DSLR Images

(Digital Single Lens Reflex Camera)

The images on this page have been produced electronically by using a Canon 300D Digital Rebel Camera.  I have been impressed with images other Astronomers had been getting with this sort of camera and after my initial experience with a borrowed one at COAA during 2005 I finally got one off e-bay just before Xmas. Here are the initial results. No doubt as my experience grows I will make improvements on the images but for now they give a good idea of what is possible. Most images are actually stacked exposures of between 5, 10, 20 30 seconds and in a few cases a couple of minutes depending on how my telescope drive behaved and if there was no wind to buffet the scope. Telescope used was my 10" F5 Newtonian Reflector and in almost all of the images it was prime focus.
 All images are copyright Paul Money unless otherwise noted.

I hope you enjoy looking at them and perhaps may think to have a go yourselves.
Click on the thumbnail for the one you wish to explore.

Deep Sky: Open Clusters
M41 Messier 41 lies in Canis Major below Sirius and is a great cluster.
 M50 M 50 lies higher in the sky in Monoceros and is often neglected :-(
M45 M45, the Pleiades or 'Seven Sisters' Open Cluster. Note the nebulosity the Cluster is immersed in and the tear shaped patch from the bright lower left star, Merope.
Deep Sky: Multiple Stars
Sigma Orionis Sigma Orionis and Struve 761
Deep Sky: Bright Nebula
Messier 1 M1 the Crab Nebula
Orion Nebula Messier 42/43 the Orion Nebula. This image has been processed to bring out more of the fainter nebulosity.
M42/43 Messier 42/43 the Orion Nebula. This version has been processed to give what I think is a more realistic view of this wonderful deep sky object.
Trapezium A close up view of the heart of the Orion Nebula showing the central bright cluster of the Trapezium. I have managed to identify several objects in the image (click for a close-up annotated view) that I can find in the recent HST Orion nebula image - OK mine is not as good :-) The image was taken using all of the equipment mentioned at top but with a 2X camera adapter to help increase the magnification then the final image was cropped and enlarged.

Deep Sky: Galaxies
M33 M33 Triangulum Galaxy. A face on Galaxy that makes it harder to both view and image! This initial view has now been reprocessed using K3CCDTools and some extra tweaking with Paintshop pro - click on the image here to see the original processed image then click on that to see the newer more detailed view.
Solar System
Moon The Moon taken on January 12th 2006 with the 10" Newtonian Reflector prime focus and 1/200 sec at ISO 100
 Saturns Moons Saturns Moons are seen here in a close up taken on January 12th 2006 at 00:25UT - click here to see an annotated view identifying them.


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Webmaster ã Paul L Money 2006