The pic is simply amazing !!! http://picasaweb.google.com/airbornecoscom/Dec30Atgaon?feat=directlink#5286896484477716418
--- On Sat, 1/3/09, anuragshevade <anurag...@yahoo.com> wrote:
From: anuragshevade <anurag...@yahoo.com>
Subject: [majestic_universe] Star Trails from Atgaon
To: majestic...@yahoogroups.com
Date: Saturday, January 3, 2009, 4:21 PM
Hi All!
The Atgaon observing trip with Amar,Satish & vaibhav on 30th Dec was
indeed a visual treat being under crystal clear dark sky.But it was
bit unfortunate in terms of tracked astrophotos because i forgot to
pick the finder bracket of my Barn Door mount which was removed to
allow it to fit in bag & lessen the possibility of poking sharp parts
while travelling.So no perfect polar alignment was to be expected.
As a solution,We tried taping the finder temporarily. It wasn't
accurate or rigid enough & wasting a few tens of shots in drift
alignment was difficult in that discouragingly cold conditions &
encouraging visual observations ongoing simultaneously.
Later on,under pressure from fellow stargazers persuading to move
indoors & the no-tracking condition,we retired @ midnight to have tea
break & some sleep.Before moving in,i aimed camera @ pole star & left
it unattended to capture 30 second shots @ 28mm/f-3.5,ISO1600.
The superb skies rendered too many stars & the foreground trees were
almost pitch black.When we returned in the morning,all the equipments
were heavily dewed & it was so wet as if someone has poured water over
my nice dslr.
Thankfully Canon cameras are very rugged.Before the battery going
dead; it had taken 294 shots!But all the shots after 140 were useless
due to dewed optics.
I composited that 70 minute worth data into single exposure using
startrails software & final result can be seen on foll url.Also note
the difference in sky color from comparison shot of single 811 sec.
exposure polar trail taken from hilltop near Paali[A place famous for
Ganesh temple in Ashtavinayak series].
http://tinyurl. com/8ututz
or
http://picasaweb. google.com/ airbornecoscom/ Dec30Atgaon#
P.S.-
In visual observation, Amar has posted the report reg what we observed
from Atgaon.Just 1 more addition in that list was my beloved Flame
Nebula[NGC 2024].It was easily visible through 10x50 binoculars in the
form of bright haze to one side of Alnitak[zeta Ori].Crisscrossing
lanes inside nebula were seen with 20x80 binocs.I looked for horsehead
nebula on opposite side of star but couldn't see.
Wishing u all Happy New Year & hoping more clear skies in IYA 09!
Cheers
-Anurag
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