MOONRISE SEQUENCE AND MOON TRAIL

I had shot a sequence of the rising moon during Leonids 2011 to make a time-lapse movie. I captured 65 images and then made a time-lapse movie using the Picasa Image Editor. At that time I had no idea how to create a star trail. I loved to see images of star trails by other astrophotographers but never attempted to learn how to create them.  Yesterday I downloaded software called “Star Trails Version 1.1” for a free and tried for the first time to create star trails. I had not any sequence of images taken earlier except the one I shot the rising moon during Leonids. After using it and creating different images I found the software is very easy to use. I made a sequence of the rising moon and also a moon trail!

Comet Garradd Close to Messier 92

Comet C/2009 P1 Garradd was just 36' SSW of the beautiful Globular Cluster Messier 92 in Hercules on the morning of 3rd February 2012. To capture it in my camera I used sky-watcher 102mm short-tube refractor on EQ5 mount. The mount wasn’t operated with motors to take longer exposure but I decided to take few images of shorter exposure with high ISO and later stack them using the deep sky stacker.

Camera: Canon EOS 550D

Telescope: Sky-watcher 102mm f/5 refractor

Mount: EQ5 without motors

Exposure: 13x4 seconds at ISO 3200

I guided the telescope manually keeping my eye in the view finder and keeping the globular cluster in the centre of the cross hair. I had to re-centre the cluster every time I take another shot!

COMET GARRADD'S CLOSE ENCOUNTER WITH MESSIER 92

Comet Garradd's locations near M92 from Feb 1 to Feb 6

On February 3^rd early morning the bright comet C/2009 P1 Garradd will be just 36’ SSW of the beautiful Globular Cluster M92 in Hercules. It will be a good opportunity for astrophotographers to capture this close encounter of a comet and globular cluster.