Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie
Hi there,
There is an issue with role permissions that is being worked on at the moment.
If you are having trouble with access or permissions on regional forums please post here to get access: https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058365403/you-do-not-have-permission-for-that#latest

Telescope for Astrophotography

  • 07-11-2010 5:49pm
    #1
    melon_collie
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 414 ✭✭


    I was looking for some advice. I'm trying to get back into astronomy after a few years away from it. I want to try my hand at a bit of astrophotography but I'm not sure about the best way to go about it. I have an old 9" telescope at home. It's a big old heavy thing must have been made in Germany or Russia because it weighs a tonne! It's an excellent scope but it wouldn't be suitable for long exposure photography. I saw a second hand Meade LDX 75 for €300 and I'm interested in it but I want a bit of advice on this. It's a 6 inch newtonian with drive and goto system. Would this be a good scope for astrophotography or should I get one with a larger aperature? Would it be possible to do long exposures on this scope? Would an old SLR 50mm film camera be the best camera to use for this? I would really appreciate your views. Thanks


Comments

  • #2
    peterako
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 720 ✭✭✭peterako


    Hi Melon_Collie!

    The main thing you'll 'need' for astrophotography is some sort of tracking mount.

    A simple German Equatorial Mount (GEM) with RA tracking is fine.

    A Goto can be better.

    Basically a way for your 'camera' to stay pointing towards the object you're capturing as generally you want to take a 'picture' over a large enough time that the object (or rather we) will have moved significantly while you're doing so.

    After that....depends on what you want to do! A good camera on that mount would give good Deep Sky pics.
    A webcam on a decent aperture scope would give good Planetary pics etc....

    A DSLR is the preferred weapon for deep sky. And a CCD webcam for planetary (speaking very generally!).

    What are you doing with th 9" Scope?

    NOW....I'm a relative beginner :)
    But am, too, interested in astrophotography :)

    Clear skies,
    Peter


  • #3
    hal9000
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 933 ✭✭✭hal9000


    hoping to get into astrophotography myself (waits patiently for t-ring to arrive & clear skies :rolleyes:), might be a nice idea to have a sticky with boardies astro photos and setup.


  • #4
    Plug
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,248 ✭✭✭Plug


    hal9000 wrote: »
    hoping to get into astrophotography myself (waits patiently for t-ring to arrive & clear skies :rolleyes:), might be a nice idea to have a sticky with boardies astro photos and setup.
    Good idea with the sticky.

    I might invest in nex image.


Advertisement