5 Deep Sky Astrophotography Targets for Beginners
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- Опубліковано 4 лип 2024
- Struggling with what to image first? This video breaks down 5 deep sky astrophotography targets for beginners. I explain what the targets are, where to find them, and what time of year you can image them. I also share some of my images along the way.
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Targets:
1. M42 Orion nebula 01:24
2. M31 Andromeda galaxy 03:45
3. M45 Pleiades 05:56
4. NGC 1499 California nebula 07:33
5. NGC 7000 North American nebula 09:21
One of the greatest charms of this hobby is you are most definitely looking at someone looking at you thousands or even millions of light years away. Good video, thanks!
Perseus Double Star Cluster, really easy to find near Cassiopeia and absolutely beautiful 🌌
No argument with those targets, but I'd also add Lagoon and Trifid in to balance the summer imaging. Got a badass image of NGC7000 last week at 50mm on APS-C - so definitely agree it's a great target.
But don't forget that observing is also as cool as astrophotography, with a great aperture you can see so much
Love it Nick, keep up the great work.
I'm an Astrophotographer newbie. The nightsky has been surprising me the last two to three years. I just purchased a simple mechanical star-tracker (Omegon) and it has opened the nightsky even more. I live in a Bortle 6 area and I can still grab several DSO.
Great video mate! 🙌🏽 The North American Nebula is my next project. 😁
couldn't agree more! Great video! Nice shots as well!
Thanks for your video, as always
Thanks!
Some really nice images, thanks for sharing. I got my kit a few weeks ago and chose M81 (Bode’s galaxy) for my first target. I only managed to get about an hour’s worth of data but I got quite a pleasing result. A few mishaps with the equipment but I had fun. Not looking good weather wise this week :-(
Having fun is what it’s all about 🙂
Great video again Nick, glad to see you posting your videos again, how us the building site behind your house and how is it affecting your imaging sessions so far
It limits my time unfortunately. The other week I on out managed 3 hours in the Leo Triplet whereas last year I could image it for 6 hours. I’ll work with it but it’s a huge inconvenience!
@@AstroExploring I'm still glad you can get something out of it Nick even though not as much time or sky to look at, let's just hope your nearest new neighbours will be amateur astronomers also and help cut the LP down, keep up the good work and clear skies
I'm a beginner and having the Cambridge Star Atlas along with a decent planisphere sure did lower my frustration level trying to find things. I can't see the Pleaides from my back porch in the city by eye, but using Aldebaran with the atlas I went straight to it. It also helps since I installed a 9x 50mm RACI finder scope on my 6" Celestron C6-N 750mm F5 and compared to my 100mm F4 it gives really outstanding views especially with my Orthoscopic eyepieces.
I also have a 20mm Tele Vue Plossl I bought used even though I already had an 18mm Takahashi Orthoscopic, but it was ridiculously cheap from a pawn shop that didn't know its worth. It is not really that much better than my 18mm except a slightly wider fov. I used both on Algol and it was hard to tell the difference. I haven't tried astrophotography with it yet as my camera really isn't suitable as it doesn't take screw-on lens, it is just a Canon that the lens pops out when you turn it on and goes back when shut off.
If you don‘t have an astro-modified camera you might be dissapointed trying to get good data of the very red nebulas like rosetta or california. What really blew my mind when I took my first pictures of the dumbell nebula!
Those are the targets I would have suggested too :)
Hi Nick. I agree with your selection of dso as each are easy to find and this summer I'm targeting NGC 7000 as Deneb will help alot. California nebula will be a target for me and hopefully clear skies.
At last I've tested Pixel 4 for it's astrophotography mode and I did wild camp in highlands and used pixel 4 in dark location and WOW believe the hype? It's hype is all true it's incredible!!! At last I've tested it and I'm going to have lots of fun this summer.
I love your images you've got and I've got same setup so this summer I'm ready for it! I wonder if that astrophotographer in m31 knows you taking shot at the same time as him? It'll be awesome to see his shot of our milky way galaxy to see what's it's like.
Thanks for the interesting video and your targets for beginners! Stay safe buddy!
Just imagine seeing a shot of the Milky Way taken by someone from another galaxy 🤯
Hello. Thanks for this great overview of easy-to-find targets for beginners. I'm just curious about one bit of terminology you're using. When you say it's about 3 hours worth of data using 2-minute exposures, do you mean it's a total of about 90 total stacked light frames (in this case, 90 x 2-minutes = 180 minutes of total integration time)?
Yes that’s right
Hi Nick, Nice image of Pleiades. What filter(s) were you using. Was it taken with your moded SLR?.....Just seen your new camera, I'm some way off using one of those, but I do like the Cider, It's gorgeous.😜
I didn’t use a filter for that image and it was taken before I modded my DSLR. The cider is gorgeous I agree! 🍺
Hello, what do you do if you can't see any stars on live view of camera to focus on apart from really bright ones. How do I know if I am in correct position?.. Just by trial and error?.. Sorry if question is confusing (don't think it is lol).
Can I recommend M57 (The Ring Nebula in Lyra). Very easy to image in May and has nice colours.
I fully agree. It easily showed up in my light polluted yard using my 8 inch Schmidt Cassegrain telescope. By eye, it was grey. But in the pictures the colors showed up.
Thank you - very interesting and helpful
thanks for posting these suggestions for DSO. I'm just starting on DSO's this year so if the clouds ever go away in Scotland i'll have a go at these.
The Lagoon Nebula needs a mention. So easy to find with binoculars. Can't forget that summer camping trip when I happened to stumle upon it unwittingly.
Great shout! Unfortunately I can’t image it from my latitude so I completely forgot to mention it 😃
Ahhh! I can't forget that summer camping trip when I happened to stumble upon Barbara . . . that's when I lost my virginity; she too. (sorry, way off topic, but the memories)
Nick: Really useful info. Very well done. I wish with all the tech now available someone would come up with an app to polar align your mount. My knees are giving out. Mike
Thanks Mike! If space allows you could always try a pier? Or just do a really rough one and use something like a Polemaster? I realise that’s all extra cost though!
@@AstroExploring I do have a CGEM DX II Mount. I was just thinking with all the tech out there someone would come up with an app. I do use Sharpcap to plate solve. Just a minor nuisance to have to do everything. Thanks for the reply
What about spring and summer. Galaxies are small and dim. I live in bortle 9 skies, realy hard to see Pliedes. By the way thanks. Modest gear, so this is definitely helpful.
nice video et helful.. thanks.
if you permit the video was noisy a little bit so i suggest that you reduce the sound volume. good luck
Good evening Nick,
I was having dinner watching your UA-cam video, thanks for your help, I found it very informative, keep up the good work, clear skies.
Thanks man 👍🏻
Your welcome Nick,
Coming from a bortle class 8 skies here in North London, I need all the help I can get. 🙂🌠
I have yet to take my rig out for 1st light. Andromeda is 1st on my list. As soon as Utah stops burning.
Excellent video! Wrong math though: if one of the targets is actually 5, then you have 9, not 10, targets.
Tried out my 10in Newtonian at Orion. Eh, didn't see squat yet, but I am tuning it up, bought used. However, just above it is the Casper the Friendly Ghost nebula, my first nebula I have located with this gear, which is rather funny since my last name is Kasper, and the other German variation is Casper. So, I found my own nebula. I can't recognize Casper in it, however.
what can a person do to improve the "hidrogen red" on the pictures , if modding the rig is a BIG nono?
3:38 whats the website?
if you're a beginner, try carina nebula. Shot it a couple nights ago and the results were crazy! detail, structure, colour, its all there.
it might only be in south hemisphere though
I tried capturing pleiades last night. I dont have a tracker, so I just set up my camera on a tripod with the lens at about 200mm at f/5.0. I took 1 second exposures and took about 1000 pictures. After stacking them all, I still could not see any of the blue lights around the stars. Do I need to take more photos? I'm not sure what I could be doing wrong. I also have a lens thats 18mm at f/3.5 should I try that one instead?
You need much longer exposures. You might be able to get something with 10 second exposures but 60 seconds or more would be much better.
Is North America Nebula okay to image without a modified DSLR? Most images I’ve seen of it have been done with either a modified camera or dedicated Astro camera.
The NA nebula is a hydrogen alpha emission nebula so a stock DSLR won’t be able to capture the majority of the red light, it will still capture some so it’s definitely worth giving it a go, it’ll just look much better with a modified camera
Is it possible to shoot deep sky objects in a heavily polluted night sky such as Singapore with a new moon? my kit: Nikon z6ii with a 70-200 f2.8 with a 2x teleconverter.
Yes absolutely but I’d recommend light pollution filters or narrowband filters
Nice selection of targets. M8, the Lagoon nebula as a good target for Beginners. You mentioned the Rosette with is another one for sure. I think M27, the dumbell and the Veil nebula are also good choices.
All great choices! I’d love to image M8 but it doesn’t get high enough for me ☹️
@@AstroExploring Dang! How about M16? Maybe the Wizard nebula is a good one at higher latitudes. I'd say elephant truck.. but actually I find that one to be a bit challenging.. especially in broadband.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge. I wouldalso agree with @dso imager's suggestions.
That’s great for the winter months…so..summer targets?
The North America nebula is a summer target. Andromeda is also available from late summer
pleiades = little little dipper
Me doing galaxy imaging.
Alien: (in alien language) ay yo. i feel like something's peeping on me
another great video Nik what no Hugo the dog lol
Maybe in the next one 😉
An interesting and useful list but the video could do without the annoying background muzak
good info! maybe just put your camera a bit further its like you need to skweeze in frame.. but again nice video!
I record on my phone and didn’t realise I’d pointed it a bit too far down. I don’t always record sitting there, it doesn’t work too well with the phone!
@@AstroExploring don't worry, i came for the subject, i really don't mind but many video creators want to look as pro as possible and i would prolly do the same.. thanks for the content, i hope to one day maybe do some astrophotography so gathering knowledge is the first step :) cheers
Sometime you tell us the focal
Length you used , sometimes you tell us the exposure time , some times you say neither - both of which will speak to the ease of viewing these targets .
Ugh 😑
All the targets I was hoping to image but came to the hobby at the wrong time and now I am plagued with endless amounts of clouds
Clouds are guaranteed in this hobby! There will be plenty to image when the clouds clear
@@AstroExploring that is something I am learning about the hard way had clouds since my Z73 arrived at the Easter
I try to time my purchases with the moon cycle so that those cloudy nights line up with the full moon. Doesn't always work! lol