Sergey S. @sergey@social.ssbx.dev

I have recently combined 4 and 2 hours integrations and got results which I am proud of. It's been a long journey with a lot of learning, I think I know what I am doing now, though there is still a lot to learn. Posting my "before" and "after" pictures, first one I took with 50mm lens last year and second with 135mm this year after learning journey and adding equipment, both pictures are from the same location, Bortle 7 sky. #astropic #astrophotography

I finally had clear skies and pulled 4 hours image of North America and Pelican Nebulas. Just a bit of processing. I am happy with over all results, I know I can learn bit more on processing side. Shot from Bortle 7 sky, with Canon T3i, 135mm, F/2.8, ISO 1600. #astropic

It looks like .@Siril_Official site is up and running again!

@sergey compare this to my very first attempt to capture the same target, even though yesterday's picture is bit noisy but you can actually see those nebulas. Here is picture from last year, it's been fun journey so far. https://social.ssbx.dev/@sergey/108911803816615639

Life is a long educational journey, there is always to learn something if you are interested of course. I recently got L-Enhance filter for my #astrophotography hobby, so learning to use it. Unfortunately we have not had much clear skies time, when it looked like a clear you can see haze in pictures. Here is image of a target I started my journey with it's North America and Pelican nebulas, shot with Cannon T3i, 135mm, F/2.8, ISO 1600, L-Enhance filter from B7-8 sky, about 2 hours. #astropic

Interesting statistic, and it looks like it's just a beginning. https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/06/28/a-record-high-share-of-40-year-olds-in-the-us-have-never-been-married/

We finally got some clear skies, but it was 47% of the moon and my favorite part of the sky still low for B7-8 skies and regular DSLR with no filters or mods. This is quick and dirty processing of just an hour of total integration time. IC1318 in constellation Cygnus aka Gamma Gygni Nebula sometimes called Buttefly Nebula. Canon T3i, 135mm f/2.8, ISO 100 with 69 minutes of total integration time. Not APOD worthy, but I can clearly see improvements I made after starting last August. #astropic

Yay 4th of July is coming, and we are getting an early start as usual. Sorry only pictures with a cellphone.

Learning is always good. There was a day with clear skies, so I've decided to take a shot of a new object on my astrophotography journey. it's IC4592 aka Blue Horse Head Nebula. However I have not done enough research about the fact how dim it is, and that I should not be shooting it from Bortle 8 sky, I've learned that afterwards after spending time to process it. Also my roof was in the way, I had to delete some shots. Shot with Canon T3i, 135mm F/2.8 lens, ISO 100 1 hour total int. #astropic

@sergey Of course I can't resist and not to take some astropics, since sky was clear. Here are few composite shots, MilkyWay rising from behind the house and mountains under the stars. I still have lot's to learn on how to process those. #astropic

@sergey Lastly while in Tucson we've visited Saguaro National Park and learned a lot about cactuses, apparently first flowers appear around age of 30 years and first branch would grow only at 75 years. That's crazy how old those things are.

@sergey Our third stop was in Tucson, AZ. We’ve rented a house with “million dollar view” and apparently advertisement didn’t lie view was really magnificent. You can sit and relax looking at those mountains covered in cactuses. One day we've got an interesting visitor who performed a little dance for us.

@sergey One other place we’ve gone to while in Flagstaff was Walnut Canyon National Monument. Which is very interesting place, apparently before volcano eruption it was a home for people of Sinagua who used natural cliff walls to built houses. Of course I can’t resist to take a picture of blooming cactus.

@sergey Grand Canyon was awesome, magnificent and enormous. Though watch tower is a modern building that “fakes” as one that falling apart. There are a lot of tourists there you can hear almost any language there.

@sergey On our way to Grand Canyon we’ve stopped at Wupatki National Monument and apparently there were some prescribed forest fires, which was quite weird to see.

@sergey Second stop was Flagstaff, AZ. Central spot to lot’s of places we’ve visited. It was a great house in a neighborhood that’s trying to be a pine forest. Sky was amazing, but only thing I can do is startrails. #astropic

@sergey Our first stop was in Albuquerque, NM where we’ve spent day strolling around historical Old Town and museums. Then we’ve gone to Sandia Peak Tramway - longest aerial tram in Americas. Here is view from the top and Albuquerque at the bottom.

It’s summer time, typically for our family it’s time to explore something. We recently returned from a roadtrip across multiple states, in particular New Mexico and Arizona, with Grand Canyon being our main target of the trip. However we found lot’s of other interesting places along the way.