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 Astrophotography - The Collection

Astrophotos


By selecting the images you may load the same image in a very much higher resolution.

The 1996 and 1997 comets

Go on to my Big Comets Photo Page.
M13

M13 Cluster

  • Instrument: KIEV 19, 4/300mm Zeiss optics on NP
  • Film: Fuji Superia 800 ASA
  • Exposure time: 10 Minutes
  • Date:7 May 1999 / 22.36 UT
  • Note: Image scanned and cropped from 20*30cm color print
M92

M92 Cluster

  • Instrument: KIEV 19, 4/300mm Zeiss optics on NP
  • Film: Fuji Superia 800 ASA
  • Exposure time: 11 Minutes
  • Date:14 May 1999 / 23.02 UT
  • Note: Image scanned and cropped from 20*30cm color print
M42

M42 Orion Nebula

  • Instrument: KIEV 19, 4/300mm Zeiss optics on NP
  • Film: Fuji Superia 800 ASA
  • Exposure time: 10 Minutes
  • Date:19 March 1999 / ca. 21.15 h
  • Note: Image scanned and cropped from 20*30cm color print
M27

M27 Nebula

  • Instrument: KIEV 19, 4/300mm Zeiss optics on NP
  • Film: Fuji Superia 800 ASA
  • Exposure time: 12 Minutes
  • Date:14 May 1999 / 23.43 UT
  • Note: Image scanned and cropped from 20*30cm color print
M51

M51 Whirlpool Galaxy

  • Instrument: KIEV 19, 4/300mm Zeiss optics on NP
  • Film: Fuji Superia 800 ASA
  • Exposure time: 13 Minutes
  • Date:14 May 1999 / 22.20 UT
  • Note: Image scanned and cropped from 20*30cm color print

H & Chi in Perseus

  • Instrument: KIEV 19, 4/300mm Zeiss optics on NP
  • Film: Kodak Elite II 400 ASA - Slide
  • Exposure time: 20 Minutes
  • Date:18 October 1998 / ca. 21.15 h
  • Note:This is the first image with the Pentacon Six / Zeiss lens. The lens has the M42 - Nikon correction, which makes a non optimum image quality.

H & Chi in Perseus with the Maksutov

  • Instrument: NIKON F90, 10/1000 on NP
  • Film: Kodak Elite II 400 ASA - Slide
  • Exposure time: 15 Minutes
  • Date:18 October 1998 / ca. 22.15 h
  • Note:The Maksutov gives a fantastic image.

M57 in Lyra

This image is cropped from a larger field. It is to show, what really comes on a film at maximum resolution. Tracking also has not been perfect.

  • Instrument: KIEV 19, Tokina f/3.5 - 200 mm
  • Film: Kodak Elite II 400 ASA - Slide
  • Exposure time: 10 Minutes
  • Date:22 May 1998 / ca. 0030 UT
M35 (right) and NGC2174 in GEMINI/ORION constellation
  • Instrument: KIEV 19, 2.8/135mm on clock tracker
  • Film: Kodak Elite II 400 ASA - Slide
  • Exposure time: 10 Minutes
  • Date:31 January 1997 / ca. 1830 UT

When did it begin ?

One day when I was 13 or so I got hold of an old 6*9cm box camera. It was not so easy getting the money for the films from my parents. Of course this was the major problem. I began experimenting with it and taking photos no one else around me did. One night I tried a 1 hour exposure of the stars. So then it began ...

Films and Instruments

There is nothing special. You can make astrophotos with some kind of the simplest cameras you can think about. If you want to know more on my astrophotography equipment and my experience with different films, go on to my page on: FILMS AND EQUIPMENT.

Location

I live close to the Baltic Sea (only 200 m) about 20 km north of Kiel, where nights are reasonably dark. Lately they switched on some street lights about 1.5 km away. A 14 km distant discotheque runs a 'light-gun' to show the way to its doors. In clear nights this light finger easily reaches a height of 10 km. Things are becoming worse. Auroras can be seen frequently from this place.

Outlook

I like to purchase a german-equatorial polar mount like Great Polaris GP or GPDX and a Celestron 'Comet Catcher' f/3.6 500mm. If you sell one, then you know what to do ...

Associations

I am member of GVA Gesellschaft für volkstümliche Astronomie in Kiel (i.e. translated "Society for Popular Astronomy").

Since November 1999 I am the Leader of this group.

Useful items

BOOKS

SOFTWARE

I tried the VirtualSky by Manfred Dings (see below). He has done a fine job with his program. I switched away from Microsoft to LINUX with many of my software activities. There you get the phantastic XEphem program. This enables me printing out many details and helps me "preparing the nights ...".

 Text and All Images are Copyright by Christoph Petermann DF9CY

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