www.astrocafe.hk

I spent a week in Taiwan & back to HK last Saturday. This is the first time I did DSI abroad. Due to the bad weather in HK, I could practice one time using APM-TMB 80/600 for DSI before flew to Taiwan. viewtopic.php?f=17&t=365
I was so lucky that I tried this time the APM-TMB 80/480. This APM-TMB 80/480 was borrowed from another friend of mine. So I could get a rough idea of these two prestigious scopes’ performance in astrophotography.
Well! Our destination is Hehuan Mountain (合歡山). 社長 & I totally spent 7 days and 6 nights in Taiwan. We were resided in 觀星園 http://starry.nantou.com.tw/ and the attitude was about 2000m. At such altitude, there is no need to use air-conditioner and we even needed to use thick blankets during sleeping. From the balcony, we could clearly see that we were above the low altitude clouds (DSC_6310.jpg). However, there were still clouds & fogs above us. In the first night, we went to 小風口. We don’t have thermometer, but we guessed the temperature was below 10 degree. The sky condition was good. However, there were occasionally fogs & clouds. So we decided to change our imaging site to 武嶺, which is the highest site can be reached by cars. The corresponding altitude stated in武嶺’s stele is 3275m. Although it is next to the road & the light from cars were perturbing, we found that just a few hundred meters above 小風口, the fogs & clouds were below us! Altitude does matter! Finally we ended up with 6 consecutive overnights! This was really exhausting & every night we experience Acute Mountain Syndrome especially when we setup the equipment! We inevitably spent one afternoon to go massage in order to relieve our back pain & fatigue.
I supposed to take lots of photos. But the due to my inexperience, I wasted lots of time. I do remember, there was one night, all my photos were gone due to focusing problem! Anyway, this is a very good experience that I learn a lot about DSI. I am a novice in DSI and a DSI processing illiterate. All the photos in this post are below standard and I know it. I will keep on learning and keep on trying. Finally I would like to thank 社長 for solving so many technical problems, teaching me and arranging this trip for me!!!

Equipment list:
APM-TMB 80/480
TV 0.8X Reducer/Flattener
AstroTech Flattener (zero power)
Guide scope (modified Takahashi finder scope)
Canon 40D (Baader modified)
Canon 135mm f/2.0
Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8
HEQ5Pro
LVI I
Baader LPS-P2
Astronomic CLS clip-filter (CCD version)

Photographic details:
M31: (M31_APM80480_AstroTeach_4x10mins_2_1024.jpg)
APM-TMB 80/480
AstroTech zero power flattener
Baader LPS-P2
ISO 800
4x10mins
No flat field
No dark frame

North America Nebula: (North America Nebula _APM80480_AstroTech_6x4mins_PS_1024x768.jpg)
APM-TMB 80/480
AstroTech zero power flattener
Baader LPS-P2
ISO 800
6x4mins
No flat field
No dark frame

M13: (M13_APM80480_AstroTeach_9x6mins_2_centre.jpg)
APM-TMB 80/480
AstroTech zero power flattener
Baader LPS-P2
ISO 800
9x6mins
No flat field
No dark frame

Double Cluster: (Double Cluster _APM80480_TV0.8_2x3mins_3_1024.jpg)
APM-TMB 80/480
TV 0.8X Reducer/Flattener
Baader LPS-P2
ISO 800
2x3mins
No flat field
No dark frame

Rho Ophiuchi Nebula: (Rho Ophiuchi Nebula _135_PS_1024.jpg)
Canon 135mm f/2.0 @f/2.8
Astronomic CLS clip-filter (CCD version)
ISO 800
10x3mins
No flat field
No dark frame

Sagittarius M8 M20: (Sagittarius M8 M20_PS_1024.jpg)
Canon 135mm f/2.0 @f/2.8
Astronomic CLS clip-filter (CCD version)
ISO 800
8x3mins
No flat field
No dark frame

Scorpius M6 M7: (Scorpius M6 M7_135_PS_1024.jpg)
Canon 135mm f/2.0 @f/2.8
Astronomic CLS clip-filter (CCD version)
ISO 800
10x3mins
No flat field
No dark frame

Summer Triangle: (Summer Triangle_1116_PS_1024.jpg)
Tokina 11-16 f/2.8 @16mm & f/4
Astronomic CLS clip-filter (CCD version)
ISO 800
8x3mins
No flat field
No dark frame

Polaris, M31 and Double Cluster: (North East Polaris M31 Double_111616_7x3min_PS_1024.jpg)
Tokina 11-16 f/2.8 @16mm & f/3.5
Astronomic CLS clip-filter (CCD version)
ISO 800
7x3mins
No flat field
No dark frame

Milky Way: (IMG_9622_PS_25.jpg)
Tokina 11-16 f/2.8 @11mm & f/4
ISO 1600
30s
No flat field
No dark frame

Cont....

看到 Willis 這些作品，甚感欣慰，幾點感想：

- 你最初的三兩天的確遇到一些”技術問題”，但考慮到你是第一次正式拍深空，連對極軸也不太懂，現在看到樓上的照片，調焦準確、追蹤準確、曝光量合格、後期處理恰當，已超出很多”新手”的水平的。

- 最重要是有機會帶你去體驗高水平的星空，還記得午夜時份橫跨天頂，呈圓拱型的秋夏銀河? 除有少量地平光害外，十多度仰角以上已呈現銀河形態，那種體驗很多愛好者也難得一見的。

- Attitude does matter，現在你相信每天從清境坐車到武嶺是如何重要的了，否則若留在清境觀星園，只會有三兩天晴天，而天空級數也會兩三級以上。也感謝Henry安排司機。

- 回程拜訪rogerrao兄的大熊天文台，也是一種難得的閱歷，他的家居天文台，是多少天文愛好者的夢想啊?

- 注意那台是高橋40/240導星鏡，不是尋星鏡來的，我只是改了接目鏡方式讓 LVI 運作而已。

很期待，稍後有機會可以再次和你、xiaoer、David、Lewis甚至其他同好前往，跟台灣的各方友好相約山上觀星拍星。

Thanks 社長's comment! I learn a lot in this trip. My feeling is that:
1. Get the right equipment (Not necessarily expensive one)
2. Ask the right person
3. Do it on right time
Everyone can make a reasonable standard & repeatable photos.

I would like to thank Henry for lending us his HEQ5Pro & other equipment & arranging a Taxi for us!
I would like to also thank Roger's hospitality & the Rho Ophiuchi Nebula photo with his signature. His private observatory is a dream of most amateurs. , 社長 do u have any photos of his observatory?

Willis~~
請參考一下這裡
http://astro.freebbs.tw/viewthread.php? ... ra=&page=1

樓主提到
跟阿炫介紹上山的朋友借電子羅盤對北極星,北極星馬上就在極軸內,挺方便的

然後~~~這幾天就有幾個朋友來問我了~~我根本不知發生什麼事?哈哈哈~
是不是你啊?帶了什麼神兵利器?台灣朋友一直問我到底是什麼東西?

rogerrao 寫:Willis~~
請參考一下這裡
http://astro.freebbs.tw/viewthread.php? ... ra=&page=1

樓主提到
跟阿炫介紹上山的朋友借電子羅盤對北極星,北極星馬上就在極軸內,挺方便的

然後~~~這幾天就有幾個朋友來問我了~~我根本不知發生什麼事?哈哈哈~
是不是你啊?帶了什麼神兵利器?台灣朋友一直問我到底是什麼東西?

Thanks for telling! I found that ur homepage is even more useful! http://202.133.248.90/roger/ashen.asp

啊? Willis~你沒告訴我~那到底是什麼東西啊?

rogerrao 寫:啊? Willis~你沒告訴我~那到底是什麼東西啊?

Both 社長 & I didn't talk to any people in 武嶺。 May be someone saw me while I was using my mobile phone to locate stars. My mobile phone is a smart phone which uses Android as the operation system. The program I used is call "Google Star Map". All Android phones can run this program. It can help us to locate stars. The attached photo is my HTC Tattoo. In fact there are lots of Android phones can do it. Say HTC desire, Motorola X10, Samsung Galaxy S etc. u can browse this link for a demo of Google Star Map.
http://techcrunch.com/2009/05/12/google ... the-stars/

OK! Finished the color tuning of camera lenses photos. They are not redish now.

再一次看Willis的作品，

- M31仙女座大星系很美，讓人很有遐想，若能繼續累積更多曝光就好了

- 北美星雲表現力是很好的

- 應在香港再次挑戰一下 M13

- 星空調色盤有些遺憾，但從構圖看，這個光學組合及焦段可塑性很高的

很欣慰看到你首次正規出擊拍攝深空便有此成積，很明顯，調焦、追蹤、構圖、環境已不是任何阻礙，有很多愛好者在這幾點上隨時掙扎經年的，而你現時只餘個別濾鏡及系統組合、曝光等操控而已，可以想像，你下次出擊的作品水平會是相當高的

社長 寫:再一次看Willis的作品，

- M31仙女座大星系很美，讓人很有遐想，若能繼續累積更多曝光就好了

- 北美星雲表現力是很好的

- 應在香港再次挑戰一下 M13

- 星空調色盤有些遺憾，但從構圖看，這個光學組合及焦段可塑性很高的

很欣慰看到你首次正規出擊拍攝深空便有此成積，很明顯，調焦、追蹤、構圖、環境已不是任何阻礙，有很多愛好者在這幾點上隨時掙扎經年的，而你現時只餘個別濾鏡及系統組合、曝光等操控而已，可以想像，你下次出擊的作品水平會是相當高的

Thanks! I got this result is becasue u pointed out the basic but important points to me. And I follow what u said & do reflections. So... I make it! Anyway, I got pressure from u! I will try to improve, further improve & keep on improve!

Willis 兄,

看到你拍的M31真的漂亮!!!

有機會的話, 也想用小鏡導導看.

讚啦!!!

小李 寫:Willis 兄,

看到你拍的M31真的漂亮!!!

有機會的話, 也想用小鏡導導看.

讚啦!!!

謝謝李兄的欣賞！小弟能這麼怏掌握深空拍攝的技巧，都是社長的工勞。另外，那支40mm小導星鏡是由Takahashi尋星鏡改裝成，物主是社長。現在比較難在方間找到的了。不過你可問問社長。

willis 寫:

小李 寫:Willis 兄,

看到你拍的M31真的漂亮!!!

有機會的話, 也想用小鏡導導看.

讚啦!!!

謝謝李兄的欣賞！小弟能這麼怏掌握深空拍攝的技巧，都是社長的工勞。另外，那支40mm小導星鏡是由Takahashi尋星鏡改裝成，物主是社長。現在比較難在方間找到的了。不過你可問問社長。

其實若能製作這樣一支導星鏡，效果會很好的：

viewtopic.php?f=9&t=421

我很鼓勵有自己加工能力的同好自己製作，因為很容易的，方法及設計也公開的，這批只是造出來給不便自行製作的同好。

當然若有60口徑，200出頭焦距的尋星鏡，內置一個2x巴羅及用這種L型鋁角支架，效果也是很好的，除非攝星鏡焦距更長，否則我不建議超越這個指標了。

Willis，你的照片都很棒，根本看不出来你是新手