I recently uploaded an image of LMC which is probably one of the best images i’ve processed so far. As i was processing the image, i decided to record the process, so i can upload that as a tutorial as in the past few people have asked about the processing. I used pixinsight for processing and photoshop for final touches. Keep a look around as i upload more videos. Here is a 11 part video series that shows the processing workflow.
The Large Magellanic Cloud is the largest of all the dwarf satellite galaxies that orbit the Milky Way, it’s tiny in comparison with the Milky Way’s 200-plus billion stars – the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) is thought to contain around 30 billion stars, Persian astronomer Abd Al-Rahman Al Sufi wrote about the ‘clouds’ over a thousand years ago, but it wasn’t until explorer Ferdinand Magellan travelled south and wrote about them in the 14th century that their existence became common knowledge – and it’s his name they bear. The Large Magellanic Cloud seems to orbit the Milky Way, bound by its gravity. In the distant future it may be torn apart and absorbed by our galaxy. The LMC is the third closest galaxy to the Milky Way and is thought to be about 160,000 light-years away. Without visual aids the Large Magellanic Cloud look like a roughly rectangular patch of light, but with decent binoculars or a small telescope you can see nebulae strewn through the LMC. The most outstanding of these is the Tarantula Nebula – the most active star-forming region in the 30-odd galaxies including the Milky Way that make up the Local Group. It’s named for its […]
After attending the astrophotography camp at Foxton, organized by the Horowhenua Astronomical Society. Jonathan and i decided to stop at Opotaka, which is an historic maori site in New Zealand in the Tongariro national park, also called the land of two dwellings. Last time we were here, we had amazing clear sky and was hoping for the same. We got our camera and other gear setup and were waiting for sundown. As, the sun went down the clouds started rolling in and we thought we might have to call it a night, but luckily the clouds cleared up and we were back in business. I recently bought an iOptron ZEQ25 mount from AstroNZ and was eagerly waiting to use it. After a while and bit of challenge to get the balance right, the mount was ready to track. I looked around and the only patch of clear sky was overhead around the LMC and SMC (Large and Small Magellan Clouds). so, i pointed my camera overhead and started shooting, but unfortunately before i could get enough shots the clouds rolled in and we had to call it a night. I ended up getting 5 amazing 2 minute exposures of that […]
