a Canon EOS 500D and I want to start astrophotography but I’m not sure on what the settings that will give me the best images. Also, is there a way to take exposures without having to hold down the button and without buying a shutter control remote or using a laptop?
Thanks!
What you need is a great scrabble word, an intervolometer. This little device allows you to keep the shutter open for a predetermined amount of time. Canon makes one that’s way expensive, but I have had great luck with the Chinese knock offs found on eBay. You set the camera in manual mode withe the shutter set to ‘B’ (bulb).
http://tinyurl.com/y9m4yv6
As for the ISO settings. Stay under 1600 ISO. While it is the most sensitive setting, it is also the nosiest. Most of my shots I have gone no higher than 800 ISO. The other thing that I do, is have the camera do an automatic dark frame. This option takes your regular photo (say 1 minute long), then takes another exposure without opening the shutter. This helps to reduce the amount of noise that appears on the photo. At the expense that it takes twice as long to take a picture (2 minutes in this example).
If possible, do not use a zoom lens either. You want whats called a prime or fixed focal length lens. What I have in my kit is a 135mm, 50mm, 28mm and a 16mm fisheye (made in Russia). A good cheap way to get decent prime lenses is to get the old, 35mm style lenses and an adapter plate, all which can be found on eBay. What I have done is purchase what’s called the M42 or Pentax screw mount lens.
Example -
http://tinyurl.com/yf57437
The adapter plate allows you to mount the lens to the camera -
http://tinyurl.com/yhjrqmq
And finally some links of how to do imagining itself -
http://www.covingtoninnovations.com/dslr/EOS300Dastro.html
http://www.astro.shoregalaxy.com/dslr_astro.htm
http://www.stargazing.net/david/index.html
Ok this is kind of two questions
can anyone tell me how many know galaxies are out there, and some of there names. The ones i know are the milkyway (duh!) and andromeda
There are literally billions of known galaxies. Most of them have rather uninteresting designations. But there are a few that have ‘common names’ such as the Whirlpool galaxy, the Blackeye galaxy, the Sombrero galaxy, the Antenae galaxies, Stephen’s quartet, etc. More have ‘Messier’ designations (Messier was a comet hunter and catalogued a number of ‘fuzzy’ objects). Another desgination for the Andromeda spiral is M31 for Messier 31. The Whirlpool is M51. Several of the Virgo cluster of galaxies are in the Messier list. After that, many of the nearer galaxies have NGC designations (from the catalog name); for example NGC 6561 is a nice spiral. Farther out, the galaxies tend to be specified by their place in the sky.
I need some basic facts about hubble telescope for a project. Something like how big is it, what it does, When it was invented, who invented it etc. Anything will do (as long as you answer this question. Thanks!
Telescopes were invented a long time ago. The first telescope, a refractor, by Hannes Lippershey in 1608. The reflecting telecope by Isaac Newton in 1673. The Hubble telescope is a variant of the reflecting telescope, using the Cassagrainian design invented just a few years after Newton.
The telescope was designed by NASA, and named for the prominent American astronomer Edwin P. Hubble, who originally trained as a lawyer, but decided to go honest (LOL). It has a 90 inch mirror, the largest that would fit in the cargo bay of a Shuttle.
It was launched in order to provide the superior view of space that is possible when outside the obstruction of the Earth’s atmosphere. Wikipedia, as always the source of much knowledge, has a lengthy article on it, with some sample photos. So to does NASA on its website.
i have the meade DS-2114ATS-LTN telescope and we bought it from sams club last year and it came with a MA25mm eyepiece and an MA9mm eyepiece. I was wondering what the difference was between the eyepieces…i know theres more sizes avalible like the 60mm eyepiece….
I am sorry to have to be the one to tell you this but you have a poor toy telescope and for you to spend more money on any extra equipment for it would be money wasted. For now stick with the 25mm eyepiece. I doubt that the 9mm will do you much good with this scope.
You really need to join a local Astronomical Society or astronomy club and learn about real telescopes. You will be able to attend their star parties and they can share their scopes with you so you can see what a real telescope can do. Most clubs have loaner scopes that you can borrow once you have been properly trained on how to use it. They have monthly meetings with great presentations. A membership in a club is where you need to spend your money right now.
Go to this site to find a club in your area. http://www.astroleague.org/societies/list
This only has clubs that belong to the National Astronomy League, so there are many more which do not appear on this list. Continue searching google if you don’t see one in your area here.
I can think of three: planet orbits star A, planet orbits star B, or planet is WAY far away and orbits the center of mass of both stars. But are any other, more complex, orbits possible, even in theory?
Consider that the Sun is actually orbiting the center of the galaxy, and as such, is a binary system, and our planet is in orbit around it.
I was just wondering:
1. Who owns "A Starry Night"
2. Where I can see the real painting at
You can see it in the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. It has been in their permanent collection since 1941
vikas here
"What is the reason for the origin of the solarsystem and the planets?" What kind of question is that? Are you asking "what is the reason for our existance?" Cuz I cant answer that.
Otherwise planets form with the collapse of a giant interstellar dust and gas cloud as it contracts. It starts to spin as it shrinks; planets form out of the leftover material that did not fall into the forming star. Thus they should form most of the time with every star.
Hubblecast 22: Hubble Space Telescope Directly Observes Exoplanet Orbiting Fomalhaut.
The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has discovered an extrasolar planet, for the first time using direct visible-light imaging. The strange world is far-flung from its parent star, is surrounded by a colossal belt of gas and dust, and may even have rings more impressive than Saturn’s.
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Credit:
- ESA/Hubble (M. Kornmesser & L. L. Christensen)
- Visual design & Editing: Martin Kornmesser
- Animations: Martin Kornmesser & Luis Calçada
- Web Hosting: Leibniz-Rechenzentrum (LRZ)
- Web Technical Support: Lars Holm Nielsen & Raquel Yumi Shida
- Written by: Lee Pullen & Lars Lindberg Christensen
- Host: Dr. J
- Narration: Bob Fosbury
- Cinematography: Peter Rixner
- Music: movetwo
- Footage and photos: A. Fujii, Digitized Sky Survey 2, NASA, ESA, and P. Kalas (University of California, Berkeley). Acknowledgment: Davide De Martin (ESA/Hubble)
- Directed by: Lars Lindberg Christensen
Dr. J is a German astronomer at the ESO. His scientific interests are in cosmology, particularly on galaxy evolution and quasars. Dr. J’s real name is Joe Liske and he has a PhD in astronomy.
Hubble European Space Agency Information Centre
Garching/Munich, Germany
• http://www.eso.org
• http://www.spacetelescope.org
• http://hubblesite.org
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Don McLean solo!. He is one of of my all time favourite who still perform regulary. I look forward to hearing/seeing him if he tour asia again. Check out: http://www.don-mclean.com
Duration : 0:4:40
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ALL 5 PARTS OF: Complete Cosmos-Secrets of The Solar System, http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=E13C44C103D8427D
A journey through the Solar System. A documentary on the 8 Planets of our Solar System (9 if you still count Pluto) Detailed descriptions of each of the planets including what each Planet is made of and other interesting facts.
Duration : 0:9:0
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