Dunnet Head star trails

[tjc]

First real attempt at some star trails... went up to Dunnet Head to escape the light pollution as much as I could...

http://img25.imageshack.us/img25/3240/trailsi.jpg

http://img21.imageshack.us/img21/4498/trailsiii.jpg

I really enjoyed my while out with the stars... will be doing this again for sure... next time I`ll go for Polaris in a more central position...

[Mystical Potato Head]

Good shots tjc,nothing wrong with those at all,focus spot on.
Its good fun and theres always that little bit of excitement when you put the card in the computer,wondering how its going to turn out....well is for me anyway.

[tjc]

Thanks MPH... yeh I know the excitement you mean...

Couldn`t wait to get home and have a look to see how (if lol) they`d come out.

Ofcourse I forgot the torch :roll: so only had the light on my phone but it was enough to let me see what I was doing.

Will be hunting down other "dark" places to try more shots.

Do you have any you`d recommend?

[wifie]

Hey those are cool tjc! :)

[tjc]

Cheers wifie. :)

[Mystical Potato Head]

Thanks MPH... yeh I know the excitement you mean...

Couldn`t wait to get home and have a look to see how (if lol) they`d come out.

Ofcourse I forgot the torch :roll: so only had the light on my phone but it was enough to let me see what I was doing.

Will be hunting down other "dark" places to try more shots.

Do you have any you`d recommend?

Sorry tjc,i just take mine from the back garden although i do plan a little tour around the place next time there's a clear night,probably August:lol:

[astroman]

Thanks MPH... yeh I know the excitement you mean...

Couldn`t wait to get home and have a look to see how (if lol) they`d come out.

Ofcourse I forgot the torch :roll: so only had the light on my phone but it was enough to let me see what I was doing.

Will be hunting down other "dark" places to try more shots.

Do you have any you`d recommend?

Your photos turned out really good tjc - the different star colours stand out, as does the bright stars of the Plough.

Most of my observing & astrophotography is from my back garden in Thurso, but I have ventured further afield on occasion. In the last few months Caithness Astronomy Group have had events at Borgie Forest and Castletown Heritage Centre (http://www.caithness.org/fpb/2009/february/gallery.php?gallery=8&start=0), both of which afforded good dark sky views.

Other places of note I've tried are Thurso Harbour (for views to the north), the Loch More area, Causewaymire (great for views of the Milky Way in late autumn) and the car park near Old Castle of Wick (great for low views to the south and east). But there are many options in Caithness & Sutherland to choose from.

I'm now looking for a suitable foreground for my next wide field star trails photo, but unless I get a chance soon the brighter summer nights will delay my next foray until autumn.

[tjc]

Sorry tjc,i just take mine from the back garden although i do plan a little tour around the place next time there's a clear night,probably August:lol:

August... both you and astroman have now mentioned waiting till August...

I take it then that the summer nights aren`t so good for star trails?

Too bright maybe? Funny that... I thought the summer nights would be good for them, being clear, but now I think on it, the summer nights don`t get very dark do they so I spose I`ve answered my own question, lol... :roll:

I actually tried a couple of shots form the garden too... they came out pretty well as far as the trials were concerned but they were a tad "orange".

Do you get bothered with light pollution where you are or does your filter sort it out completely?

[tjc]

Your photos turned out really good tjc - the different star colours stand out, as does the bright stars of the Plough.

Most of my observing & astrophotography is from my back garden in Thurso, but I have ventured further afield on occasion. In the last few months Caithness Astronomy Group have had events at Borgie Forest and Castletown Heritage Centre (http://www.caithness.org/fpb/2009/february/gallery.php?gallery=8&start=0), both of which afforded good dark sky views.

Other places of note I've tried are Thurso Harbour (for views to the north), the Loch More area, Causewaymire (great for views of the Milky Way in late autumn) and the car park near Old Castle of Wick (great for low views to the south and east). But there are many options in Caithness & Sutherland to choose from.

I'm now looking for a suitable foreground for my next wide field star trails photo, but unless I get a chance soon the brighter summer nights will delay my next foray until autumn.

Thanks for your positive comments and observing tips astroman (and the link) very much appreciated.

I`ve thought about heading out to Loch More a couple of times but never managed it yet... but I will.

I`m pleased with the way the shots came out for a "proper" first attempt and pleased I caught the Plough too but will be trying again for sure and some kind of foreground interest is a good idea to try. What causes the different star colours then?

I look forward to seeing what foreground you come up with for your next shot. :)

[Mystical Potato Head]

You might get some trails in a southerly direction but on midsummers night the sun sets at 10.30,doesnt get dark untill about 12.30 and rises at 4.00.It never gets dark to the North,you can watch the blue glow as the sun just dips below the horizon and its almost broad daylight by 3, giving you a grand total of 2 to 2 1/2 hrs of twilight or as they call it in shetland,the simmer dim.

As for the LP,it was terrible for me before i got the filter,could get rid of it in photoshop but its destructive to the quality of the image so at least now i have a whole process i dont need to do anymore.

[astroman]

...... What causes the different star colours then?


It's all to do with their surface temperature - see MPH's explanation here:
http://forum.caithness.org/showpost.php?p=490828&postcount=16

As for it not getting dark in the northern part of the sky in midsummer, check out this photo from 3rd July last year. The panorama shows noctilucent clouds along the northern horizon from Thurso harbour. It was taken at 0130hrs using a 1s exposure at ISO100 - the sky was that bright :cool:

http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/jj138/astroman_caithness/3rdJuly08NoctilucentCloud03.jpg

[tjc]

You might get some trails in a southerly direction but on midsummers night the sun sets at 10.30,doesnt get dark untill about 12.30 and rises at 4.00.It never gets dark to the North,you can watch the blue glow as the sun just dips below the horizon and its almost broad daylight by 3, giving you a grand total of 2 to 2 1/2 hrs of twilight or as they call it in shetland,the simmer dim.

As for the LP,it was terrible for me before i got the filter,could get rid of it in photoshop but its destructive to the quality of the image so at least now i have a whole process i dont need to do anymore.

Cheers for the info MPH. Sounds like one of those filters would be a good investment... the last trails you posted were spot on... no sign of L.P atall...

[tjc]

It's all to do with their surface temperature - see MPH's explanation here:
http://forum.caithness.org/showpost.php?p=490828&postcount=16

As for it not getting dark in the northern part of the sky in midsummer, check out this photo from 3rd July last year. The panorama shows noctilucent clouds along the northern horizon from Thurso harbour. It was taken at 0130hrs using a 1s exposure at ISO100 - the sky was that bright :cool:

http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/jj138/astroman_caithness/3rdJuly08NoctilucentCloud03.jpg

That`s quite amazing astroman... 1.30 and a 1 sec exposure... :eek:

Just shows how bright it stays at that time of year... well worth keeping all that in mind. Cheers.

[Mystical Potato Head]

Great shot Astroman,thats a cracking example of noctilucent clouds.

[kas]

Wicked colours tjc. A bit like a disco ball,
Great shot Astroman, I have seen me not go to bed the odd saturday night around midsummer but sit and watch the sky and sea, our house faces north and it is such a beautiful sight at this time, with some amazing sunrises to follow then around 4am.

[tjc]

Cheers kas...

It is a spectacular time of year and I`ve often stayed up late to watch the night`s and sunrises too. Maybe not so good for star trails but I really love this time of year.

:)

[astroman]

I look forward to seeing what foreground you come up with for your next shot. :)

Been doing a bit of scouting for a suitably interesting foreground - this might do, but will now have to wait until later in the year for darker night skies.
http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/jj138/astroman_caithness/DunnetLighthouseStarTrails.jpg

[Mystical Potato Head]

Your not the only one :lol: i've all but given up until August.That photo has the potential to be an absolute beauty,its a cracker as it is but as you say darker skies required.

[annthracks]

I thought I'd nip towards Bridge of Forss to get an uninterrupted view of WNW horizon around 22:00 / 22:15 but I think I'm expecting too much to be able to see the thin cresent of Mercury thorough our somewhat cloudy atmosphere :)