I have heard, and experienced myself, that with an equatorial mount or star tracker it is good to keep exposures short, no more than 30 seconds. Most people I have watched actually keep exposures to around 15 seconds, otherwise the comet core gets blown out. Bright comets cores and comas get blown out quickly because they are so bright.
I want to apologize. A number of us understood that the photographer was presenting this as ZTF. It was the reason a number of us questioned ZTF being this big. Again, you were right and thank you for stating it.
Thanks. I do need to apologize that the images shown are NOT comet ZTF as I understood the photographer. However, the rest of the information is correct, but you will want at least 300 mm and ideally 500-600 mm.
@@astroventure2221 no worries at all! I have a 70-300mm I’m going to shoot with. Hopefully it’ll be visible it’s a new moon tomorrow. Going to drive out somewhere real dark
I prepared an EOS 600 with a 400mm apo, in case i can get clear skies. I got a midweight mount which is transportabe. However, E3 will close in dramatically during the next days. Alternatively, i can us my A7III with 150mm on mount or star tracker. Im not very optimistic with respect to the clear skies. Very important in my experience: Get dark skies!!! Just a few kilometers further from the lights already make a huge difference!
The comet is close to Bootes right now. It should be between Draco and Bootes. At its peak on 2/2, the comet will be at the other side of Draco, and above Cassiopeia.
Unfortunately, the images that were provided were understood to be ZTF - which they were not - a misunderstanding. This video is a great resource for location. ruclips.net/video/pXDY3yXrdGk/видео.html
@@joyjoy534 Agreed. I have been under constant clouds for 3 months so I have not had the chance to pursue it. In spite of asking about the size, there was apparently some severe miscommunication. I don't believe there was any intentional misleading.
@@astroventure2221 My window is opening up early next week and C/2022 E3 (ztf) will sit nicely around 35deg just after midnight my time. Will setup my Benro Polaris to track it. Been researching Apophis for 2029, looks like we will need to be in the southern hemisphere for that one. I was disappointed the View hotel in Monument Valley is fully booked for Oct 14 this year. In fact, hotels all around the area are fully booked already. It would have been perfect for the annular solar eclipse over the Monument Valley.
Great video George! Thanks for all the helpful recommendations. I like how you broke it out into tripod and tracker suggestions/settings, etc. - very helpful! And the quick tutorial on the calibration frames was an unexpected bonus! I do my calibration frames just as you described, so that makes me feel confident that I'm on the right track (pun intended). It has been cloudy for many weeks here in Milwaukee, but it looks like I may get an imaging session in tonight as the skies are forecasted to clear tonight, so I will be sure to put your info to use! My question for you is: because I'm in a Bortle 8-9 zone, my default would be to use my Svbony CLS filter. Any pros or cons to using it/not using it on this comet? Thanks again - clear skies !
I would use the filter. Depending on how strong the comet is, you may find the need to shoot shorter exposure or reduce ISO. With my setting recommendations the comet will show through well, but don't hesitate to adjust. Happy hunting.
just found this I also am in northern Utah at 41.3 deg, as you said with mountains on both sides you must be in the valley? I am in plain city and have a telescope with mount and am learning with a ZWO asi533MC pro cooled camera. I hope it clears off for us to have a chance ,, I really don't want to wait for it to come back around,,,, lol
Too shallow? Depth of field would come into play photographing a soccer game where you want to have the players in front and behind in focus. At the distance of stars or comets, it's not going to work the same - you're at an infinity focus once you have established focus. Choking down to f/9 cuts down on light, and you're closing in on diffraction. The reason to step down would be to get away from a soft focus when the aperture is wide open as most lenses are soft there.
No. Reason being is that the comet isn't, too my knowledge or from any images that I have seen releasing anything for HA to pick up. If my clouds ever clear, I will shoot with my stock camera.
Hello, I tried to take a photograph of the comet with the following gears and settings: Gears: Nikon d750 Tamron 150-600 Simple tripod, no tracker Settings: Roughly 200 raw images. Iso 1600 Focal length 300 Shutter speed 1.6 secs Aperture 5.6. I have yet to process the images in dss and Photoshop. Any suggestions for correction in settings?
Originally, when I got the photos, it was understood they were of ZTF. I have since learned they are not. The information is good, but you will want to shoot at your maximum focal length.
For the flats and flat darks. Where should the histogram be? I've heard that it should be the left third of the histogram but no more than half way. Anything to add to that. What about flat darks?
Flats are capturing the vignette. Anywhere on the left third will work. Flat darks the histogram is irrelevant as it matches the settings of flats. Hope this helps.
Dont want to sound like an a$$ but I highly doubt that is C/2022 E3 (ZTF) There has been pictures taken all over the place of this thing and it does not look anything like it. The people at my astronomy club with heavy duty astrophotography rigs have taken pictures from class 2 dark skies and basically you get a green dot with a very small diffused tail and that is after hours of processing with pixinsight. I also took several pictures of it with a camera and tripod and more aggressive settings than your friend and it is nothing like this. I suspect this is actually Neowise. Again not trying to be an a$$ just do not want you to create false hopes on what people are actually going to see. Your advice is great specially using all the dark, flats etc that helps a lot. By the way I photographed it this Monday and it is impossible to find with binoculars yet hopefully it will get brighter by FEB 02
In the comments, we have talked about that. The images originally were understood to be ZTF from the photographer - in guessing a misunderstanding. I figured out it was not.
@@astroventure2221 I'd have to go back and double check when I get to my desk top but as I recall the message it gave was something about not enough stars detected to do the stack. I did try to adjust that but wasn't able to find a solution.
@@stevethompson8154 if that's the case, and I know this would be a pain, I would open each frame, boost the highlights, then save as a tiff. That would be what I would try if you already did the slider with no luck.
Are you sure that's c/2022 E3? It looks completely different than any of the other photos I've seen, from both telescopes and DSLRs both. It actually looks remarkably similar to Comet Neowise. 🧐 EDIT: Nevermind. I just saw the other comment stating that this was in fact Neowise. 🙂
I have heard, and experienced myself, that with an equatorial mount or star tracker it is good to keep exposures short, no more than 30 seconds. Most people I have watched actually keep exposures to around 15 seconds, otherwise the comet core gets blown out. Bright comets cores and comas get blown out quickly because they are so bright.
All good points and people will need to adjust.
Great video, excellent info.
But that's Neowise.
I'm suspecting that you are correct and that I have been catfished.
I want to apologize. A number of us understood that the photographer was presenting this as ZTF. It was the reason a number of us questioned ZTF being this big. Again, you were right and thank you for stating it.
Greatly appreciate your comments and suggestions George. They will certainly help me on my next shoot.
Remember, once you have it, make adjustments. You'll probably be able to do shorter exposures once you have it.
Amazing video thank you so much! Going out tomorrow night with my tracker to rest and shoot it
Thanks. I do need to apologize that the images shown are NOT comet ZTF as I understood the photographer. However, the rest of the information is correct, but you will want at least 300 mm and ideally 500-600 mm.
@@astroventure2221 no worries at all! I have a 70-300mm I’m going to shoot with. Hopefully it’ll be visible it’s a new moon tomorrow. Going to drive out somewhere real dark
Very informative, thanks.
I prepared an EOS 600 with a 400mm apo, in case i can get clear skies. I got a midweight mount which is transportabe.
However, E3 will close in dramatically during the next days. Alternatively, i can us my A7III with 150mm on mount or star tracker.
Im not very optimistic with respect to the clear skies.
Very important in my experience: Get dark skies!!! Just a few kilometers further from the lights already make a huge difference!
Great video！thank you so muuuuuuuuuuuuuch!
You're welcome. Good luck hunting it down.
The comet is close to Bootes right now. It should be between Draco and Bootes. At its peak on 2/2, the comet will be at the other side of Draco, and above Cassiopeia.
Unfortunately, the images that were provided were understood to be ZTF - which they were not - a misunderstanding. This video is a great resource for location.
ruclips.net/video/pXDY3yXrdGk/видео.html
@@astroventure2221 I was wondering why the comet looks so big in the sky...thought maybe PS.
@@joyjoy534 Agreed. I have been under constant clouds for 3 months so I have not had the chance to pursue it. In spite of asking about the size, there was apparently some severe miscommunication. I don't believe there was any intentional misleading.
@@astroventure2221 My window is opening up early next week and C/2022 E3 (ztf) will sit nicely around 35deg just after midnight my time. Will setup my Benro Polaris to track it. Been researching Apophis for 2029, looks like we will need to be in the southern hemisphere for that one. I was disappointed the View hotel in Monument Valley is fully booked for Oct 14 this year. In fact, hotels all around the area are fully booked already. It would have been perfect for the annular solar eclipse over the Monument Valley.
Great video George! Thanks for all the helpful recommendations. I like how you broke it out into tripod and tracker suggestions/settings, etc. - very helpful! And the quick tutorial on the calibration frames was an unexpected bonus! I do my calibration frames just as you described, so that makes me feel confident that I'm on the right track (pun intended). It has been cloudy for many weeks here in Milwaukee, but it looks like I may get an imaging session in tonight as the skies are forecasted to clear tonight, so I will be sure to put your info to use!
My question for you is: because I'm in a Bortle 8-9 zone, my default would be to use my Svbony CLS filter. Any pros or cons to using it/not using it on this comet?
Thanks again - clear skies !
I would use the filter. Depending on how strong the comet is, you may find the need to shoot shorter exposure or reduce ISO. With my setting recommendations the comet will show through well, but don't hesitate to adjust. Happy hunting.
just found this I also am in northern Utah at 41.3 deg, as you said with mountains on both sides you must be in the valley? I am in plain city and have a telescope with mount and am learning with a ZWO asi533MC pro cooled camera. I hope it clears off for us to have a chance ,, I really don't want to wait for it to come back around,,,, lol
I agree. Already have enough aches and pains. I just can't imagine another 50k years of wear and tear.
Where do I have to align / point my tracker to? Not to Polaris I think. The speed and direction of the Comet is different than the normal stars.
Lock onto a star next to the comet. The travel of the comet is not that great.
F6.3 or 7.1 on a d850 would be too shallow, on a DX would be fine, but on that camera I think F9 was the perfect choice.
Too shallow? Depth of field would come into play photographing a soccer game where you want to have the players in front and behind in focus. At the distance of stars or comets, it's not going to work the same - you're at an infinity focus once you have established focus. Choking down to f/9 cuts down on light, and you're closing in on diffraction. The reason to step down would be to get away from a soft focus when the aperture is wide open as most lenses are soft there.
do you think you can get more color from the comet with a HA astromodified body?
No. Reason being is that the comet isn't, too my knowledge or from any images that I have seen releasing anything for HA to pick up. If my clouds ever clear, I will shoot with my stock camera.
@@astroventure2221 ok thanks, I'm gonna have a clear sky tomorrow so I'm taking everything, tracker multiple bodies and a bunch of lenses.
Hello,
I tried to take a photograph of the comet with the following gears and settings:
Gears: Nikon d750
Tamron 150-600
Simple tripod, no tracker
Settings:
Roughly 200 raw images.
Iso 1600
Focal length 300
Shutter speed 1.6 secs
Aperture 5.6.
I have yet to process the images in dss and Photoshop.
Any suggestions for correction in settings?
I find that wide field really hard to believe. comet is no where that big
You are correct. I identified it in the comments that what was understood from the photographer, and I questioned, was not correct.
hi, i got a question. Were these two images cropped?
Originally, when I got the photos, it was understood they were of ZTF. I have since learned they are not. The information is good, but you will want to shoot at your maximum focal length.
@@astroventure2221 thx got it. just watched the latest video.
For the flats and flat darks. Where should the histogram be? I've heard that it should be the left third of the histogram but no more than half way. Anything to add to that. What about flat darks?
Flats are capturing the vignette. Anywhere on the left third will work. Flat darks the histogram is irrelevant as it matches the settings of flats. Hope this helps.
Dont want to sound like an a$$ but I highly doubt that is C/2022 E3 (ZTF) There has been pictures taken all over the place of this thing and it does not look anything like it. The people at my astronomy club with heavy duty astrophotography rigs have taken pictures from class 2 dark skies and basically you get a green dot with a very small diffused tail and that is after hours of processing with pixinsight. I also took several pictures of it with a camera and tripod and more aggressive settings than your friend and it is nothing like this. I suspect this is actually Neowise. Again not trying to be an a$$ just do not want you to create false hopes on what people are actually going to see. Your advice is great specially using all the dark, flats etc that helps a lot. By the way I photographed it this Monday and it is impossible to find with binoculars yet hopefully it will get brighter by FEB 02
In the comments, we have talked about that. The images originally were understood to be ZTF from the photographer - in guessing a misunderstanding. I figured out it was not.
Thanks I tried stacking Neowise in DSS and couldn't make it work. Does it require a special setting?
What didn't work about it?
@@astroventure2221 I'd have to go back and double check when I get to my desk top but as I recall the message it gave was something about not enough stars detected to do the stack. I did try to adjust that but wasn't able to find a solution.
@@stevethompson8154 if that's the case, and I know this would be a pain, I would open each frame, boost the highlights, then save as a tiff. That would be what I would try if you already did the slider with no luck.
@@astroventure2221 Thanks I'll give it a try
The opening music is much louder than the video. Can you try to equalize them a little bit please.
Thank you, I will.
Are you sure that's c/2022 E3? It looks completely different than any of the other photos I've seen, from both telescopes and DSLRs both. It actually looks remarkably similar to Comet Neowise. 🧐
EDIT: Nevermind. I just saw the other comment stating that this was in fact Neowise. 🙂