[quasimodo]

@graaja- This so fantastic and inspiring. Hoping to start my journey with Dobsonian and be at this level soon.

[OffRoadFun]

Amazing! And thank you.

Honest confession. We read about these constellations and galaxies in our childhood when information was scarce (forget about high speed internet).

Those pictures had always seemed to be a bit mysterious, (processed images?) since they can never be observed by naked eye.

When we see someone so "closely" observing, they seem much more relatable and interesting. Thank you.

Coincidently, I went to my farm a few weeks back and used SkyView app in the clear skies there and for the first time I could relate to the constellations etc. and how planets enter a particular "rashi" or constellation. But this is another level.

Keep posting.

Also, very inspiring to see people have hobbies and interests very different and meaningful.

[graaja]

Originally Posted by Jupizire

This is inspiring, to say the least, @graaja.

Are the colourful images the outcome of image processing by the PC? Or does the nebula look like that even to our naked eyes when viewed through telescope? Have never seen through a telescope. Hence the dumb question.

I am just wondering if you could graciously allow the interested team-bhpians to visit your place on a fri/Sat night for sky grazing! Wishful thinking !

Thank you for the kind words!

The color information is present in the light that reaches us. Our eyes have rods and cones in the retina. Rods sense brightness, and cones sense color. Rods are 100 times more sensitive than cones and give us night vision. As the light from these celestial objects is very dim, the rods detect the light, but cones are not able to detect the color. That is why even when you see objects in a telescope, they are visible on a grey scale. Only very seasoned visual observers with very sensitive eyesight can make out some color in very bright objects. However, the camera sensors are sensitive to both brightness and color and can reproduce color in the images. I hope this clears your doubts.

The equipment I have set up is for astrophotography and is not meant for visuals. All data are digital and recorded in the cameras over long periods. The telescopes can be converted into visual scopes, but I will mostly do this only when taking the equipment to dark sites. From the city's light-polluted sky, it is very difficult to do any visual observation.

Originally Posted by ToffeeTraveller

Wow! What an interesting hobby. T-BHP is truly a inspiring community comprising people having very different passions - trekking, astronomy, biking, etc. Terrific stuff, @gjraaja, keep them coming.

Thank you for the kind words!

Originally Posted by expcretrvlsmile

This is an inspiring read!! Were you able to get shots of the Planetary Alignment in Jan.

Are there any sky watching clubs in our country where ordinary people like us can observe the distant planets and stars. Last month, we have been searching around Kochi to find a place to watch the planetary alignment but unfortunately we could not find any club or societies hosting the event. However we did not lose hope - picked up the phone and tried to capture Mars ourselves.

Being a skeptic, I didn't believe what had been captured. I think this is due to the bokeh effect when trying to capture an out of focus object. But anyways it was something and I think people here can be a better judge on how/what was captured.

Thank you for the kind words!

Planetary alignment is not something that can be photographed. This alignment term itself is misleading and has been wrongly made famous by media. All planets are on the same plane as they revolve around the sun and because of this are visible in the same line that the Sun travels in the sky from east to west (also known as the ecliptic). So, they are always aligned in a sense. During the recent event, more planets were visible at the same time in the night sky, but they were still scattered from east to west. You could see the bright planets like Venus, Jupiter, Saturn and Mars with naked eyes, and Uranus and Neptune through telescopes.

There are astronomy clubs in some cities. These clubs organize star parties where hobbyists come with their telescopes and view celestial objects. In Bangalore, BAS (Bangalore Astronomical Society) is very active and they conduct star parties in Coorg during winter months. I know a few come to Coorg from Kerala to attend these star parties. You could also plan to attend one of these events. There are several telescopes through which you can enjoy views of celestial objects like planets, nebulae, galaxies, star clusters etc.

It is very difficult to guess what object has been shot in the picture you posted. If you had used a high zoom, then it could be a defocused planet. Otherwise, it could just be a lens flare.

Originally Posted by quasimodo

@graaja- This so fantastic and inspiring. Hoping to start my journey with Dobsonian and be at this level soon.

Thank you for the kind words! All the best with your journey, and looking forward to pictures from you in the future.

Originally Posted by OffRoadFun

Amazing! And thank you.

Coincidently, I went to my farm a few weeks back and used SkyView app in the clear skies there and for the first time I could relate to the constellations etc. and how planets enter a particular "rashi" or constellation. But this is another level.

Thank you for the kind words! In remote areas like villages and farms where light pollution is less, you will be able to see all the stars in the constellations. Identifying constellations is fun. My dad used to show us constellations like Orion, Ursa Major, Scorpio etc., when I was a kid, and that had planted the interest in astronomy that got realized after decades. Please continue looking above whenever you get a chance

[Kkumar]

Vow, as usual you have again come up with a great article with excellent photos which reminds one that we are not even a small speck of dust in this vast universe. Eagerly waiting for your next thread. Thank you for sharing and keep on munching miles.

[swe.desi]

As always, a pleasure to read your posts @graaja. Thank you! Please consider making a post about the different astral bodies