[graaja]

Originally Posted by kishore1984

Whao...! what a post to run into just when I was planning a drive to Yelagiri to stargaze. Compared to your rig I think my Celestron Astromaster 70AZ refractor telescope is a minion. The first time I was able to track and zoom into Saturn at 2 AM on a Sunday is an experience in itself. I have a 9 yr old who is equally curious as I am.

Thanks for sharing your experience, the pics are breathtaking and travelogue beautifully written.

while we are on the same topic, can I ask your feedback on something I recently ran into - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects...raphy/comments

Thank you for the kind words! Great to know that you are into astronomy and that you involve your kid as well.

Regarding the MirrorSky telescope, IMHO, it should be ok for some beginner observation of planets and moon due to its 1900mm focal length. But it is not suitable for any DSO (deep space objects like nebulae, galaxies etc) photography. It will not be suitable even to view these objects.

For visual, I would recommend going for an 8" dobsonian telescope. For photography, it is better to go for a good DSLR camera with a wide angle lens for landscape photography like Milky Way and get a star tracker and a longer lens for DSO. This will yield better results than the Mirror Sky.

[digitalnirvana]

Take a bow graaja, excellent pictures and narration. Mesmerising. Hanle and Leh are beautiful, may they remain as pristine as I remember them.

At times like these one can't help but think of Carl Sagan and his profound messages.

How I wish we were born in different times. Too late for discovery on Earth, too early for discovery in the stars. The in-betweeners, us.

[graaja]

Originally Posted by sukhbirST

Thanks for showing me a different world(s) with amazing pictures. The best part was reading and then viewing, which never happens in so many media pictures. Always thought it was possible with state intervention only. Closest to this was viewing from a observatory in Panjim.

Thank you so much for the kind words!

Originally Posted by digitalnirvana

Take a bow graaja, excellent pictures and narration. Mesmerising. Hanle and Leh are beautiful, may they remain as pristine as I remember them.

Thank you so much for the kind words!

[RaviKBobba]

Fascinating post. Thoroughly enjoyed reading the entire post. I envy your experience.

It shows the experiences we miss as a city dwellers.

[kraft.wagen]

Simply stunning pictures coach, and your detailed explanation in simple words made this a fantastic read. You always inspire us with the dedication you put into every topic. Keep them coming

[graaja]

Originally Posted by RaviKBobba

Fascinating post. Thoroughly enjoyed reading the entire post. I envy your experience.

It shows the experiences we miss as a city dwellers.

Originally Posted by kraft.wagen

Simply stunning pictures coach, and your detailed explanation in simple words made this a fantastic read. You always inspire us with the dedication you put into every topic. Keep them coming

Thank you so much for the kind words @kraft.wagen and @RavkBobba

[akshaysehgal]

One of the best travelogues I have read on this forum! What an amazing experience. Looking forward to your trip next year as well

Appreciate you going through the equipment details. Would you recommend any specific equipment for someone who wants to get into astrophotography?

[AnandB]

As an astro-amateur this is simply an amazing travelogue with wealth of info. I have visited Ladakh in Sep end last year to and can't wait to go back again for astro-photography. Only shoot wide-angle milky-way/sky right now but eventually in next few years plan to image DSO just like you. Great work @graaja.

[vvbkumar]

Originally Posted by graaja

Thank you for the kind words. It is great to know someone with similar interests. There is a BAS telegram group where they post about star parties and events. Below is the link to register in this group.

https://forms.gle/JaR5zvzxZGHtwz6PA

During winter months, they conduct star parties in Coorg around new moon every month. Next event could be in November or December depending on weather conditions. Join the group and you will be able to see the announcements. Maybe we will meet in the next Coorg star party.

Thank you for the link, i have joined the group.

Excellent writeup and for an amateur like me, your thread provides a great deal of information and inspiration.

I have a Celestron Nexstar 130SLT, but very rarely do we have clear skies here in Hyderabad. I miss the tranquility and clear skies of small towns.

[Payaniga]

Originally Posted by graaja

In Search of Nebulae and Galaxies – An Astrophotography Trip to Hanle and Leh


Recently BAS (Bangalore Astronomy Society) and IIA (Indian Institute of Astrophysics) organized a trip to Hanle, the first dark sky reserve of India. A team of 15 astrophotographers and visual observers (9 from Bangalore, 3 from Coimbatore, 1 from Pune, 1 from Delhi and 1 from Kolkatta) took part in this trip. I, my daughter and a friend and fellow astrophotographer Obulichandran joined this group from Coimbatore.

Excellent travelogue Ganesh! It was very nice meeting you in person!

[graaja]

Originally Posted by akshaysehgal

One of the best travelogues I have read on this forum! What an amazing experience. Looking forward to your trip next year as well

Appreciate you going through the equipment details. Would you recommend any specific equipment for someone who wants to get into astrophotography?

Thank you for your kind words!

There are too many combinations when it comes to astrophotography and the equipment list depends on your goals and budget. If you want to shoot wide angle Milky Way pictures, then a DSLR and a tripod are good enough. If you want to photograph planets, then you will need a telescope with a long focal length, like a 6" or 8" SCT or an 8" or 10" dobsonian with camera adapters, and a DSLR or a dedicated planetary camera. Having Goto capability and tracking are added bonus. If you want to photograph deep space objects, then you will need a good equatorial mount, a good telephoto lens or a telescope, a DSLR or a dedicated astro camera, a guide scope and a guide camera etc. For DSO imaging, you will also need a laptop or Mini PC or a RPi to control the equipment and some software to process the acquired images. You can find more details of the DSO setup and software in my Astrophotography thread.

Originally Posted by AnandB

As an astro-amateur this is simply an amazing travelogue with wealth of info. I have visited Ladakh in Sep end last year to and can't wait to go back again for astro-photography. Only shoot wide-angle milky-way/sky right now but eventually in next few years plan to image DSO just like you. Great work @graaja.

Thank you so much for your kind words. It's great to know you are into wide field milky way photography. Wishing you all the best with your goal of imaging DSOs.

Originally Posted by vvbkumar

Thank you for the link, i have joined the group.

I have a Celestron Nexstar 130SLT, but very rarely do we have clear skies here in Hyderabad. I miss the tranquility and clear skies of small towns.

Awesome! There should be an announcement of the next star party in the last week of November in Coorg. There will be a few more during the weekends near new moon till February or March. Hope you can make it to one of the events.

Unfortunately, in light polluted skies in the cities visual astronomy is very difficult. You run out of targets very quickly. For visual, you have to travel to darker sites.

Originally Posted by Payaniga

Excellent travelogue Ganesh! It was very nice meeting you in person!

Thank you so much for the kind words. It was great meeting you and spending lot of time in discussing various topics of interest. I am a fan of your quiz series and the humourous options you add to the answers We will meet again soon in Coorg.