Steve Paxton's photos

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gum_15 This is a colour photo with B/W camera. For those not sure a normal colour photo is with a normal colour Camera RGB (Red Green Blue). For those old enough to know film photography will know you can colour the B/W photo with filters this is very much the same principal used for Astro photography. For Astro photos there are two set of filters for a B/W camera LRGB equivalent of a normal colour camera. Then there are the filters that high light the Gasses that make up the Nebula's Ha O3 S2 for Hydrogen Oxygen & Sulphur . The filters are in a filter wheel that moves to the correct position of each filter and to focus on the Luminescence filter then back to the right filter. This can be put into the RGB format in a few ways this Photo Is HaS2O3 format in the RGB colour pallet. There is also the well know Hubble pallet as well S2HaO3. This was taken during our heat wave 40c+days and 33c nights, so the camera was run at -5c rather than -10c. The system was set to focus every hour during the photo session. This is my very first photo to this type of photo taking this way so an even bigger learning curve than normal colour camera. ZWOASI183MM -5c 60 shots 10 min each over 5 nights . Prima Luce Essato Focus , Ha O3 S2 Set of filters 60 of each, Skywatcher Black DiamondED80 OTA Skywatcher NEQ 6 Pro Hypertuned Guided PHD2, SGP Pixinsight, Ps Lr.

This is a 4 night Two panel shot join is in the middle of the two shots. As I am able to rotate the Nikon 300mm F4 prime on its lens clamp I marked the degrees so I could rotate to suit camera angle. once done I got an error reading each night 1.4 degrees. the two panels joined perfectly with next to no step between the two panels. I am impressed so much I am almost willing to for go the Auto Focus with the belt to be able to rotate the camera. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vela_Supernova_Remnant for those interested a bit more info in the link. Who can see the face in the shot. ZWOASI071MC -10c 90 shots per panel 600 secs, over 4 night camera rotated. ZWOEAF disconnected , Optolong LeNhance filter In filter draw, Nikon 300MM F4 D Lens, Skywatcher NEQ 6 Pro Hypertuned Guided PHD2, SGP Pixinsight, Ps & Lr.

Another of these country cottages. This one was packed with Roses and there scent was very strong in the sunlight. This week was a close call I have been unable to get on to Ipernity at all. I got a message to Erika but I did manage to work out my Web Browser Firefox did not want to work. Back on Chrome and the multitude of ADDS.

The name of this one how could I resist. Has been a cloud fight to get the shots over 4 night in very strong winds. this sits just below the Horse head nebula and just off the red ring that goes around Orion. Barnards loop the goes around half of the Orion area, Barnards loop I will wait for moon less night to try and get this target with my 50mm F1.8 lens ZWOASI071. QHY183C -10c 82 shots 10 min each over 4 nights and camera rotated. Prima Luce Essato Focus , Optolong LeNhance filter, Skywatcher Black DiamondED80 OTA Skywatcher NEQ 6 Pro Hypertuned Guided PHD2, SGP Pixinsight, Ps Lr.

On the same weekend we where Given some Mango wine and we picked up our box of Farm Fresh Mango's from Carnarvon. Sorry all YUM and all gone.......

This is a two panel shot of the area the middle being the Horse Head. The right side took three night the left side took two night. the difference was the tree next to the mount got pruned so the shots went to 4 am. This was my first trial of using the rotation marks and getting the cameras square to the shot all 5 night had the very same error 3.3 degrees within the 5 degree limit I had set. I watched each night to see if I had to change rotation. The two shots fitted together perfectly making this method very workable. This was the fav nebula of mine since I was a kid seeing the close up of the Horse on the red background. My only regret my father did not get to see this shot. QHY183C -10c 82 shots Each Panel 10 min each over 5 nights and camera rotated. Prima Luce Essato Focus , Optolong LeNhance filter, Skywatcher Black DiamondED80 OTA Skywatcher NEQ 6 Pro Hypertuned Guided PHD2, SGP Pixinsight, Ps Lr.

Dead center of the shot you can the start of the night Orion . The horse head nebula is on the bottom right corner of the Pot. At this stage you will have to wait till Saturday sunday to see the result but so far its looking quite amazing.

I have 4 walls one side shed(red) , one side fence(green) and two sides shade cloth 2.1m X 2.1m. This is to tackle the winds and cut the effect on the mount. computer is covered by a towel to hide the light from the screen as its seen from the road. It resides in a black plastic box that doubles as the storage box for all the gear. Due to the extreme heat of this month I have in the day a reflective cover as a roof over the whole area so the breeze can move below to cool all the equipment. To the South the City of Perth and a few high clouds. I have a small plastic bag on top covering all the electrical plugs from Dew. Between the Legs a cut plastic bag covering the power board and all the mains electrical, dew is a huge problem so its best to take a bit more care. Cables split in two set one that run the mount left side, in the middle those that run the rest of the equipment also split in to two lots to balance out the top of the mount. Camera has been manually rotated to fit the field of view. This is all made possible because of the Optolong LeNhance filter In filter draw that cut the light pollution. This is where all the photos come from. currently its taking the Horse Head nebula two panel panorama and 3 night shooting each panel. Mount is NEQ6 Pro typertuned Scope is Skywatcher ED80 Camera Is QHY183C

A very hard target as its not a very strong nebula . As Carlos and myself where doing the same target I suggested we go out into the country away from the city lights to see if it made any difference to the nebulocity. there are red patches inside and just below the head but not at all very strong only way to get more would be filters the only problem this time of year sun goes down late and up very early in winter I was getting 65 shot this time of year only 28 a night. QHY183C -10c 82 shots 15 min each over 4 nights 3 in the city one away from the city. Prima Luce Essato Focus , Optolong LeNhance filter, Skywatcher Black DiamondED80 OTA Skywatcher NEQ 6 Pro Hypertuned Guided PHD2, SGP Pixinsight, Ps Lr.

I have to leave to got to the bush for the night so in advance my apology, I have to open HFF 5 hours earlier than I normally would. I ask you to honor the times you normally would post.

We where warned it may get hot very quickly it got so hot you could not go outside. Note the temp just short of 45c. I stayed inside with the aircon running on low. I left the old thermometer I had from my tanning days outside on the glass table. For those in Europe who would never have believed this like myself here is the proof. To day was no better and metal outside could burn you quite well people even cooked eggs and cookies in the sunlight. The other down side to this is the fires that are burning close to Perth. The smoke hangs in the sky no breeze to blow it away we have not got clouds and maybe some rain. I normally leave my scope outside and camera I brought them in and the computer...

I got my mount back after the belt upgrade and tried the mount out. This was taken with quite a lot of moon light. such a lot of nebula's in this area. Don't even try to count the stars in this shot the number is staggering. This is a two shot vertical panorama taken by the Nikon 300mm F4D lens and also take on Auto focus. I had to rethink the formula to work out focus for a telescope and try and fit it to a lens. the normal step size was suppose to be 125 but I cut the step size to 40 and got auto focus to work. the mount is so much more sensitive I have had to learn how to balance again its so sensitive you have to balance with all heads loose to get perfect balance. also guiding had to be re set all the settings had to be fixed up again a lot of it turned out to be getting balance right. also its more sensitive to very strong winds ZWOASI071MC -10c 105 shots per panel 450 secs, over 4 night just after full moon. ZWOEAF with belt , Optolong LeNhance filter In filter draw, Nikon 300MM F4 D Lens, Skywatcher NEQ 6 Pro Hypertuned Guided PHD2, SGP Pixinsight, Ps & Lr.

This is on one of my native Bonsai's these are huge plants in nature mine is only 40Cm high this year theses tiny red flower best described as a buttery fly's mouth www.bgpa.wa.gov.au/images/horticulture/docs/pn_adenanthos_sericeus.pdf

During the past several years Lake Joondalup has been visited by up to three oriental honey buzzards. These beautiful large raptors normally reside in Russia, China and Japan, migrating down to South East Asia. Bird watchers from all around Australia have visited the area for the opportunity to see and photograph these majestic birds. A prime viewing area to sight these birds has been a large open area in the north west of Lake Joondalup. Whilst looking for the honey buzzards another twelve species of raptors have been recorded. As a consequence the site, located off the junction of Lakeside and Joondalup Drives, has been given the name of “Raptor Ridge” by birdos. Every one Enjoy your Christmas and weekend.

The 42 C day we had looks like it burnt all the flower petals. Up in our area there is only these 5 trees All of them look the same burnt dry by the sun.

As the heavy clouds where closing in I tried to get a shot of the three Planets and moon clears but not quite to be. the moon is further away from the planets and quite a bit fuller the very last of the daylight.