Steve Paxton's photos

This was my first trial with Nina to do a panorama. In the program it has the capability to plate solve the camera position and then change the view to match the camera angle. I did this with 6 panels but decided to add three more wider but the very big thing I did not plate solve the added. So this is only three wide by two deep as the extra panels where way off line. in the shot below its the area at the top of the shot in the PiP I have decided to start again and do it properly and correctly. while this was only a nights worth of shots per panel for detail it would be far better 2 nights. ZWOASI071MC Pro -10c 34 shot 10 min MeLE Mini PC Prima Luce Essato Focus Optolong LeNhance filter, Skywatcher Black DiamondED80 OTA Skywatcher NEQ 6 Pro SVbony 50MM Guide scope QHY QHY5L-II-M Guide camera Guided PHD2, Nina Pixinsight, Ps PTGui.

The huge crowd of people who came at this point it was the start of giving out the prizes for the categories on those 38 photos. three of the award went to our group of photographers Carlos Taylor taking out Deep Space And the top prize of Peoples award with the stunning center photo of the Statue of Liberty. Lunar Planetary Solar Comet Phone photography Deep space Wide field (Earth bound Milky Way) Schools award (children Starting Deep Space or wide field) Peoples award

The day was thick clouds and light rain, Each of those white boxes out there was suppose to be surrounded by telescopes, none where ever put up. 30 min to set up and take down no way with that rain and cloud cover. You can see by the PIP where I was suppose to be for the night and the photos in order I was to take for the exhibition..

this was the total entrants that where submited only 38 where chosen from those, one being mine. If you follow the Pi P you can see my photos 5 last at the bottom and three at the first of next board

The inner working on Nina , EACH square has the info that makes up this type of photography. Below is a very fast overview of the imaging tab the blue circle far left edge of photo. screen is roughly 9 boxes 1. Top left is information about the camera Running at -10 2. below that is data from the Focuser position , 17.3C outside. 3. Next box down data about the mount and its position in the sky. 4. Middle box is the stacked photo made up of 143 photos . 5. to the right of the middle box you can see the focus curve and its data. 6. Below that you can see the target position in the sky relative to sunset left and sunrise to go with that there is a dotted line that show where the mount is on the night journey. 7. Top Right is the manual box for taking a photo manually. 8. The box below is the sequence steps the blue square is the stop button to stop the sequence manually. 9. The graph below that is the PHD-2 Guiding graph. At the very bottom you can see a green box that is the shot time of the camera in this case 65% of a 2 min shot. Also on the bottom flashes up the stacking steps what is happening to that photo till it get to the stack. The photo shows the edges of each photo as its stacked as its is put in place the green line around is the data that will be lost from the movement of dithering each photo. you always have to crop a small amount each side of the shot to get a clean edge and not show stacking artefacts.

I was suggested my target I had chosen was good one but at astro fest no one is going to hang around to see a 10min shot. So I went for the area next the Star bank in the Large Magellanic cloud ( blueish area to the left.) . The other advantage in live stacking the colour chip in this camera shows up when stacked. I tested out the sequence before I went live at astrofest. Its looking like this year is only indoors Saturday is Rain and total cloud cover. Oh well I got to learn a little more about Nina and the shot gets seen even though its not live. Part of doing the sequence the photos get saved in the stack from my trial night and the night at astrofest would only add to the stack but a better looking photo from all the combined shots. The PIPS show closer detail from the QHY183 of the same area. ZWOASI071MC Pro -10c 134 shot 2 min MeLE Mini PC Prima Luce Essato Focus Optolong LeNhance filter, Skywatcher Black DiamondED80 OTA Skywatcher NEQ 6 Pro SVbony 50MM Guide scope QHY QHY5L-II-M Guide camera Guided PHD2, Nina Pixinsight, Ps.

A pleasant afternoons walk... part of the board walk

www.irida-observatory.org/Namibia-Tivoli/NGC1955-68/NGC1955-68.htm I set out to create my own Sequence in Nina and get use to it so it all runs smoothly at Astrofest. I struck a few problems I was sent a Mono Chip for this camera so no matter what I do the Live stack comes out 15 shade of grey even though it a colour camera. I found out at close to meridian The wires are pinching tight causing the camera to cause star trails. This is stacked removing the trailed photos sadly my third night was cut short by clouds rolling in at midnight so I could not see if final lay out worked but guiding certainly was better. Looking at this area It is so interesting I will do after astrofest a panorama of the area. This is part of the Large Magellaninc Cloud but not a part I have shot before at the top part of the shot below. QHY183C -10c 90 shot 10 min MeLE Mini PC Prima Luce Essato Focus Optolong LeNhance filter, Skywatcher Black DiamondED80 OTA Skywatcher NEQ 6 Pro SVbony 50MM Guide scope QHY QHY5L-II-M Guide camera Guided PHD2, Nina Pixinsight, Ps.

When my brother in law said we have a big job to do. A fire like this in WA is not the usual you have to have 4 PERMITS from 4 different bodies that has to be all sourced ahead of time. On the day you have to make 4 Phone calls to let them all know the fire is going ahead. This started out as 6 piles of cut down trees spread out in the orchard then it grew to all the old wood on the property. 40 odd years of farming all being burnt Olive Trees, Peach, Lemon and very big Mulberry. We started 8 am finished well past 9 pm at night stoking the fire to get the wood all burnt The fire could not be left over night unattended and There had to be a hose ready to go in case on the ground behind me. Happy to say the day went off with out a problem but some times I let the fire die down a bit before adding more wood as just beyond that fence brown dry grass. To say it was a hot day would be a total understatement look at the fence behind the flames.

This will be my second Target at Astro fest the two white Nebula's are a very distinctive shape and look very good stacked as the shots are taken. NGC346 Always reminds me of the personal fly suit that people use of high places and the Hexagonal NGC371. Nina has worked so far flawlessly. I was reminded most people would not watch for ten min so had to search for a new 2min target so I will start the night with the lagoon nebula as it falls in the sky. This is still Part of the Small Magellanic Cloud as 47 Tucanae is. QHY183C -10c 90 shot 10 min MeLE Mini PC Prima Luce Essato Focus Optolong LeNhance filter, Skywatcher Black DiamondED80 OTA Skywatcher NEQ 6 Pro SVbony 50MM Guide scope QHY QHY5L-II-M Guide camera Guided PHD2, Nina Pixinsight, Ps.

The night we went out in the dark I only got this at Sunset as I had to set up the mount ready for the night. SEEN way better days to the left in front of the tree on the panorama. Sorry I worked all day friday 6:3am to 7 pm burning tree cuttings you will see it next week got home so stuffed went to bed.

I am again a live exhibit at this months Astro fest . First real true full sequence on Nina, also one night it was set off to go on its own as I was not home worked flawlessly. Unlike all other years where we where given a target to shoot we have been asked to sort out a target ourselves. NGC456 is the small part just off the Small Magellanic cloud. It looked a good target but when its processed and in shooting and live stacking it does not really show up so have canned the target. If you look at the photo below NGC456 is top right of the shot. As my next idea is the two white targets on the right hand arm of the SMC two very distinctive shapes. QHY183C -10c 90 shot 10 min MeLE Mini PC Prima Luce Essato Focus Optolong LeNhance filter, Skywatcher Black DiamondED80 OTA Skywatcher NEQ 6 Pro SVbony 50MM Guide scope QHY QHY5L-II-M Guide camera Guided PHD2, Nina Pixinsight, Ps.

Mum made sure sleep stopped as the Cygnet got left behind by a Call. australian.museum/learn/animals/birds/black-swan

Enjoying the Sunshine to get dry before the next fishing session. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cormorant

A pair of Welcome swallows landed right behind me as I was taking the Heron. You can see why it a good idea to adjust the Focus point of the lens IN camera to the right place, focused on the eye. birdlife.org.au/bird-profile/welcome-swallow

Mum and Dad ( Just to left) Together with the New Cygnets. australian.museum/learn/animals/birds/black-swan