Great video, Nick, very informative and useful. I just captured my very first image of a galaxy. I tried to get a first glimpse of Bode's Galaxy (M81) and The Cigar Galaxy (M82) and I got a pretty amazing shot, in my opinion. I just got a focal lenght of 460 mm, so it's not a close-up, but I love everything about this first image of another galaxy. The feeling when I saw the first photo on the back of the display, with the galaxies in frame, was just breathtaking and overwhelming. Clear skies!
Imaged Markarian's chain a year ago, 2021, with an 8" SCT & trying again this year with a 4" refractor for the wider field of view. Last year, Leo Triplet barely fits into the field of view with the 8" so I plan to see what I get with the 4" this year.
Hiya Nick. Had a crazy moment last weekend (no clear sky since over Manchester 😠) Tried M101 with my Z61 😅😅 Only got 2hrs with DSLR. Looks bloody aweful but at least its central. Am gonna do what you talked about in an earlier vlog and stack without dark frames. No idea really how to use Gimp either but hell its "sort of" fun
A very helpful video as usual Nick. I find M51 to be my favorite because of the galaxy that is interacting with it. I've photographed each object you mentiond except the Makarian’s Chain. I have the same set up as you, so what exposure time would you recommend for photographing Makarian’s Chain under a bortle 7 sky? Also how many exposures (subs) would you recommend? I have a good tracking mount and can guide, so time is not a problem. I just worry about getting too much light pollution in my shots or over exposing or not getting enough time and then have no detail. Thanks for your help.
Just started at the beginning of Feb 2022, this is my first Spring Season and so far I am looking at the Pinwheel Galaxy M101; as this has the best angle for me and my location around 9 hours of good imaging possible. I am working against Bortle 6 skies. But I have a city-light filter and am optimistic for hunting.
@@OtherWorldExplorers Awesome. I also started just now more serious and got myself a beginner mount/tracker. So this is my first Galaxy Season, too. :) I went with M81 & M82 on Saturday and got a pretty cool image of them, along with NGC 3077 and NGC 2976. Do you consider capturing them this season, too? Best of luck with the Pinwheel Galaxy and clear skies.
@@juliencaptures I checked Stellarium and those would also be awesome for me to capture! Thanks for the nudge :) I had them on my list but I am using a 135mm telephoto f2.8. I do have a 500mm Vivtar but the fstop is 8. It comes with a x2 adaptor to make it 1000m but so much glass and f8, with city-light filter, not much light is going to make it to it the sensor. But I do plan on trying, I love a good challenge. Good hunting!
@@OtherWorldExplorers GIad I could help. :) A 135 mm f/2.8 is just awesome. I am planning on getting one too soon. I believe the Orion constellation should just be perfect for this. F/8 with your Vivitar is not ideal, but I like, that you wanna give it a try, that's cool. I shot the duo with f/6.3 btw., so maybe you could get away with f/8 as well. :D
HI nick ,ive got lots of hot pixels i think in my image .i think before i turned on remove dynamic noise on sequater and that sorted it out however i dont seem to be fixing it this time ,i use gimp for processing .any ideas cheers
I can image these galaxies with my C6-N Newtonian 750 focal length F-5? I check collimation each time I take it out. I have a 32mm, wide view. A 20mm TV Plossl 50 degree fov or should I use my 18mm orthoscopic Takahashi? I have a 10mm Ortho as well. I get my best views with the 18mm.
Not willing to go to the max with this astro thing. You are correct. Per Stellarium my 150-600mm lens won't get close at all. Thanks for the video though.
You can get some amazing stuff with your lens. If you got a beginner mount/tracker like me, for example the Sky Watcher Star Adventurer and your lens, you could get some breathtaking captures. For Galaxy Season for example Makarian’s Chain, M81 & M82, The Leo Triplet and kind of any target that Nick mentioned as "Top 5". I just captured my very first image of a galaxy on Saturday. I tried to get a first glimpse of Bode's Galaxy (M81) and The Cigar Galaxy (M82) with my Tamron 70 - 300 mm lens with a crop sensor. So I went with 460 mm and got both galaxies in frame, along with NGC 3077 and NGC 2976. It's not a close-up and not so detailed, but I was able to get an amazing capture of them, in my opinion. Tell me if you wanna see it, so you could imagine what you could achieve with your gear. For later, summer to fall you should check out the Andromeda Galaxy and the Triangulum Galaxy, but even now you can get awesome images of the galaxies than can be seen now, in Galaxy Season. Are you sure, you put in your gear correctly in Stellarium? Maybe you also thing, that just these close-ups and very detailed photos of galaxies are amazing, but that's not right at all. These shots with smaller focal lenghts are amazing too. The feeling when I saw the first image on the back of the display, with the galaxies in frame. was just breathtaking and overwhelming. Even though the weren't very close, I got a great amount of detail in just 72 minutes worth of light. You definitely should give it a try and enjoy this beautiful feeling of capturing another galaxy. :)
@@juliencaptures I have the Adventurer Pro 2i. I don't use a crop sensor camera though. I have a Full Frame modified Nikon D810. That's where you can get the extra distance. I do have a 1.7X converter but can't imagine stopping down to f/12 to shoot. Using Stellarium on my PC at a FOV of 4.0 is equal to what I would be seeing with my lens at 600mm. According to the Nikon table on a website it lists all of the lens and FOV for each one on different Nikon cameras.
@@DLMVegas Okay, but you don't need the converter and stopping down to f/12. If you go with your 600 mm that's more than enough to capture some awesome galaxies. I guess with much more focal length you wouldn't get a good exposure time with the Star Adventurer. So just go with that lens without a converter and you should just be fine. I "just" have 460 mm and got a great image of M81 & M82, so give it a try. :)
@@juliencaptures Thanks for the response. I'll give it a try. I'm in Las Vegas but have my Bortle 4 and 2 areas to go to. I've permanently installed the L-Pro in my D810. Got Orion really clear in my backyard with 35 and 50mm lenses using that filter. I'll play with things if I ever get a clear night or no wind. Might happen Tues, Wed, Thurs this week. At least that's what the weather apps I have are saying.
Might be a silly question but what am I supposed to see with the naked eye through the telescope? (no astrophotography). I tried to look at the Leo Triplet with my Sky Watcher 130P for a long time and I could swear I was in the right area but still would only see stars and no trace of galaxies or anything :( I was in a Bortle 4 area (although there was 1 stray white light nearby but I went behind the building so not sure if that's relevant) and obviously the sky was quite clear that day.
As Nick already mentioned, Makarian’s Chain is one great target for you in galaxy season (spring). The Andromeda Galaxy and the Triangulum Galaxy are two targets that are great for lenses with such a focal length, but these are targets for summer to fall.
www.astroexploring.com/blog/the-best-astrophotography-galaxy-season-targets-for-any-telescope
Excellent overview, thanks. My last target was Markarian’s chain which I agree is stunning.
Thanks Cliff!
Great video Nick! I am imaging M51 as a fav at the moment, but will go after Markarian's Chain next !
Nice! 😃
Great video, Nick, very informative and useful. I just captured my very first image of a galaxy. I tried to get a first glimpse of Bode's Galaxy (M81) and The Cigar Galaxy (M82) and I got a pretty amazing shot, in my opinion. I just got a focal lenght of 460 mm, so it's not a close-up, but I love everything about this first image of another galaxy. The feeling when I saw the first photo on the back of the display, with the galaxies in frame, was just breathtaking and overwhelming. Clear skies!
You’ll never forget that feeling! ❤️
@@AstroExploring I bet. 🥰
I remember a couple of months ago when I had the Whirlpool on my first frame and it absolutely blew me away.
Those were also my first galaxies 2 weeks ago! I was awe struck. Then the following week I got M51 and left me in tears.
@@peterschmitz4308 Awesome, Peter. Glad you got such a beautiful experience. :)
Thanks for this excellent video 🎯
Another great video Nick. I think my favourite has to be the Whirlpool. I just love the colours and it’s ‘easy’ to capture at any FOV.
Thanks Rob! I forgot to add my Mak’s Chain image but I think the Whirlpool is my favourite too!
I like the sunflower galaxy
Imaged Markarian's chain a year ago, 2021, with an 8" SCT & trying again this year with a 4" refractor for the wider field of view. Last year, Leo Triplet barely fits into the field of view with the 8" so I plan to see what I get with the 4" this year.
Hiya Nick. Had a crazy moment last weekend (no clear sky since over Manchester 😠) Tried M101 with my Z61 😅😅 Only got 2hrs with DSLR. Looks bloody aweful but at least its central. Am gonna do what you talked about in an earlier vlog and stack without dark frames. No idea really how to use Gimp either but hell its "sort of" fun
Nice! Maximum crop required for that one 😃
A very helpful video as usual Nick. I find M51 to be my favorite because of the galaxy that is interacting with it. I've photographed each object you mentiond except the Makarian’s Chain.
I have the same set up as you, so what exposure time would you recommend for photographing Makarian’s Chain under a bortle 7 sky? Also how many exposures (subs) would you recommend? I have a good tracking mount and can guide, so time is not a problem. I just worry about getting too much light pollution in my shots or over exposing or not getting enough time and then have no detail. Thanks for your help.
You shouldn’t have shown unachievable images from the Hubble but would have been better if you had used actual amateur images. Just saying
Don't forget M87 and its jet and Quasar 3C273 ;-)
What’s your favourite galaxy to image?
Just started at the beginning of Feb 2022, this is my first Spring Season and so far I am looking at the Pinwheel Galaxy M101; as this has the best angle for me and my location around 9 hours of good imaging possible.
I am working against Bortle 6 skies. But I have a city-light filter and am optimistic for hunting.
@@OtherWorldExplorers Awesome. I also started just now more serious and got myself a beginner mount/tracker. So this is my first Galaxy Season, too. :) I went with M81 & M82 on Saturday and got a pretty cool image of them, along with NGC 3077 and NGC 2976. Do you consider capturing them this season, too? Best of luck with the Pinwheel Galaxy and clear skies.
@@juliencaptures I checked Stellarium and those would also be awesome for me to capture! Thanks for the nudge :)
I had them on my list but I am using a 135mm telephoto f2.8.
I do have a 500mm Vivtar but the fstop is 8. It comes with a x2 adaptor to make it 1000m but so much glass and f8, with city-light filter, not much light is going to make it to it the sensor. But I do plan on trying, I love a good challenge. Good hunting!
@@OtherWorldExplorers GIad I could help. :) A 135 mm f/2.8 is just awesome. I am planning on getting one too soon. I believe the Orion constellation should just be perfect for this. F/8 with your Vivitar is not ideal, but I like, that you wanna give it a try, that's cool. I shot the duo with f/6.3 btw., so maybe you could get away with f/8 as well. :D
unfortunately 8 out of the 10 on this list are on the wrong side of my house, I can just about see bodes...
HI nick ,ive got lots of hot pixels i think in my image .i think before i turned on remove dynamic noise on sequater and that sorted it out however i dont seem to be fixing it this time ,i use gimp for processing .any ideas cheers
Living in Southern California I can only get Orion Nebula and a glimpse or andromeda galaxy
Why?
I live in a bortle 9 city, might be able to image in bortle 7. Astro-moded T7i
Didn't finish that. Astronomik HA clip in filter. Have at my disposal some good prime lenses. Is this possible given my light pollution. Thank you.
Just out of curiosity, who did you have mod your T7i? I have one as well that I've been thinking about having modified.
I can image these galaxies with my C6-N Newtonian 750 focal length F-5? I check collimation each time I take it out. I have a 32mm, wide view. A 20mm TV Plossl 50 degree fov or should I use my 18mm orthoscopic Takahashi? I have a 10mm Ortho as well. I get my best views with the 18mm.
Not willing to go to the max with this astro thing. You are correct. Per Stellarium my 150-600mm lens won't get close at all. Thanks for the video though.
You can get some amazing stuff with your lens. If you got a beginner mount/tracker like me, for example the Sky Watcher Star Adventurer and your lens, you could get some breathtaking captures. For Galaxy Season for example Makarian’s Chain, M81 & M82, The Leo Triplet and kind of any target that Nick mentioned as "Top 5".
I just captured my very first image of a galaxy on Saturday. I tried to get a first glimpse of Bode's Galaxy (M81) and The Cigar Galaxy (M82) with my Tamron 70 - 300 mm lens with a crop sensor. So I went with 460 mm and got both galaxies in frame, along with NGC 3077 and NGC 2976. It's not a close-up and not so detailed, but I was able to get an amazing capture of them, in my opinion. Tell me if you wanna see it, so you could imagine what you could achieve with your gear. For later, summer to fall you should check out the Andromeda Galaxy and the Triangulum Galaxy, but even now you can get awesome images of the galaxies than can be seen now, in Galaxy Season. Are you sure, you put in your gear correctly in Stellarium? Maybe you also thing, that just these close-ups and very detailed photos of galaxies are amazing, but that's not right at all. These shots with smaller focal lenghts are amazing too. The feeling when I saw the first image on the back of the display, with the galaxies in frame. was just breathtaking and overwhelming. Even though the weren't very close, I got a great amount of detail in just 72 minutes worth of light. You definitely should give it a try and enjoy this beautiful feeling of capturing another galaxy. :)
@@juliencaptures I have the Adventurer Pro 2i. I don't use a crop sensor camera though. I have a Full Frame modified Nikon D810. That's where you can get the extra distance. I do have a 1.7X converter but can't imagine stopping down to f/12 to shoot. Using Stellarium on my PC at a FOV of 4.0 is equal to what I would be seeing with my lens at 600mm. According to the Nikon table on a website it lists all of the lens and FOV for each one on different Nikon cameras.
@@DLMVegas Okay, but you don't need the converter and stopping down to f/12. If you go with your 600 mm that's more than enough to capture some awesome galaxies. I guess with much more focal length you wouldn't get a good exposure time with the Star Adventurer. So just go with that lens without a converter and you should just be fine. I "just" have 460 mm and got a great image of M81 & M82, so give it a try. :)
@@juliencaptures Thanks for the response. I'll give it a try. I'm in Las Vegas but have my Bortle 4 and 2 areas to go to. I've permanently installed the L-Pro in my D810. Got Orion really clear in my backyard with 35 and 50mm lenses using that filter. I'll play with things if I ever get a clear night or no wind. Might happen Tues, Wed, Thurs this week. At least that's what the weather apps I have are saying.
@@juliencaptures A PS to the last post my backyard is Bortle 8 or 9.
Might be a silly question but what am I supposed to see with the naked eye through the telescope? (no astrophotography). I tried to look at the Leo Triplet with my Sky Watcher 130P for a long time and I could swear I was in the right area but still would only see stars and no trace of galaxies or anything :(
I was in a Bortle 4 area (although there was 1 stray white light nearby but I went behind the building so not sure if that's relevant) and obviously the sky was quite clear that day.
You should be seeing three smudges of light which are the galaxies.
Do I have any shot of seeing a galaxy with a DSLR and 200mm lens?
Yes, Makarian’s Chain is your friend! Check out the view in Stellarium
As Nick already mentioned, Makarian’s Chain is one great target for you in galaxy season (spring). The Andromeda Galaxy and the Triangulum Galaxy are two targets that are great for lenses with such a focal length, but these are targets for summer to fall.
M31 is easy with 200mm when its high in the sky,
Yes, whirlpool galaxy is good as its nice and bright too
@@TelfordO True, but it's not a target for Galaxy Season, unfortunately.
cries in australia
Haha apologies. I don’t know much about the southern sky!