Microstock Photography Forum - General > Photography Equipment

Night Sky - Star Photos

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Uncle Pete:
I started with whatever I had for lenses, then made changes and improved. Kit 18-55mm Canon with a filter heater. Not even close to sharp enough at 18mm. That turned into an 8MM Rokinon, which is soft at the edges has distortion and, basically was a cheap lens, wide and served it's purpose. Now I just invested in a Rokinon 14mm f/2.8



Once again, I added a heating coil, hand wound, to the front element, to keep the dew or any humidity from forming as nights get cooler and that's always an issue. I put the camera out at Sunset, and take photos all night, then look in the morning to see if I caught a falling star. Properly a meteorite.

Using the 500 rule, I'd be at 22 seconds for the 14mm on a crop camera, if I wanted points of light, not trails starting to form.

Here's the question. Does my Latitude matter for the Earth's rotation SPEED? 15 degrees an hour, and that's what causes the time limit. But since I'm a good amount North of the Equator, would the ground speed be slower? Or is 15 degree always 15 degrees, and I can increase to 25 second exposures?

Here's nice comprehensive article:  https://astrobackyard.com/the-500-rule/  on the 500 rule.

Perseids 2021, not that special, but I have a few thousand photos to go through one by one.



Leonids 2020, I had to stitch images to get this one, which is why longer exposures are more desirable.



Does Latitude matter for the 500 rule?

Asthebelltolls:
Thanks for sharing your night star experiences, Uncle Pete! I can't help you with your query but I appreciate the description of the effort you made so far!

Uncle Pete:

--- Quote from: Asthebelltolls on August 21, 2021, 13:01 ---Thanks for sharing your night star experiences, Uncle Pete! I can't help you with your query but I appreciate the description of the effort you made so far!

--- End quote ---

That's also described as, I made many mistakes, MANY and I finally found good articles on how to do this right. Of course there are the enemies, weather, the Moon and light pollution.  ;) Like all guides, the 500 rule could be called the 500 concept and it's not a law, but simple math supports it. I should have included the basic equation. SS = 500 / (CF x FL) - Shutter Speed = 500 divided by the Focal Length, times the crop factor.

Maybe I can find an astronomer who has some speed answers. A 33 1/3 RPM record is traveling faster, surface speed, on the outside, than the inner tracks. My Latitude is 43.467530 N which is 43 degrees North of the equator. The North pole is 90 degrees North. I'm just shy of half way to that.

The close to a dot, or what is the center of this circle is the North Star / Polaris looking North from my back yard. Note the blown out evergreen in the lower left. That's what a garage light a 1/4 mile away will do. The glow in the lower right is a small town, population 1,400. I cropped most of that light out.



I'm hardly smart about astronomy, people who are beginners, know more and can name many more constellations and stars and features.

I am having fun. Almost everything I do, photo, becomes, having a good time, experimenting and making learning entertaining. Too bad there are so many better people, smarter, harder working and those who research and produce better, and so many people with digital cameras. Hardly worth trying to pay what it costs for my good times.

ps here's the 8mm in 2019

cascoly:

--- Quote from: Uncle Pete on August 21, 2021, 14:00 ---...
I am having fun. Almost everything I do, photo, becomes, having a good time, experimenting and making learning entertaining. Too bad there are so many better people, smarter, harder working and those who research and produce better, and so many people with digital cameras. Hardly worth trying to pay what it costs for my good times....

--- End quote ---

but that's the point?  any income is gravy - i'm doing the same at the other end of the scale - tested 5 digital microscopes before i found one that did what i needed (thank you amazon free returns!) and playing with that & macros to replace my normal travel schedule

marthamarks:
Great pics and tips, Pete. Thanks! You're inspiring me to give this a try too.

Lots of super-dark skies in the remote deserts where I tend to hang out. You make me think I shouldn't waste those opportunities.  :D

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