Deep Space Photography Part 4

 April and May turned into an interesting month as we began using both the Askar SQA70mm and an Askar SQA106.  While not a huge difference from the SQA55 the SQA70 nevertheless has 22% more focal length. We also decided to accelerate our plans of getting a second complete setup due to the availability of gear and the cost increases in tariffs. To that end we now have an Askar SQA106 as well as a second ZWO 2600MC Air and a AM5N mount.  The SQA106 is 508mm and has approximately 40% more reach than the SQA70 which should help us with our reaching further into deep space targets.

M16 "Eagle Nebula"

Nebula season is just about over in North America and we’re into Galaxy season which means our targets have changed.  The Nebulas we were able to capture with little effort has slowly drifted from our skies replaced with other targets that require early morning captures (midnight to 4-am).  The Galaxies now come into view early evening to early morning.  This means we have somewhat of a choice, early morning for Nebulas or mid evening (8-pm) to early morning (midnight) for Galaxies.  All we need is clear skies and a strong desire to forego sleep.

M58 approximately 68-million light-years

We had several nights of dark & clear skies around the same period of no moon.  The moon was rising very early in the morning and setting early afternoon which made for perfect conditions. We took advantage and captured 8-nights consisting of 300-seconds captures for a total of 30-hours and 360 captures. Our target was M63 or the “Sunflower Galaxy”.  We captured M63 using the SQA70 as while the SQA106 arrived we were still waiting for a few bits and pieces before we used it.

M58 prior to crop and annotation

Using the first night as a testbed we stacked and processed 48-images in Pixinsight, saving the image as a 16-bit TIFF then opened it in Photoshop where we processed it further.  The final processing was done in Topaz Photo AI before sizing back in Photoshop saving the image as both a TIFF & JPEG. The original image was cropped in at 2-1 in Pixinsight and resized from 100 to 200.

M63 "Sunflower Galaxy"

We’ve already written about just how well the SQA106 performs so we won’t rehash it here.  Both the SQA70 and 106 are excellent telescopes that we look forward to using for some time to come.

NGC4565 "Needle Galaxy" 6-hours

We encountered an issue with our computer after we upgraded the graphics card.  Seems we didn’t have a large enough power supply and while processing (or attempting to process) the images we encountered blue screens of death.  We had enough issues with attempting to stack and process that we had to throw in the towel and upgrade the computer once again.  We decided to go a little nuts and make certain we were “future-proof”. Here’s a partial list: Intel Core Ultra 9 (24-core) processor, ASUS ROG Z890 motherboard, 192GB DDR5 memory and the GeForce RTX 5090 32BG graphics card. We have 7-slots for nvme drives which are fully occupied (27TB total). We also have a 1500w power supply so no more power issues. We also decided to update our monitor to a Dell 40” curved monitor.  The computer arrived June 5^th and we had it completely up and running June 7^th, testing a 6-hour (72-images) capture of the Needle Galaxy. This might be a little overkill however the machine handled the total processing beginning in Pixinsight then Photoshop and Topaz AI without any issues.  The computer in question is the Digital Storm Velox.

Needle Galaxy Panorama (prior to crop)

We're headed to a very dark sky area soon so stay tuned.

Sandy & Don

 

 

 

 

The ASKAR SQA106

We decided to take a break from sharing our deep space photography to speak about the SQA106.  Okay, we’re still talking about deep space photography however on a slightly different level.

Lost Galaxy (SQA106)

First image captured

We began our journey back into deep space late 2024 when we purchased the SeeStar 50 which many know is a small all-in-one “smart telescope”.  What we didn’t realize at the time is that the SeeStar 50 is a “gateway telescope” for many.  Yes, it works better than it should however you’ll quickly left with wanting “more”.  That feeling of wanting more led us to buying a ZWO ASI2600MC Air camera and an ASKAR SQA55mm telescope. The SQA55 was a great smaller telescope that has a 264mm focal length at f/4.8 weighing in at slightly more than 6-pounds (2.8kg).  The SQA55 was replaced with the newly released SQA70 with a 336mm focal length at f/4.8, weighing in at slightly more than 7.5 pounds (3.5kg).

Crop of Lost Galaxy

We still use the SQA70 and have added another telescope, the SQA106. The SQA106 is a 509mm focal length and f/4.8, weighing in at just under 18-pounds (8.12kg). Yes, we now have two complete telescope setups, tripod, pier, mount, and camera.  The only thing that separates the two systems is the telescope.

So, what attracted us the SQA106?  Image quality is the same as both the 55 and 70.  The SQA55 is a dual use telescope in that it can perform equally well as a telescope and as a telephoto lens when attached to a regular camera with a range of f/4.8 to f/22. The SQA70 is not a dual use telescope.

The SQA106 has a longer reach into deep space than either the SQA55 or SQA70. The SQA55 has a wider field of view while the 70 has approximately 22% less and the 106 has approximately 50% less.

M104 Sombrero Galaxy (SQA106)

So far, we ‘ve owned 3- ASKAR SQA telescopes and have found the image quality of all 3 of them to be superior.

The price range is not for the faint of heart with the SQA55 coming in at under $900 US, the SQA70 is just shy of double and the SQA106 is just shy of 4-times.  Are they worth it? The short answer is yes.  We now have 2-telescopes that will allow us the ability to reach into deep space the way we wish. 

One word of caution on the SQA106.  This is a beast! The length with the shield extended along with a filter drawer, spacer and the 2600 Air is close to 30” (762mm).  We’ve noted the weight above but when you add the imaging train, you’re closer to 20-pounds (9.07kg).  Sadly, this does not come with a handle, yet one is available (if you can if one).  Buy the handle.  Order as soon as you even think you might be ordering the SQA106.  We had to go to Canada to find a handle as everywhere we looked in the US it was on inter-galactic back order. (Side note here is that we had ordered one for the SQA70 for added ease of use.)

M16 "Eagle Nebula"

We've included the Eagle Nebula image which is actually a test.  This was captured shortly after midnight for 300-seconds x 12 (1-hour).  We processed the stacked image much as we would any other however, we plan on adding multiple hours to the stack in hopes of achieving a better finished product.

Our first night went easier than expected.  The polar alignment went smoothly.  In the past, using either the SQA55 or 70 the number of stars found during the polar alignment single digit stars were found; our first night out with the SQA106 we were finding triple digits, and we were beginning within 60-minutes of sunset.

There are many YouTube reviews on the SQA106, and we have yet to find any that don’t sing high praises.  We’re just getting started with the SQA106 and look forward to sharing much more about this and it slightly shorter cousin the SQA70.

Meridian Flip; the most nerve-wracking time of shooting deep space.  The flip is done as the target you're tracking/shooting transits from the eastern sky into the west.  The meridian is an invisible line between east and west.  Twenty-some-odd pounds of equipment doing a delicate twist and turn as you stand by watching, making sure the cables don't snag all the while rethinking if you have all the knobs tight.  Fun!

Our recommendation based on limited but highly successful use is if you can find one; if you can afford it, and the weight doesn't scare you; get it.  But also order the handle...

Sandy & Don

Deep Space Photography Part 3

 

California Nebula 300-seconds x 12  (1-hour)

If you’ve been following us either here, Face Book or Instagram you know we’ve begun a trip down the rabbit hole regarding astrophotography or deep space photography.

Our journey began late last year several months from my last chemo treatment. I wanted to get back to photography which I had missed during my illness and treatment. Our normal form of photography is a combination of landscape, nature and wildlife. We had experimented with astrophotography some years back, but it never took hold. As we have written before, the older equipment was a beast, both in physical and weight.

                      Christmas Tree Cluster  300-seconds x 144 (12-hours) 3-nights                          

The introduction of the ZWO Seestar S50 got our astro juices flowing again and it was off to the races. We replaced the S50 with a combination of a ZWO AN3 mount, ZWO tripod, a ZWO ASI 2600MC Air camera, and an Askar SQA55mm telescope using a ZWO EAF (electronic auto focuser). We’re nearing the end of March (2025) and will shortly be adding a new Askar SQA70mm telescope as a replacement to the 55mm. The SQA55 and has focal length of 264 while the SQA70 has 336mm approximately 25% improvement in focal length.

We continue to use a combination of Pixinsight for primary stacking and processing as well as Photoshop and in some cases Topaz Labs that include Topaz Photo AI.

 Orion, Running Man & Horsehead Nebuls (300-seconds x 36 for 3-hours)

                        

We’re learning quite a lot as we stumble along. The moon phases play a significate role in how we photograph at night. While the period running to and behind a new moon is significant, there are days at a time that the moon while near full may be visible during the day and not at night. Likewise, there are periods of time that the moon doesn’t raise until midnight giving a window between sunset and moonrise for dark skies. We’ve also learned that we need to wait no less than 45 to 60-minutes after sunset to begin capturing our target for the night.

Speaking of capturing. The better the guiding the longer you can capture; we generally set the capture time at 300-seconds (5-minutes) times the number of captures which can be anywhere from 36 to 48 in length depending on the night skies.

Running Man Nebula 300-seconds x 36 (3-hours)

Also of note is the total number of captures for a single image. We’ve decided that the minimum number of nights is 2 while going up to 4 nights. Two nights might give is 72-frames and 4 in excess of 140. Multiple nights of capturing need not be one after another as we have successfully stacked 4-nights from different months.

We’ve been very pleased using the Askar SQA55 f/4.8 which is a Quintuplet Air-Spaced SD Glass Petzval Astrograph telescope with a focal length of 264.  Askar has recently released a SQA70 f/4.8 Quintuplet Petzval Refractor telescope with a focal length of 336mm.  The SQA55 has aperture of 55mm while the SQA70 has 70mm.  The SQA70 will give us about 22% larger aperture and focal length.  Yes, we have one on order. 

Till next time, wishing you clear skies...

Sandy & Don

Update:  The ZWO CAA has arrived and the SQA70 should be here within a couple of days. Just in time for a planned trip to a very dark area in northern Arizona.

Deep Space Photography Part-2

 

It’s so easy in some ways it almost feels like cheating.

So much has changed since we tried astrophotography with huge leaps in telescopes and cameras as well as software. Our normal routine now is to place the telescope facing north, take a 2-second image making certain the camera sees stars. The closer to Polaris the better. The camera, mount and software will basically tell you where to set everything; up or down, left or right. We can do this from our backyard in under 5-minutes; away from home takes longer.

The next step is to tell the telescope where to go – what’s our target for tonight. Once there, begin the process of guiding calibration which generally take several minutes. The next step is to check autofocus which can take upwards to 5-minutes. Once all this is done the next step is autorun. Setting autorun is the processes of telling the camera the duration of each shot. We generally use 300-seconds (5-minutes) and the number of images to capture; we generally capture for at least 4-hours or more.  All this time the telescope, camera, and mount are locked onto the target, tracking its movement snapping images. No star trails, no movement blur. Four-hours equal 48-sharp images that will be stacked and processed in Pixinsight.

The main software program we use for stacking and processing is Pixinsight and 3-RC-Astro plugins. Pixinsight and RC-Astro isn’t cheap however it is a onetime buy in and works very well. There are free programs out there however free isn’t always mean better. We don’t know Pixinsight well enough as yet to go into any depth thus we recommend a search on YouTube (that’s how we learned).

The only image shared today is M1, aka “Crab Nebula”.  We captured the M1 over a period of 4-nights. We were fortunate to have several clear nights and decided to do a test.  The first night began February 18^th with the second February 21^st.  The third was February 23^rd and the fourth, February 24^th. A total of 19-hours at 300-seconds each were captured.  The first 48-captures were stacked in Pixinsight which took 6-minutes 35-seconds.  The final stack of the entire 229-FITS took 29-minutes, 28-seconds.  The first 48-images totaled 2.33-GB while the 229 totaled 11.11GB. These were all captured from our back yard well after the moon had set with a near dark sky just north of Tucson, our Bortle rating is somewhere between 5 and 5.5.  The moonset was early afternoon and sunset was approximately 6:15 PM.  We sat the telescope up around 6:45 to 7 PM, setting the polar alignment, go to target, set the guiding the check autofocus. We used the previous night’s shooting “go-to” for precise alignment.  

M1-"Crab Nebula" 

The following is a general list of equipment, software and computer(s) used by us to process not only our deep space images but those of our landscape, nature and wildlife.  The main studio computer might be considered by some as a bit of overkill however it works for us.

Equipment/Software

Askar SQA55 telescope

ZWO ASI2600MC Air wireless smart camera

ZWO AM3 Harmonic equatorial mount

ZWO TC40 Carbon fiber tripod

ZWO PE200 Pier extension

ZWO EAF (electronic auto focuser)

ZWO CAA Camera Rotator

Antial Triband 2” filter

Samsung Galaxy S9 FE+ Plus 12.4” 128gb Android Tablet (began using this with the Seestar S50)

ASIAIR software on the Samsung

ASIStudio on our laptop

Pixinsight software for processing

RC-Astro – BlurXTerminator; NoiseXTerminator; StarXTerminator

Capture One

Adobe Photoshop

Topaz Labs including Photo AI

Battery power

Studio Computer:  DigitalStorm Workstation

Intel Core i7-14700KF (5.6 GHz Turbo) (28-thread) (20-Core) 3.4 GHz (14^th Gen)

ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Dark Hero Motherboard

128GB RAM

NVIDIA T1000 4GB - (just ordered a Nvida RTX 4070 Ti 12GB as an upgrade)

We also have 2-Crucial T705 NVME drives for photo processing and 1-drive as the main

We run the nights activity on a Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE+ Plus 12" tablet running ZWO ASIAIR Android app.  

  

Recommendations:

Visit STARIZONA for everything you need for deep space images.

We’ll be the first to admit our computers are not for everyone. Large and pricey yet super-fast when processing large image files.

If you need a new computer, you may wish to visit DigitalStorm.  We found ourselves in need of a new workstation in our studio and are very pleased we found DigitalStorm.

 

More to come….

 

Sandy & Don

 

Deep Space Photography

 

IC5070, aka "Pelican Nebula, captured 12/01/2024, our first deep space image using the Seestar S50.  10-seconds x 366 (61-minutes)

2024 was a very odd year for us in that Don was diagnosed with colon cancer Nov 2023 which meant surgery to remove the right side of his colon. Don began chemo treatments January ending July 2024 with recovery still on going.  We basically went 12-months not photographing like we normally would.  During this time, we reevaluated what “turned us on” in the photography world and ended up selling all our medium format gear, returning to a simpler system.  Sandy is now back to shooting a Sony A7r IV while Don returned to using a Leica M11.  All this does not address the title. Yet…

IC405, aka "Flaming Star Nebula", captured 12/02/2024. Seestar S50 10-seconds x 720 (120-minutes)

 

Late last year was the first that Don could actually go out and visit folks we hadn’t seen in over a year (monthly doctors’ visits don’t count).  One of the first people we dropped in to visit is Dean Koenig, the owner of Starizona in Tucson as they had recently moved to a much larger store.  We had bought our first telescope from Dean in 2017.  We learned that technology had changed drastically in 7-years.  A “smart telescope” in 2017 while it may have been available wasn’t affordable. 

12/01/2024 M42 "Orian Nubla" this is a very quick 10-seconds x 18 (3-minutes) using the Seestar S50

 

What began as simple visit turned us back on to astrophotography when Dean showed us the ZWO S50 “smart telescope” that retails for less than $500.  Don can’t buy a lens for his Leica for that money.  Needless to say, we walked out the store with a S50.  To make matters even better the S50 weights right around 8-pounds!

NGC281, aka "Packman Nebula, captured in December 2024 using the Seestar S50

We’ve used the S50 every night that we’ve had clear skies and marvel at the images this small but mighty telescope offers. There is a flaw to this.  We found the S50 to be a gate-way telescope to wanting something “better”, “bigger”, “and more-powerful”.   Notice we said “wanting” vs “needing”.

This is our second attempt at Orian Nebule, on 12/28/2024, this time 10-seconds x 113 (18-minutes) using the Seestar S50

We decided to go bigger and ended up with a 26-megapixel astro camera from ZWO; the ASI 2600MC Air wireless smart camera. This camera combines a guide-scope and Wi-Fi connection and camera in one package.  We are now using an Askar SQA55 telescope along with a ZWO EAF (electronic auto focuser).  The telescope, camera and EAF weighs around 8-pounds and sits on top of a ZWO AM3 Harmonic Equatorial Mount riding on a ZWO TC40 carbon fiber tripod along with a pier extension. The mount and tripod weights around 17-pounds and the total weight is in the neighborhood of 25-pounds. Yes, this weighs around 17-pounds more than the S50 however it is considerably less than the original telescope we used in 2017 which weighed close to 75-pounds.

IC1795 aka "Fish Head Nebula" captured 12/9/2024, 10-seconds x 403 (68-minutes). Seestar S50

The advancement in camera design as well as software mean we can program a night of shooting from a tablet or cellphone (we prefer the tablet as the screen is much larger).  Setup is easy and fast with us being polar aligned in under 5-minutes and shooting our target within 10.  We have been achieving excellent results shooting 5-minute exposures for 4-hours or more. The S50 is not polar aligned thus the capture time is 10-seconds with a lot of rejections in the software from star trails.   A typical 4-hour shooting experience with the S50 will normally result in close to 90-minutes for actual capture rate.

01/31/2025, IC 434, aka "Horsehead Nebula", one of the first images we captured using the ZWO ASI 2600MC Air. 300-seconds x 15 (75-minutes)

01/30/2025 NGC 2335, aka "Seagull Nebula" 300-seconds x 40 (3.5 hours) ZWO ASI 2600MC Air

02/04/2025 NGC 2359, aka "Thor's Helmet Nebula" 300-seconds x28 (140-minutes) ZWO ASI 2600MC Air.

02/06/2025 IC 2118 aka, "Witch Head Nebula" this was a test as the moon was at 61% and this target is best suited for dark skies.  300-seconds x 48 (4-hours) ZWO ASI 2600 MC Air

 

All of the ASI 2600 camera images were stacked and processed using Pixinsight with minor post processing using a combination of Capture One, Photoshop and Topaz Labs. 

Looking back at what we just wrote, and we see that there’s a lot of information overload.  We hope to continue this conversation in future blogs so please bear with us. 

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