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Sky-Watcher Star adventurer 2i Pro vs. GTI: Which one should you buy?
SkyWatcher released two awesome startrackers to take with you to your favorite dark sky location: The Star Adventurer 2i Pro and the GTI. But which one should you get? My main conclusion is that it depends on what you’re looking for. The 2i Pro is … Continue readingSky-Watcher Star adventurer 2i Pro vs. GTI: Which one should you buy?
ASTROPHOTOGRAPHY cameras: top 10 questions answered!
In this blog, I’ll attempt to answer the 10 most frequently asked questions you guys have asked me over the past couple of years about astrophotography cameras. 1. Can I use my DSLR camera or smartphone for astrophotography? This is a basic question I get … Continue readingASTROPHOTOGRAPHY cameras: top 10 questions answered!
Telescope mounts: Top 10 questions answered!
Here’s my attempt to answer the 10 most-often-asked questions I got from you over the years about telescope mounts. 1. What is a telescope mount? A telescope mount basically does two things. First, it holds your telescope securely, and second, it allows you to move … Continue readingTelescope mounts: Top 10 questions answered!
NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day award!
Hi folks, I still can’t believe I got an Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD) Award for my PacMan Nebula! I wanted to celebrate this personal milestone on my website by sharing more info about the picture, as well as the story behind creating the … Continue readingNASA Astronomy Picture of the Day award!
How expensive is astrophotography ($/€500 – $/€5000)?
People often ask me how much they’d need to spend to start astrophotography. The answer is that it really depends on your budget, interests, and goals. You can already start astrophotography with a consumer-level DSLR camera on a tripod for about $/€500, like a Canon … Continue readingHow expensive is astrophotography ($/€500 – $/€5000)?
Registax tutorial: How to process the planets (part 2)
Registax6 is one of the most popular software programs to sharpen and denoise stacked pictures of The Planets. In part 2 of this tutorial, I show you how you can process a stacked picture of Jupiter created in Autostakkert3! (tutorial part 1). If you didn’t … Continue readingRegistax tutorial: How to process the planets (part 2)
Autostakkert3! Tutorial: How to process The Planets (part 1)
Autostakkert3! is probably the best free software program to create a stacked image from your video captures of The Planets. In this tutorial, I first demonstrate how to import, set up, and analyze the quality of your video frames in autostakkert3! I’ll show you how … Continue readingAutostakkert3! Tutorial: How to process The Planets (part 1)
Top 10 tips to PHOTOGRAPH the PLANETS with a TELESCOPE
I often get questions about how to photograph the planets with a telescope in the night sky. I have been struggling with this question myself as I went from photographing planets with my smartphone to a small refractor telescope, and eventually a larger Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope. … Continue readingTop 10 tips to PHOTOGRAPH the PLANETS with a TELESCOPE
QHY268M camera (vs. ASI1600MM Pro): SPECS and First light
Do you want to settle for nothing less than a high-end consumer camera with a huge sensor to make fantastic images of the night sky? If yes, then the QHY268M might just be the camera for you. For the mere price of $2400, you’ll be … Continue readingQHY268M camera (vs. ASI1600MM Pro): SPECS and First light
Selecting a Guide Scope and Autoguiding Camera for Astrophotography
Autoguiding is pretty much required when you want to take long exposure pictures of deep-sky targets. Without it, you’ll end up with smeared objects and elongated stars. But what gear do you need to get started? In this blog, I get into what autoguiding is … Continue readingSelecting a Guide Scope and Autoguiding Camera for Astrophotography