[MikeA]

Here is another interesting Object in the constellation of Camelopardalis, the planetary nebula NGC 1501. Its size is only 0.9x0.8 arc min. but it shows a mixture of waves which resemble small bubbles. The blue color makes this nebula look like a true gem in the sky. It is estimated that the distance to NGC 1501 from Earth is about 5 000 light years. Another interesting feature is the central star is a pulsating one and its brightness varies periodically.

Nikon D7500a, Nikon 600mm f/4 + 2x TC (1800mm f/8), ISO 1600, 1h 15 min. (5 min. each image)

lg

Mike

You can only see EXIF info for this image if you are logged in.

 

[Nasos Kosmas]

Another interesting capture, keep on!

 

[MikeA]

Another interesting capture, keep on!

Thank you!

 

[Russ4750]

Very nice, Mike! Great website, too.

You've probably mentioned in an earlier post, but I'm wondering what tracking drive you're currently using with your 600mm lens. There's too much light pollution in Chicago for serious deep sky photography, but tonight's upcoming lunar eclipse has me thinking again about tracking drives appropriate for my 600mm f/4 lens.

 

[MikeA]

Very nice, Mike! Great website, too.

You've probably mentioned in an earlier post, but I'm wondering what tracking drive you're currently using with your 600mm lens. There's too much light pollution in Chicago for serious deep sky photography, but tonight's upcoming lunar eclipse has me thinking again about tracking drives appropriate for my 600mm f/4 lens.

Thank you Russ! The 600mm is a heavy lens. so you need a serious mount with tracking to get pinpoint stars. Mine is a Gemini42 I bought decades ago but I do not think they produce them any more.
See my website:

https://www.androsch.info/equipment

For the partial lunar eclipse you probably do not need tracking, since it is bright enough and you can reduce the shutter spreed sufficiently to get sharp images with a sturdy tripod.

 

[viper699]

I’ve only shot astro once to test out a small focal lens for a wide view.

Do you think my z180-600mm mounted on my z8 would work as well for deep astro? Not sure how well a TC for Astro would work on this lens with my body.

I tend to favor the Milky Way type of images, but your image above has given me pause to reconsider.

 

[MikeA]

I’ve only shot astro once to test out a small focal lens for a wide view.

Do you think my z180-600mm mounted on my z8 would work as well for deep astro? Not sure how well a TC for Astro would work on this lens with my body.

I tend to favor the Milky Way type of images, but your image above has given me pause to reconsider.

It might work just as well as my 600mm f/4, but I'm not sure.

I am on an astronomy website too and there everyone advised me against using the Nikon tele or any kind of tele for astro - too many lenses inside, some bad experiences i.e. with a Cannon 500mm f/4 etc., better to use a designated astro scope....

But the optical quality of my 600mm f/4 - even with the TC - surprised me and everyone else there too. A really high quality scope with 150mm diameter like the 600mm f/4 (I have an older 4" f/6.4 TMB scope with 100mm, that does not compare optically to the Nikon!) costs a lot too, so I was very happy to have both worlds, animal/nature and astro in one lens.

The body is another question. My D850 is unmodified for astrophotography and the problem is, most of red color is filtered out before photons hit the sensor. Much of the red emission nebula (H-alpha emission) is missing. I therefore got myself an D7500a, an astro modified Nikon body in a designated astronomy gear shop, where the filter in front of the sensor for daytime photography is removed and substituted with an IR/UV-cut filter. Here is a comparison of nebula with both cameras.

D850, trying to bring out the red in processing got me a lot of artifacts in the background and in the object (Abell 84), not a good result:

You can only see EXIF info for this image if you are logged in.

D7500a and what such a planetary should really look like!

You can only see EXIF info for this image if you are logged in.

Hope that helps,

Mike

 

[Russ4750]

Thank you Russ! The 600mm is a heavy lens. so you need a serious mount with tracking to get pinpoint stars. Mine is a Gemini42 I bought decades ago but I do not think they produce them any more.
See my website:

https://www.androsch.info/equipment

For the partial lunar eclipse you probably do not need tracking, since it is bright enough and you can reduce the shutter spreed sufficiently to get sharp images with a sturdy tripod.

Thanks, Mike. I found the Gemini42 on your website, but an internet search didn't turn up much current info on that model, so I wasn't sure if it was still the one you're using.

Yes, I've had success photographing lunar eclipses without a tracking mount, but thought a lunar eclipse might be an easy target to practice on and hopefully be prepared for more challenging subjects, such as the next good comet (if I can escape to a dark enough site). I did shoot some unimpressive photos of Comet Neowise with the 600mm f/4 from the roof of our building in Chicago a few years ago without a tracking mount, so have been thinking a mount would be the logical next step.

 

[viper699]

It might work just as well as my 600mm f/4, but I'm not sure.

I am on an astronomy website too and there everyone advised me against using the Nikon tele or any kind of tele for astro - too many lenses inside, some bad experiences i.e. with a Cannon 500mm f/4 etc., better to use a designated astro scope....

But the optical quality of my 600mm f/4 - even with the TC - surprised me and everyone else there too. A really high quality scope with 150mm diameter like the 600mm f/4 (I have an older 4" f/6.4 TMB scope with 100mm, that does not compare optically to the Nikon!) costs a lot too, so I was very happy to have both worlds, animal/nature and astro in one lens.

The body is another question. My D850 is unmodified for astrophotography and the problem is, most of red color is filtered out before photons hit the sensor. Much of the red emission nebula (H-alpha emission) is missing. I therefore got myself an D7500a, an astro modified Nikon body in a designated astronomy gear shop, where the filter in front of the sensor for daytime photography is removed and substituted with an IR/UV-cut filter. Here is a comparison of nebula with both cameras.

D850, trying to bring out the red in processing got me a lot of artifacts in the background and in the object (Abell 84), not a good result:

View attachment 108935

D7500a and what such a planetary should really look like!

View attachment 108937

Hope that helps,

Mike

Thanks. justt as I had hit send I remembered the red wavelengths, and would need an astro modified body. Thanks, that's a huge difference.

Also good to know on tele vs prime, that makes sense too!

On your site, that dragonfly shot is incredible looking!