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All the material on this website is copyrighted to J-P Metsavainio, if not otherwise stated. Any content on this website may not be reproduced without the author’s permission.

Have a visit in my portfolio

Sunday, September 23, 2012

My equipment



I'm shooting my astronomical images from downtown Oulu. This is my collection of  gears needed for my astroimaging. Canon EF 200mm camera lens can't be seen in images here.

This is a new combination from old gears. Now I'm able to shoot with two cameras at ones! QHY9 is used for longer focal length work  with my old Meade LX200 GPS 12" telescope at about f5. QHY8, a cooled single shot color imager, is used with Tokina AT- X 300mm camera lens for wide field work.
Now I can have both, a closeup and a wide filed images, from same target at same time. I'll test, if color information from QHY8 camera can be used with images taken by QHY9 camera.

As you can see, I don't have any fancy gears for my work.
Not a pretty boy...

Lots of cords. They might look unorganized but I can sure you, there is a system.

Same image labeled



Light path from the telescope to camera. There is an active optics unit at middle. (SXV-AO)



Counterweight, Meade fork mount and the dew heater control box at right.



The other side of the scope. 
The ugly yellow fabric, at top, works as an insulation for the 
heater stripe at front of the QHY8 camera. It's heated due the frost.

Images taken with Meade LX200 GPS 12" telescope



Images taken with Tokina AT-X 300mm camera lens

Friday, September 21, 2012

New exhibition of my astronomical images



Sorry, in Finnish only this time, since the exhibition happens in Liminka, Finland.

Näyttely Limingan Taidekoulun tiloissa 21.09 - 16.10. 2012

"DIMENSIOITA"
Kuvia taiteen pimeältä puolelta

J-P Metsävainion tähtikuvia


An exhibition poster



Monday, September 17, 2012

First light for the Autumn season 2012, IC 1340




Finally the sky stayed open for couple of hours and I was able to capture some new photons for this imaging season. After a six months mandatory Summer pause, (I'm shooting from the latitude 65N) it feels like doing this at the first time.
For last couple of years, I have shot with camera lenses, Tokina AT-X 300mm f2.8 and Canon EF 200mm f1.8. 
This season will shoot with much longer focal length by using my old Meade LX200 GPS 12" telescope. 
I'm using the SXV-AO active optics unit with it and I have forced the f-number down to ~5 from original f10. (Focal reduction is done by "miss using " the Celestron f6.3 reducer.)

I'm a happy camper now!

IC 1340, Part of the Eastern Veil Nebula in Cygnus
RA: 20h56m 45.8s DE:+31 degrees07' 17"

IC 1340 in H-alpha light from emission of ionized Hydrogen.
(I'll need least three more hours for H-alpha light)

IC 1340 is part of the Veil Nebula, a supernova remnant in constellation Cygnus at distance of about 1470 light years. This is one of the more luminous areas in this SNR.  Image is B&W, since it shows only a light emitted by ionized Hydrogen. The shock front formed by the material ejected from giant explosion, the super nova, can be seen in this image.

There is only two hours of exposures integrated in this image. I'll need least three more hours for H-alpha and about a same amount for O-III and S-II to make a color composition out of this target.

Orientation image

Area of interest is marked as a white rectangle in this older wide field image above.

Technical details:

Processing work flow:
Image acquisition, MaxiDL v5.07.
Stacked and calibrated in CCDStack2.
Levels and curves in PS CS3.

Optics, Meade LX200 GPS 12" @ f5
Camera, QHY9
Guiding, SXV-AO, an active optics unit, and Lodestar guide camera
Image Scale, ~0,8 arc-seconds/pixel
Six 1200s exposures for H-alpha emission = 2h
(I'll need least three more hours for H-alpha light)






Thursday, September 6, 2012

A framed image 30x40cm (~12x16 Inch)


Tarjous 

An offer

Kaikki kuvat arkistostani, kehystettynä, paspartuuri ja lasi, 190€, postikulut Suomeen sisältyvät hintaan!
Kuvan koko ~30x40cm + kehykset. Maksimi vedosmäärä 30 kpl. Kuvat on singeerattu ja numeroitu. Kuvan taakse tulee selostus kuvan sisällöstä.

Any image from my portfolio, framed, mats and glass, 190€ + P&P included in Finland!
Image size ~30x40cm + frames. Maximum print volume is 30. Images are signed and numbered.
Text about image content, behind frames, included.

Kuva-arkisto:
Image portfolio:
http://astroanarchy.zenfolio.com/p1072219942

Please, contact me directly to buy
Ota minuun yhteyttä ostaaksesi
e-mail: jp.metsavainio@gmail.com

Esimerkkikuva mustilla puukehyksillä, 190€
A sample image with black wooden farmes, 190€

Varsinainen kuva 30x40cm + kehystyksen koko
Image itself 30x40cm + the size of framing


Kuvat vedostetaan valvonnassani 300g/neliö happovapaalle taidepaperille.
Kehystys kehystämössä, ei valmiskehyksiä.

Images are printed in acid free art quality 300g/m2 paper under my supervision.
Framing in frame shop, no ready made frames.  

Sample 2, 30x40cm + frame size, 190 EUR

Sample 2, 30x40cm + frame size, 190 EUR


Sample 2, 30x40cm + frame size, 190 EUR


Sample 2, 30x40cm + frame size, 190 EUR