Archive for March, 2012


ALP Philippine Messier Marathon Open 2012

Filed under: Astrophotography, Deep-Sky Object (DSO), Events, Observation, Stargazing, Visual — Leave a comment
March 25, 2012

The Philippine Messier Marathon Open is an annual star party conducted under the dark clear skies of Caliraya, Laguna, where astronomy-enthusiasts in the country gather to observe and meet fellow enthusiasts. This event hosted by the Astronomical League of the Philippines is by far the largest star party and astro-gathering in the Philippines.

The highlight of the event is the Messier Marathon where astro-enthusiasts attempt to observe and identify all the 110 m-objects in just one night. This image was taken earlier today, March 25, 2012, at sunrise. For more info, click here.

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DSLR for Astrophotography

Filed under: Astrophotography, Camera, DSLR Camera, Equipment, Long-Exposure Photography, Prime Focus, Telescope, Wide-field — 4 Comments
March 20, 2012

A DSLR now serves as my dedicated camera for astrophotography, which may be used with typical camera lenses for wide-field shots of celestial objects, or may be mounted onto a telescope for closeup shots of galaxies and nebulas. Read more.

Canon450Dwith18-55mmlensandBattgrip

Canon 450D with 18-55 mm zoom lens

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IR-modified Canon PowerShot S3IS

Filed under: Afocal, Camera, DIY Astronomy Project, Equipment, Long-Exposure Photography, Point-and-Shoot Camera — Leave a comment
March 19, 2012

The modification involves physically removing the “hot plate”, a kind of filter that blocks infrared light. Manufacturers install it in cameras in order to correct for the reddish hue inherent to CCD or CMOS sensors. Removing such filter makes the camera more sensitive to IR and as well as H-alpha wavelengths, which is particularly useful in deep-sky photography.

Canon S3IS point-and-shoot camera modified for astrophotography (afocal imaging)

Read more.

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Eyepieces

Filed under: Equipment, Eyepiece Projection, Observation, Stargazing, Telescope, Visual — Leave a comment
March 18, 2012

Eyepieces are essential parts of a telescope. With different eyepieces, different zoom levels may be achieved. Eyepieces are interchangeable, and thus, may be used from one scope to another. It is always advisable to invest on a good one, since you may still be able to use it in case you have finally decided to upgrade and buy a new and larger telescope.

New telescopes are usually supplied with 2 eyepieces, one is ‘hi-power’, which will show zoomed-in views, great for close-up views of planets, the other one is a ‘low-power’, which shows zoomed-out views, intended for observing deep-sky objects. Below are eyepieces supplied in one of my telescopes:

Pair of eyepieces, one low-power (left), one hi-power (right)

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Astronomy Need Not Be Expensive: DIY Astro-Projects

Filed under: Astrophotography, DIY Astronomy Project, Equipment, Telescope — Leave a comment
March 16, 2012

Being in this hobby since 2003, I have learned a few astro-modification projects which you may also find useful in improving your current imaging setup. Astronomy need not be expensive! Even the modest do-it-yourself (DIY) equipment will produce outputs comparable (and I must say, in certain instances, better) to commercially available counterparts. The key to optimum performance is proper tweaking of your equipment. Feel free to browse through some of the DIY astronomy projects here.

An improvised telescope I built for the Venus transit in 2004 made from an old pair of binoculars, some PVC pipes, and the lens of a laser pointer. You might want to build one too, for the upcoming transit in June :)

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Jupiter and Venus Conjunction March 15, 2012

Filed under: Astrophotography, Conjunction, DSLR Camera, Naked-Eye Astronomy, Observation, Planets, Visual — Leave a comment
March 16, 2012

Thick clouds could not stop Jupiter and Venus from putting up an impressive conjunction earlier today. Image taken at the PAGASA Astronomical Observatory in Quezon City, Philippines. For more images of conjunctions, click here.

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