AstroAF

Hey everyone! I had to re-publish my solar mosaic video due to some technical problems with the initial publishing!

If you’ve ever wanted to create a full-disk solar mosaic, this astrophotography tutorial walks through my complete pre-processing and mosaic workflow using a 13-panel solar dataset.

Beginning with stacked panels from AstroSurface, I’ll demonstrate how I prepare each panel for assembly, maintain a consistent appearance across the entire mosaic, and bring everything together into a seamless full-disk image. Along the way I’ll cover the role each application plays in the workflow, from enhancing fine solar detail in ImPPG, to final contrast adjustments in PixInsight, and ultimately merging and finishing the mosaic in Photoshop.

Cheers!
Doug

#astrophotography #solar #solarmosaic #solarastrophotography #solarimaging #sun #sunspots #daystar #daystards60 #playeroneastronomy #mars662m #svbony #sharpcap #astrosurface #imppg #pixinsight #photoshop #tutorial #astronomy #astroaf

1 week ago | [YT] | 4

AstroAF

Full-disk with panels solar mosaic This composition is composed of 13 individual panels captured at 108 fps with the Mars 662M in SharpCap. The final image was created by stacking the best 50% of 60,000 frames.

Equipment
DayStar DS60
‪@playeroneastronomy2772‬ Mars 662M
‪@svbonyoptics‬ UV/IR Cut Filter

Workflow:
Capture: SharpCap
AstroSurface
ImPPG
PixInsight
Photoshop

#astrophotography #solar #sun #solarmosaic #solarastrophotography #solarimaging #daystar #daystards60 #playeroneastronomy #mars662m #svbony #sharpcap #astrosurface #imppg #pixinsight #photoshop #sunspots #astronomy #astroaf

2 weeks ago | [YT] | 8

AstroAF

Edge is back on the pier, setup and balanced. Just alignment remaining. Supposed to be a really nice night. It is about 30c and 74%Hu coming in to dusk. I have a couple more nights on current project, gathering some narrow band to top off. Mosquitoes are a player, going to have to wear sweats and long sleeves in the heat for rest of summer astro.
Clear skies!

Cheers!
Doug

2 weeks ago | [YT] | 21

AstroAF

Hey everyone! Here's my Hercules Constellation and Surrounding Region image from my latest video of my Fully Automated Widefield rig:
https://youtu.be/Qi5wQOz0AEw?si=9QHAa...

This image captures a sweeping view of the Hercules constellation and its surrounding region, placing one of the night sky’s most recognizable constellations into its broader celestial context. Rather than focusing on a single deep-sky object, the widefield perspective reveals the intricate tapestry of stars that defines this area of the sky, while the Great Hercules Globular Cluster (M13) appears as a small but unmistakable beacon nestled within the constellation. The result is a view that emphasizes both the scale of Hercules and the vastness of the stellar landscape that surrounds it.

Gear and Image Info:
Hercules Constellation
Rokinon EF 14mm f/2.8
ZWO EF Filter Drawer
‪@optolongastronomyfilter1999‬ Optolong UV/IR
ZWO ASI533MC Pro
‪@astroasis2020‬ Astroasis Oasis Autofocuser

2 Hours - 300sec Unguided

Equipment Which Was Featured:
(Affiliate Links Help Support this Channel - At no additional cost to you!):
• Rokinon 14mm f/2.8 ED Cannon EF
• ZWO ASI533MC Pro ➤ bit.ly/3pTQh4u
• ZWO Canon EF Filter Drawer ➤ bit.ly/4vwhSoG
• Astroasis Oasis Autofocuser ➤ www.astroasis.com/en/focuser/44.html
• Custom PA6-CF Printed Mounting Rings
• Losmandy D Plate ➤ amzn.to/4uTryZd
• Arca Swiss Accessory Rail ➤ amzn.to/3Stvr9Y

Cheers!
Doug

#astrophotography #widefield #hercules #herculesconstellation #m13 #globularcluster #deepsky #deepskyastrophotography #astronomy #nightsky #nightscape #starfield #constellation #space #cosmos #amateurastronomy #astrophoto #astroimaging #longexposure #astroaf

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3 weeks ago | [YT] | 12

AstroAF

Hey everyone! New video published!
Astrophotography continues to evolve, and one of the projects I’ve been most excited about has been building a fully automated ultra-widefield imaging system around a manual Rokinon 14mm lens.

In this video I walk through the complete build of my new widefield astrophotography rig, from a fully disassembled collection of components to the finished imaging system mounted and ready for the night sky. Along the way we’ll discuss the design decisions behind the build, achieving the correct Canon EF backfocus, custom PA6-CF printed mounting rings, integrating a ZWO ASI533MC Pro cooled astronomy camera, ZWO FD-EOS filter drawer, Astroasis (‪@astroasis2020‬) Oasis autofocus system, and preparing the rig for NINA automation.

Cheers!
Doug

#astrophotography #widefield #widefieldastrophotography #rokinon14mm #asi533mcpro #zwo #astroasis #oasis #nina #pixinsight #astronomy #deepsky #deepskyastrophotography #hercules #herculesconstellation #m13 #astroaf #diyastro #astrocamera #astrophotographyrig #longexposure #nightsky #space #amateurastronomy #telescope

3 weeks ago | [YT] | 5

AstroAF

I've decided to get into night time cloud imaging, that way I can image nearly every night! 😉

4 weeks ago | [YT] | 31

AstroAF

Hey Everyone! Here's my final image from my latest video..
Decomposing Medusa Nebula | Looking Deeper At Your Astrophotography Data
https://youtu.be/HFEuOQSLgQg

The Medusa Nebula (Abell 21 / Sharpless 2-274) is an ancient planetary nebula located roughly 1,500 light-years away in the constellation Gemini. Formed from the outer layers of a dying star ~10,000 years ago, its tangled filaments and shell-like structure create one of the most fascinating narrowband targets in the night sky.

Image Details:
Object: Medusa Nebula (Abell 21 / Sharpless 2-274)
Constellation: Gemini
Acquisition: SHO Narrowband
Camera: Player One Artemis-M Pro
Telescope: Celestron EdgeHD 8 with Reducer
Mount: Sky-Watcher HEQ5 Pro
Processing: PixInsight & Photoshop

Integration 22h 30m:
Ha: 27 × 900s = 6h 45m
OIII: 27 × 900s = 6h 45m
SII: 36 × 900s = 9h 0m

‪@playeroneastronomy2772‬ Artemis-M Pro | Xena 585M
‪@astroasis2020‬ Oasis Filter Wheel and Focuser
‪@CelestronDotCom‬ EdgeHD 8 (.7x 1440mm) | OAG
‪@SkyWatcherUSA‬ HEQ5 Pro
‪@svbonyoptics‬ SV227 SHO 5nm Filters

Captured in NINA
Processed in Pixinsight

Cheers!
Doug

#astrophotography, #medusanebula, #abell21, #sh2-274, #planetarynebula, #sho, #narrowband, #narrowbandastrophotography, #pixinsight, #deepskyastrophotography, #astronomy, #spacephotography, #astroimaging, #imageprocessing, #hydrogenalpha, #oiii, #sii, #gemini, #astroaf, #diffractionspikes, #playeronecamera, #edgehd8, #deepskyobject, #amateurastronomy, #astrophotographyprocessing

1 month ago (edited) | [YT] | 20

AstroAF

Hey Friends! New video published.
Astrophotography is often taught as a sequence of image processing steps:
Do this. Click that. Apply this process.
But real image processing rarely works that way.

Every image presents different challenges, different opportunities, and different decisions. The most valuable part of the process isn’t memorizing a workflow. It’s learning how to interpret the data and make informed choices.

Rather than building an image of the Medusa Nebula from scratch, we’re going to work backwards through the finished result and decompose it into the individual components that shaped the final image.

We’ll examine:
• The contributions of Sulfur, Hydrogen, and Oxygen data
• Why some structures became focal points during processing
• How individual channels reveal different physical features of the nebula
• The importance of testing assumptions rather than forcing a result
• How data-driven decisions influence the final image

Cheers!
Doug

#astrophotography, #medusanebula, #abell21, #sh2-274, #planetarynebula, #sho, #narrowband, #narrowbandastrophotography, #pixinsight, #deepskyastrophotography, #astronomy, #spacephotography, #astroimaging, #imageprocessing, #hydrogenalpha, #oiii, #sii, #gemini, #astroaf, #diffractionspikes, #playeronecamera, #edgehd8, #deepskyobject, #amateurastronomy, #astrophotographyprocessing

1 month ago | [YT] | 1

AstroAF

New mounting ring kit in-progress, fabricating out of Polycarbonate.. More to come :-)
Cheers!
Doug

#Astrophotography #AstrophotographyGear #3DPrinting #AmateurAstronomy #DeepSkyImaging #HomeObservatory #AstroInfrastructure

1 month ago (edited) | [YT] | 6