Yannick Dutertre is the winner of ZWO 2020 ASIWEEK #16 and has brought us many extraordinary astronomy photos. To make our ZWOers know this excellent astrophotographer better, we make this interview. Let’s all take a look now.

Q1: At first, congratulation that your nice image won #ASIWEEK. Can you introduce yourself to us?

My name is Yannick Dutertre, I’m a 35-year-old French man living and working in Tokyo, Japan. I love astrophotography, science, hiking & paragliding.

Q2: When did you start love astronomy and what had made you think of taking photos of the stars?

I started astronomy as a kid, when I got a 115mm aperture Newtonian scope and simple equatorial mount for Christmas. Unfortunately, I had no idea how important precise polar alignment was, so had no clue how to search for targets in the sky. Still, I was able to see Jupiter, Saturn, or M42 with my own eyes, which was amazing.

I started the hobby again as an adult with visual observing – but from Tokyo. As I couldn’t see much using my Meade ETX-125 or my Meade LT-6, I decided the see whether taking astrophotographs could help me see the “faint fuzzies” better. My first attempts were with a non-modified first gen Sony NEX 5 camera, and I quickly upgraded (?) to a Meade DSI II. This is one of my very first pictures using DSI II with LRGB filters and Meade LT-6 in Alt-Az. I had no idea how to combine LRGB frames, so a CloudyNights forum user actually did it for me (thanks Rigel123).

M42 in LRGB with monochrome Meade DSI II. 30s exposures with Meade LT-6.

Q3: What equipment do you currently use? Can you show us some pictures of them?

I currently have three different setups, which are all very new, as I have recently sold a lot of my equipment to simplify what I own.

• My main imaging rig is a Vixen R200SS Newtonian with PH Corrector (760mm, F3.8), on an EQ6-R mount with ASI1600MM-C with filter wheel and 3nm Astrodon filters (or occasionally the ASI533MC Pro), ZWO EAF, and ASI178MM for guiding
• My secondary and portable imaging rig is a Harmonic Drive mount (Crux 140 Traveller), which I have gotten to travel to darker sites, but which I haven’t used yet. I am pairing it with a Sigma Art 135mm f1.8 lens, an Astromechanics EOS adapter (which includes lens control so that autofocus is possible) and my ASI533MC Pro but intend on also using it with my Newtonian rig.
• My last setup is for visual observation and planetary imaging. It is an iOptron AZ Mount Pro with Celestron C9.25 and ASI178MC Pro.

Q4: We love your Leo Triplet very much! It must be not easy for you to achieve such impressive results considering you are in a Bortle 9 area. Would you like to tell us more about this project and how you made it?

Thank you! I usually do Narrowband Imaging, so I usually don’t even attempt to image during galaxy season. A few days ago, I was testing my new ASI533MC Pro, so I pointed my equipment to M51, not expecting anything. In the end, I had 500 frames of 30 seconds each, and when I stacked them, I got a much, much better result than I expected – galaxies can be more easily separated from the light polluted background than extended nebulae can be. This made me think that I could try for other galaxy targets directly from my Tokyo balcony, and chose the Leo Triplet, as it fit the field of view of my imaging rig perfectly.

Leo Triplet

M51 from Tokyo with ASI533MC Pro

Q5: How many efforts have you made to overcome the heavy light pollution in Tokyo?

The easiest way to overcome the heavy light pollution here has been to invest in 3nm Narrowband filters from Astrodon. I have also played with narrowband filters for OSC (OPT Triad Ultra) but didn’t quite like the color palette I obtained. I should also say that Tokyo doesn’t have great weather (I don’t know why, but in summer there are many perfectly sunny days followed by cloudy nights), and has constantly poor seeing, so planetary imaging is also very hard. My roof balcony is also very prone to fairly strong winds, which makes long exposures difficult. Plus, I avoid imaging objects that are less than 30-40 degrees above the horizon: any lower than that and they are drowned in smog and light pollution.

While narrowband is great, with the many LEDs set up in Tokyo, even narrowband has started suffering more from light pollution, especially the OIII band – which typically has less signal but more LP filtering through, dramatically affecting the signal to noise ratio. I am also having a lot of trouble performing the combination of HA, SII, and OIII bands – it is more of an art than a science, and I am unfortunately terrible at art!

The North American Nebula from Tokyo, with merged narrowband ASI183MM Pro data and ASI071MC Pro OSC data

Ideally I would simply drive to darker skies, which is possible from here (I can get to a Bortle 4-5 in one hour or so)… but each time I have done so, it has ended in failure (problem with battery, dew forming on the scope, sudden cloud cover, too strong winds, etc.). I need to try again but am always afraid that it will be for nothing. I have a huge amount of respect for people who regularly drive to dark sites.

The below Orion picture is from a Bortle 4 zone West of Tokyo, was taken through thin clouds, and was just 44 x 30s exposures with a Samyang 135mm f2.0 and ASI294MC Pro on an AZ-GTi mount (this was right before a park ranger came to tell me the parking lot I was on was closing). I was amazed at what I was able to achieve in just a few minutes of exposure, it almost felt like cheating.

Orion’s Belt from Okutama, West of Tokyo. 44x30s exposures with ASI294MC Pro

Q6: Among all the stars, galaxies and nebulas, do you have a favorite target? Any pictures?

The target that I love most is probably the Horse Nebula, but somehow, I never had quite the time to take a good picture of it! I currently only have HA data on it. I will try again next year.

Horse Nebula in HA from Tokyo. EdgeHD800, ASI1600MM-C. 15x480s.

Another target I find fascinating is the Veil Nebula / Cygnus Loop. It is a huge object, and I find it amazing that such a large object (in terms of apparent size) could come from a single supernova. I intend to take a mosaic of that object if I can – I have already determined that it can be shot from Tokyo in narrowband.

The Western Veil from Tokyo. ASI1600MM-C with 350mm f4 lens. 80x120s Ha, 90x120s OIII

Q7: What do you think is the most difficult part of post-processing? How do you achieve the balance between authenticity and aesthetics?

For me, it is the noise reduction, and the combination of multiple narrowband channels. Noise reduction is extremely hard to do, when you have a poor SNR, which is often the case of my stacks, even when they are many hours long. There is an upside to poor SNR however: my data is usually not good enough to support sharpening and other operations that could affect authenticity. I am also very lazy, and never take the time to do the more complex operations like Deconvolution, which helps me stay authentic.

Where I suffer the most is narrowband combination. To this day I have no idea what I am doing when combining narrowband channels. I do not know whether the hue curve manipulations I do are scientifically accurate or if they alter anything. I have never been fully satisfied with any narrowband picture I have taken. In the below picture, the blue of the tadpoles nebula is too turquoise, and not transparent enough. I have never figured out how people manage that blue and gold Hubble palette look.

Flaming Star and Tadpole Nebulae from Tokyo. ASI1600MM-C with 350mm f4 lens. 65x300s Ha, 80x300s OIII, 18x300s SII

Q8: How many ASI products do you have? How did that come to you to buy your first ASI camera?

I used to have too many before I sold a lot of my equipment. Currently I have four ASI cameras and the EAF.

I was using a monochrome DSLR (modded Canon EOS 650 with Bayer matrix scraped off) when I started looking at cooled cameras. Just then, the ASI1600MM-C was released, and I think I got one of the first! Back then they came with an ST-4 port instead of a USB hub. At the time I didn’t know that it was CMOS vs CCD, I just knew that it was cheap, had cooling, and seemed like it could work. A year ago, its main board stopped working, so ZWO changed it for a V2 board which has the very convenient USB hub on it! I really love this little camera; it has completely changed my astrophotos.

The Seagull Nebula. ASI1600MM-C with 350mm f4 lens. 306x120s OIII, 152x180s HA, 124x180s SII

Q9: Do you like your new camera ASI533MC Pro? Does it work fine with your telescope?

I really like it! I used to have the 294MC Pro and the 071MC Pro, but the 294 was a bit too hard to use in a white zone and had issues with my OPT Triad Ultra filter, while I found the 071MC Pro to be very clean and easy to use, but less sensitive than I wanted it to be. The ASI533MC Pro is the perfect compromise for me. It has a very clean signal with consistent and easy to calibrate noise, while remaining extremely sensitive. It works great with my telescope and gave me just the right FOV for that Leo Triplet picture.

Bode and Cigar Galaxies from Tokyo – With ASI533MC Pro, 985x30s

Q10: Do you know our ASIAIR PRO? Any new features of it you feel interested to add?

I know of the ASIAIR PRO – I’ve been following the ASIAIR since its release. I like that the ASIAIR Pro has fixed one of the shortcomings of the ASIAIR: lack of USB 3 ports. I really, really want one to use when going to darker skies. But it is missing one critical feature for me: the ability to perform autofocus.

With my Newtonian, focus shift throughout the night can be significant, and not being able to autofocus frequently is a showstopper. I am an occasional code contributor to the open-source capture software N.I.N.A. (https://nighttime-imaging.eu/), and because of that I have been able to help increase compatibility with the various ZWO products I own: I added direct dithering (without needing a guide camera) for wide field imaging, greatly enhanced OSC camera support in N.I.N.A. since I bought the 294MC Pro, and added various autofocus related features (Better star detection routines, Autofocus after HFR change, autofocus parabolic and hyperbolic curve fitting, contrast based autofocus, etc.). The freedom to be able to add features I need to the capture software I use has been very useful to me, and I’d be afraid to lose that freedom with ASIAIR. However, I’d really want to give it a go once autofocus is available.

The Crescent Nebula area from Tokyo. 154x180s with ASI071MC Pro and Triad Ultra filter, and Canon 300mm f2.8 lens.

Q11: What’s your impression of ZWO? Do you have any feedback and suggestions that want to speak to us?

ZWO is a great, innovative, and always improving company. I like all the experimentation that goes on, and how products get refined across versions (camera rings getting enhanced, OAG getting more stable, EOS adapter getting more solid, etc.). If anything, I’d suggest a partnership with Astromechanics to ship ZWO-branded EOS adapters with ASCOM control of aperture and focus motor of the lens and adding autofocus to the ASIAIR! Also, how about making ASIAIR software open source?

The jellyfish nebula from Tokyo with ASI1600MM-C and 350mm f4 lens. 66 x 300s Ha, 80 x 300s OIII, 50 x 300s SII

To enhance our amateurs’ abilities of astro-observation and astrophotography, to stimulate the public’s imagination and creativity, and to better feel the beauty of the stars, universe and science. We have the ASIWEEK ASTROPHOTOGRAPHY CONTEST now. We sincerely invite global astronomers and photographers to participate.

Here are the fantastic works from the 8th edition of 2020 ASIWEEK ASTROPHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION. Let’s take a look!

It is ‎Joe Renzetti and his target M78 captured with ZWO ASI1600MM that won the championship.

The winning entry:

Photographer: Joe Renzetti

Target: M78

Equipment: ASI1600MM + Celestron C14 + Hyperstar + AP1100GTO + Baader 2″ LRGB

RGB: 30 x 30s per channel

About the camera:

ZWO ASI1600MM Pro $1,280.00

Photographer: Manuel Huss

Target: IC1795

Equipment: ASI1600MM Pro + ONTC 8″ Newton

Integration time: About 13 hours

Photographer: Janco Moolman

Target: NGC3372

Equipment: ASI1600MM + Sky-Watcher Esprit 100

Ha 5nm: 27 x 5min, Gain: 200, Offset: 50

RGB: 27 x 1min per channel, Gain: 75, Offset: 12

Photographer: ‎‎Joe Renzetti

Target: NGC1365

Equipment: ASI178MM Cool + C14 + Hyperstar AP1100GTO + Baader 2” LRGB

RGB: 30 x 30s per channel

Find us on Facebook for delicate astronomical images.

Facebook Page: https://buff.ly/2GN9ASW

Facebook Group: https://buff.ly/31fh49c

Cedric Begue is the winner of ZWO 2020 ASIWEEK #17 and has brought us many extraordinary astronomy photos. To make our ZWOers know this excellent astrophotographer better, we make this interview. Let’s all take a look now.

Q1: At first, congratulation that your nice image won #ASIWEEK! Can you introduce yourself to us?

Thanks! My name is Cedric Begue, I am 37 years old. I live in a small town East of Paris, France. I started taking photos for fun about 10 years ago then got into it more and more.

Q2: It seems to us that you’re a very professional photographer since we saw plenty of great photos on your Facebook including landscape, wildlife, buildings, etc. Can you tell what made you turn to astrophotography?

I am an amateur it’s really just a hobby. But I have been fascinated by the science of the universe for a very long time. In the last few years astrophotography of deep sky objects like nebulas and galaxies has become more accessible, and seeing these beautiful things on the internet made me want to do it myself.

One year ago early april 2019 I was taking my first photos, with an equatorial mount and my photo gear, then things happened, I loved it so much that I bought a dedicated camera, guiding equipement, and the ASIair to command everything; instantly improving the quality of the results.

M27, the Dumbell Nebula in narrowband, ASI183MM Pro on Sigma 500mm F4 Sport lens; 3hours Ha + 3 Hours O3.

Q3: What do you think are the differences between astrophotography and other kinds of photography?

It is very different indeed, in some ways it is harder, because the technical part is much more important to get good results, polar alignment, guiding, focusing… It takes some time to know what you are doing with your equipement and to use the tools that assist you.

But!, unlike “regular” photography, for me animals, or landscapes mainly, as long as the sky is clear you know the object is going to be up there and it’s easy to plan perfectly what you are going to do, even over several nights.

When I go out to take photos of animals or travel for landscapes, I can’t know what I will find, there can be nothing, or the light can be terrible, or I can miss the shots.

For this photo of the Heart Nebula in “Hubble palette” color, it took me three nights to get data from the different filters and a total of around 15 hours of exposure using the Nikon 200mm F2 lens and ASI183MM Pro camera. I like being able to take my time to get the photo I want.

IC1805, the Heart nebula. ASI 183MM Pro on Nikon 200mm F2 lens; S2 + Ha + O3 around 5 hours each.

Q4: What equipment do you use for astrophotography? Any pictures of them?

My equatorial mount is the Skywatcher HEQ-5 Pro.

I used for many months my telephoto lenses because they have such great optical quality and very fast transmission. Short focal lengths also allow original composition of large objects in the sky. (500mm F4, 300mm F2.8, 200mm F2, 105mm F1.4)

I recently bought a Schmidt-Cassegrain Celestron C9.25 telescope with the HyperStar V4 that turns it into a 520mm focal length scope at F2.2. It is now my main imaging system.

My cameras are the ZWO ASI 183MM Pro + 294MC Pro, + the 120MM mini as guide cam.

All this is controlled by my original ZWO ASIair, with EFW 8 slots filter wheel and the EAF focuser.

Finally I use narrowband 6nm filters with the 183MM Pro camera, and a light pollution filter or duo narrowband on the color 294MC Pro.

What I use the most now: C9.25 with HyperStar reducer on HEQ-5 Pro.

Q5: How many places have you been for astrophotography? Where is your favorite place? And do you have any unforgettable experience when travelling?

For astrophotography, I am lucky to have a good sky at home (bortle 4 scale and city lights out at 11PM), so my favorite place to take photos is in my backyard for the equipment, and in my house to control everything with the ASIair.

Now if shooting northern lights counts as astrophotography, I did have an unforgettable experience in Iceland. It was a stunning show.

Another unforgettable experience in astrophotography was taking the Orion Nebula – M42 (also an ASIWEEK winner   ). It is such a spectacular object, I was amazed to see these colors and shapes live in the app on my phone. I did not have the HyperStar setup at this time, I can’t wait to do it again.

M42 Orion nebula. ASI294MC Pro on Sigma 500mm F4 Sport lens; around 4.5 hours of exposure.

Q6: Do you ever have that kind of thought like “Astrophotography is so difficult that I just want to take a rest for a while”?

No, not at all. It can be more tiring than difficult, to me.

But constantly trying to get better is difficult, one of the photos that was difficult for me to do is the Whirlpool galaxy M51, combining data from both my cameras to get the sharpest possible result with my gear. It spent hours processing the images to practice and learn processing softwares and methods. There is still a lot to learn.

M51 Whirlpool galaxy. Combination of data 3 hours with ASI183MM Pro for luminance, 15 minutes with ASI294MC Pro for color on C9.25 HyperStar.

Q7: What changes and surprises have astrophotography brought you?

It taught me to be more patient I am sure. Seeing so many objects in the sky can, in a way, put into perspective everything that happens in my daily life; feeling that we are part of something much bigger.

And I surprise myself always checking the weather for the night instead of the day like everyone else.

Q8: As for your winning image M81&M82&Altas Comet, how did you take it and how did you do the composition?

It’s almost a lucky shot to be honest. The weather was too windy to get the large telescope out, I used a much ligher imaging setup with a short telephoto lens and looked for ideas on the internet. I found the wide field of the Integrated Flux Nebula (IFN) clouds of this region would be a nice target. I looked for coordinates on the Stellarium software and used the goto and plate solve funtions of the ASIair as always.

I was surprised to see the comet in the frame on the first photo. The first night was technically not good, it was my first time using this 105mm F1.4 photo lens on astrophoto camera, replacing my other 105mm F1.4 from Nikon. I wanted better and I knew I could do it so I did it again the next night to get it right.

Capturing these dark clouds is quite challenging and require a sky of good quality with low light pollution.

IC7023 the Iris nebula, and SH 2-136 the Ghost nebula. Around 15 hours with ASI294MC Pro on Nikon 300mm F2.8 lens.

Q9: Do you have any suggestions for the newcomers?

Be patient! It will take time to get used to the techical side of astrophotography, don’t give up if things go wrong in the first few weeks. Get the right gear with your budget, things that work well together. Don’t be affraid to ask for advices from the comunity.

For me, what works is to be inspired by the work of others, there are plenty of beautiful images of iconic objects. I don’t say “I will never be able to do that” I say “I want to do that”.

IC434 and NGC2024, the Horsehead and Flame nebulas. Around 5 hours with ASI294MC Pro on Sigma 500mm F4 Sport lens.

Q10: Can you tell how did you know ZWO? How many ZWO products do you have?

I think just looking for cooled astrophotography cameras I noticed ZWO was a very popular brand. I also came across reviews of the ASIair so I bought a complete package with the camera and filer wheel. Today I have a total seven ZWO products, cameras, EAF filter wheel, guide scope, ASIair.. plus adapters for Nikon mount lenses, I really like how all works well together.

Q11: What do you care most when buying a dedicated astronomy camera?

That would be the pixel size first. Then the noise. My 183MM Pro with very small pixels is fantastic combined to the short and fast focal lengths of my lenses. While the 294MC Pro has bigger pixels, more dynamic range for very deep color images. I hope to get the 2600MC Pro in the coming months, this new generation of sensors is really great. And if a monochrome sensor with even smaller pixels comes out one day I’ll be very excited too.

NGC7000 The North American nebula and IC5070 the Pelican nebula. Around 5 hours in narrowband Ha with ASI183MM Pro on Nikon 105mm F1.4 lens.

Q12: Do you know our ASIAIR PRO? Are there any features you feel interested?

Yes I know the ASIAIR PRO. I am interested in the built-in DC outputs especially, and live stacking for a more confortable experience. But the PRO features are not so critical for my use, the original is still great. I keep an eye on updates as they keep coming and the PRO perhaps having more avantages thanks to its greater processing power in the furure.

Planetary imaging support with SER format video file would be great. I enjoy deep sky objects but also moon images using the ASI183MM Pro on my C9.25 scope. The relatively large sensor size allows to capture large portions of the moon so it’s easy to stitch a complete panorama with great fine delail.

Moon detail with ASI183MM Pro on Celestron C9.25 @ F10.

Q13: What’s your impression of ZWO? Do you have any feedback or suggestions to us?

I believe ZWO is doing a great job, the products are attractive and the big strengh is that all works very well together, the most important things to control your imaging system are available. Regular updates on the ASIair are a big plus, ZWO is taking seriously the feedback from their customers.

[This review was written by @davidparks (Cloudy Night) and we got the authorization to share it onto the ZWO website. We’d like to thank David for his great work and kindness very much!]

The vixen dovetail that comes with the ASIAIR Pro can be mounted on the side, or either horizontally or vertically on the bottom.  With power input on one end, managed power outputs on the adjacent side, and USB ports on the opposite end, you have several orientations to choose from to accommodate your cable approach angles.  Yes, I said “managed output”, to my surprise you can turn the 4 power outputs on/off individually in the ASIAIR App.  I used 2 of the power outputs to power the cooler on my imaging camera, and directly power the dew strap on the C5, no controller needed.

I secured the ASIAir Pro onto a dual dovetail along with a ZWO Mini Guide Scope (30mm/f4), attached to a Celestron C5 SCT (127mm/f10), mounted on a Skywatcher AZ-GTi.  Although you can easily connect the ASIAIR Pro and AZ-GTi wirelessly, I used a Lynx Astro FTDI EQDIR USB cable to connect directly to one of the two USB2 ports on the ASIAIR Pro.  The two USB3 ports of the ASIAIR Pro were connected to a ZWO ASI224MC and ZWO ASI294MC Pro.  I use an Apple iPad Pro to run the ASIAIR App and connect wirelessly to the ASIAIR Pro with the 5Ghz band.

I use the AZ-GTi on an iOptron EQ Base in EQ Mode, so the first order of business was to achieve Polar Alignment using the PA Mode in the ASIAIR App.  Once the mount and scope are set in the conventional “EQ Home” position, ASIAIR makes Polar Alignment as “easy as 1, 2, 3” by platesolving, rotating the mount 60 degrees, and platesolving again.  ASIAIR’s platesolving is lightning fast, and provides continuous updates guiding your alignment knob adjustments.  ASIAIR states that an alignment error up to 2’ is reasonable, and even though the EQ base I was using leaves A LOT to be desired for fine adjustments, I was able to secure alignment with a 13” error in about 5 minutes.  I feel that ASIAIR’s claim that a 2’ error is reasonable is not only acceptable, but with my experience with guiding out a 6’ error with the original ASIAIR (on this same mount), completely justifiable.

The next step for me was to achieve good focus.  ASIAIR’s Named Stars database allows you to choose a star, for which ASIAIR will automatically GoTo, platesolve, and center.  With ASIAIR’s built in object databases and lightning fast platesolving (consistently less than 2 seconds), Star Alignments and planetarium programs are not needed.  The ASIAIR Pro had Arcturus centered, the mount tracking and auto-guiding in moments.  The Focus Aid of ASIAIR provides live HFD and other measurements to inform your focusing, however, I simply used a Bahtinov Mask and the zoom window of the Focus Aid to achieve focus.  ASIAIR Pro supports ZWO’s EAF providing a very useable interface, but tonight I was just manually focusing with the standard rubber SCT focus knob.  It became apparent that my C5 is in need of collimating, but that didn’t bother me too much, as my purpose was to evaluate the ASIAIR Pro, not to acquire my best images.

With a 97% illuminated Moon and Bortle 6 skies, I decided to just try the ASIAIR Pro’s Live Stacking, and forego any testing of the Sequencing usually associated with AP, which I’ve used before with the original ASIAIR.  ASIAIR allows the calibration of your Live Stack with Flat, Dark, and BIAS masters.  ASIAIR creates and saves these calibration masters by acquiring and stacking individual frames.  Using the Preview Mode and a small LED Light Panel, I found a suitable exposure for my Flats.  The Live Stacking dialog allows you to configure, acquire, and stack a number of exposures into calibration masters.  Using the LED Panel and objective cap, I captured the flats, darks, and bias frames that stacked into their respective masters.  Each master is saved as a single FITs file, which can then be selected and applied to your Live Stacking.  While ‘on-the-fly’, or ‘as-needed’ flats and bias are generally not time consuming,  I would encourage you to build a Dark Library on the ASIAIR Pro, as to save that precious time for Live Stacking.  Since this was my first use, I only took the time needed to produce 5 two minute dark exposures to use with the 20 flat and 30 bias masters.

An additional word about the ASIAIR Pro and Calibration frames:  The ‘Autorun’ or Sequencing Mode of ASIAIR allows for the capture and saving of all the individual calibration frames, for later post-processing.  The Live Stacking Mode of ASIAIR captures and stacks calibration frames into a single saved Master, per type.  Live Stacking Mode does not save the individual frames, only the masters. It can, however, save the individual Lights, during Live Stacking.

I chose M101 (The Pinwheel Galaxy) as my target thinking it would nicely fill the frame of the C5’s 1250mm focal length, while also be somewhat removed from the Moon and nearby offensive street lamp.  As you will see in the images, this street lamp causes an unpleasant gradient unless I take further mitigating steps, which I did not for this simple evaluation.  After choosing my target in the object database, ASIAIR quickly centered M101 and had the mount guiding.  The ASIAIR Guiding Interface might best be described as a kind of ‘PHD2 Lite’.  It’s very quick, easy, and effective.  It can automatically or manually choose a guide star, automatically calibrate if needed, and begin guiding with or without dithering.  You can also tweak some settings like DEC Mode and Aggressiveness, although I found this to be unnecessary and just allowed ASIAIR to automatically do it’s thing without any input from me.

Note: For those thinking they will get an ASI224 as an entry level planetary and small DSO camera, and later use it for a guide cam when they upgrade to a larger imager, I assure that the ASI224 performs just fine when coupled with a suitable guide scope.

With calibration masters applied, target centered, and mount guiding, I began to Stack 2 minute exposures.   The ASIAIR provides an Auto-Stretch, but I quickly found the manual stretch controls on the Histogram Display and was better able to compensate for Bortle 6, street lamp, and Moon.

In all, the ASIAIR Pro provides a very comfortable experience, and effective data acquisition, somewhere in-between being ‘totally manual’ and ‘totally automated’.  A very nice balance between fiddle/tweak and fire-and-forget.  The ASIAIR Pro easily lends itself to the needs of the backyard, dark field, or out-reach experience yielding quality data for long integrations, or immediate live stack viewing.

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The original post link: https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/701071-live-stacking-with-the-asiair-pro/ 

Josh Palmer is the winner of ZWO 2020 ASIWEEK #19 and has brought us many extraordinary astronomy photos. To make our ZWOers know this excellent astrophotographer better, we make this interview. Let’s all take a look now.

Q1: At first, congratulation that your nice image won #ASIWEEK! Can you introduce yourself to us?

Hello! My name is Josh Palmer and I am a 39-year-old amateur astronomer from the United States. I really enjoy observing and photographing the Moon and planets.

Josh at one of his club’s monthly star parties in South Carolina.

Q2: When did you start astrophotography? Do you have any interesting attempts in the beginning period?

I started imaging in 2016, and my first target was Jupiter. There was something really new and fun about taking a picture of something in space. My first equipment included a Celestron NexStar Evolution 8 and NexImage 5 camera (Picture 1). Every time I tried, I got a little better. And that is still the appeal today.

Over the next couple years, I upgraded my telescope and camera.

Jupiter, captured with C9.25, ASI224MC, ZWO IR Cut Filter, 2x X-Cel Barlow, and ZWO ADC.

Q3: What telescope do you use for imaging? Why do you choose it?

I prefer a Schmidt-Cassegrain (SCT) fork mounted telescope, such as the Celestron NexStar Evolution 9.25 and CPC 1100 XLT GPS. I like these types of telescopes for two big reasons: They are portable and easy to set up. Also, they have a long focal length, which is well suited for Solar System imaging.

Tycho, captured with C11, ASI224MC, and 2x X-Cel Barlow.

Q4: Except DSLRs and dedicated planetary cameras, we notice you also use phones to photograph planets from time to time. What different feeling these three methods give you?

I enjoy using all three cameras in different ways. My iPhone provides a fun way to snap a quick picture to edit and share on social media, especially of the Moon.

Mare Imbrium, taken with C11, iPhone 11 Pro, and Explore Scientific 28mm eyepiece.

My DSLR is used for wide shots of the moon, where I can stack multiple exposures. This gives me a wide, detailed image of all the visible Lunar features.

Waxing Crescent Moon, taken with C11 and Sony Alpha A57.

Finally, I use my planetary camera when I want to get a sharp, magnified view under good conditions.

Copernicus, captured with C11, ASI224MC, and 2x X-Cel Barlow.

Q5: Do you have good altitude of planets in your region? And how about the seeing condition?

We are located at 34 degrees latitude, which means the planets reach a reasonable altitude. The seeing conditions are generally good here, with a lot of clear nights and stable air during the warmer months. I live in a rural area, with a moderate amount of light pollution.

Jupiter & Io, captured with C9.25, ASI224MC, ZWO IR Cut Filter, 2x X-Cel Barlow, and ZWO ADC.

Q6: Are you also a fan of luck imaging when photographing planets?

Yes, I always use lucky imaging when photographing with my ZWO camera. The ASI224MC features a very high frame rate, so I will capture thousands of frames at a time and keep only a small fraction of those. This is how I can create a clear image of a planet even when the air is moving through the atmosphere.

Saturn, captured with C9.25, ASI224MC, ZWO IR Cut Filter, 2x X-Cel Barlow, and ZWO ADC.

Q7: It seems to us that you more like planetary imaging, but have you ever tried DSO imaging?

I have tried DSO imaging, but my alt-azimuth mount and long focal length are not well suited for this type of photography. I am limited to short exposures and the only object I have had luck with (so far) is M42, the Orion Nebula. I would like to try more DSO imaging in the future, but I am still very focused on solar system objects.

M42, captured with a Sony Alpha A57 and CPC 1100, using 92 x 10 second exposures.

Q8: What filters do you most commonly used? At which target? Can you tell us your experience in using filters at planetary imaging?

The only filter I have used with my ZWO is the IR Cut filter. I use this due to the camera’s high infrared sensitivity and to keep dust and dirt out of the camera. Since I use a color camera, I do not require filters to produce an image. This is one of the main reasons I chose this camera: the convenience.

Moretus, captured with C11, ASI224MC, and 2x X-Cel Barlow.

Q9: ADC is a very good accessory for planetary imaging. But it’s hard to calibrate it. Could you share us some skills of using ADC?

The ADC provides a noticeable improvement in the sharpness and color of my planetary photos.

I was intimidated at first, but this device is actually simple to use. First, I reset all knobs to their default positions. Then, I insert the ADC before the Barlow lens to maximize its effect. (This also increases the overall focal length.) Next, I rotate the body until the knobs are level and pointing to the right. Make sure all of the pieces are tightened down; you don’t want your camera or ADC to fall out or slip. Now that the device is connected, it needs to be set. There is an ADC calibration tool in the FireCapture program, which I use for video capture; all you need to do is adjust the knobs until the white circles are aligned in the center of the onscreen target. Keep in mind that the planet will shift in the field of view as you make adjustments!

My current setup, including the CPC, ADC, Barlow, and ASI224MC camera.

Q10: When did you know ZWO? What’s your first ASI camera? Do you have other ZWO products?

I bought my ASI224MC ZWO camera in 2018 based on many reviews and example images online. It was my first ZWO product, but I later added the ZWO IR Cut filter and ADC. I am still quite satisfied with my camera and plan to keep it for a while.

Jupiter & Ganymede, captured with C9.25, ASI224MC, ZWO IR Cut Filter, 2x X-Cel Barlow, and ZWO ADC.

Q11: What do you think is the most important parameter of a planetary camera?

The frame rate of the camera is very important to me. If you can capture more frames in a short period, you will have more available to stack. This increases your detail and reduces noise. It can result in a lot of data, though. On a good night, it’s not uncommon for me to fill my hard drive with AVI files, so plan ahead to make sure you have somewhere to save your data!

Jupiter, captured with C9.25, ASI224MC, ZWO IR Cut Filter, 2x X-Cel Barlow, and ZWO ADC.

Q12: What’s your impression of ZWO? Do you have any feedback or suggestion to us?

My impression of ZWO is very positive. When I started this hobby, it was clear that ZWO was a leader in the field. The products are durable, cutting edge, and ZWO stands behind them. All at a reasonable price. I was immediately impressed at the build quality of my camera. Also, I really appreciate the ZWO online community and the opportunity for astrophotographers to share their results. Thank you for your hard work, and I look forward to what’s to come!

Saturn, captured with C9.25, ASI224MC, ZWO IR Cut Filter, 2x X-Cel Barlow, and ZWO ADC.

To enhance our amateurs’ abilities of astro-observation and astrophotography, to stimulate the public’s imagination and creativity, and to better feel the beauty of the stars, universe and science. We have the ASIWEEK ASTROPHOTOGRAPHY CONTEST now. We sincerely invite global astronomers and photographers to participate.

Here are the fantastic works from the 9th edition of 2020 ASIWEEK ASTROPHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION. Let’s take a look!

It is ‎Janco Moolman and his target S和-308 captured with ZWO ASI1600MM that won the championship.

The winning entry:

Photographer: Janco Moolman

Target: Sh2-308

Equipment: ZWO ASI1600MM + Sky-Watcher Esprit ED Pro

Ha 5nm: 30 x 15min, OIII 3nm: 30 x 15min, RGB: 36 x 30s, Gain: 200, -15°C

About the camera:

ZWO ASI1600MM Pro $1,280.00

Entries from other astrophotographers

Photographer: Andy Marjama‎

Target: M42

Equipment: ZWO ASI183MC Pro + ZWO ASI290MM Mini + RASA 11 + EQ6-R Pro

Photographer: Michael Lev‎

Target: M42

Equipment: ZWO ASI2600MC Pro + Hyperstar V4 for 8″

L: 60 x 120s + 60 x 10s, -15℃, no darks, no flats, no bias

Photographer: Brian Fulda‎

Target: Horsehead Nebula and Flame Nebula

Equipment: ZWO ASI071MC Pro + Orion 8″ f/3.9 Astrograph + Sky-Watcher EQ6-R Pro + ZWO OAG + ASI120MM Mini

L: 20 x 120s, Gain: 90, Offset: 20, no darks, no flats

Find us on Facebook for delicate astronomical images.

Facebook Page: https://buff.ly/2GN9ASW

Facebook Group: https://buff.ly/31fh49c

This tutorial teaches you how to connect the ASIAIR PRO to network, or how to connect the ASIAIR PRO box to the ASIAIR APP. They mean the same as ASIAIR PRO is controlled by the ASIAIR APP on your phone or tablet via network.

What is ASIAIR?

ASIAIR is an intelligent astronomy control system linked by Wi-Fi, which includes both hardware and software. Hardware is the well-known small box, software is the ASIAIR app, to remote control the astronomy camera, equatorial mounts, and many other related devices to take astrophotography.

ASIAIR App supports both iOS and Android platforms, running on smartphones, tablets, etc. We will call it ‘App’in the following text.

We will demonstrate 4 methods to connect to ASIAIR by using an iPhone.

Using WiFi

There are two methods to connect with Wi-Fi. The first is the AP mode which we are familiar with, another is the station mode, which are available after firmware version 1.4.

Method 1:  AP Mode

AP mode stands for access point mode, using the direct wireless connection broadcasted by ASIAIR PRO to the device. To use, first power on the ASIAIR PRO, and wait for 15 seconds, make sure the red PWR light is on, the green CARD light is flash, and “Wi-Fi” light is on. Using smartphone or tablet to connect the hotspot name similar as “ASIAIR_XXXXXXXX”, the default password is “12345678”, and tick “Keep Connection”, then open the ASIAir app.

When the following user interface appears, choose all the appropriate devices, and tune related settings, then click “ENTER”.

This is the most common and fundamental way to connect to ASIAIR PRO. Due to the limited coverage and easy to be interfered with obstacles of the Wi-Fi hotspot, your smartphone or tablets cannot be far from the ASIAIR PRO. To extend the coverage of the Wi-Fi hotspot, you may buy a Wi-Fi repeater, or choose another way to connect: Station Mode.

Method 2: Station Mode

STA mode stands for station mode. The station mode could not only extend the Wi-Fi coverage, but also resolved an issue appear on only parts of Android phones: Those phones cannot access the Internet after connected to ASIAIR PRO.

Using station mode, and connect ASIAIR PRO to your Wi-Fi network, the wireless router will bridge your entire Wi-Fi network. You could control the ASIAIR PRO within the coverage of your Wi-Fi network, which obviously covers more area than a single Wi-Fi hotspot. And you could access the Internet at the same time.

Here is how to do it:

First connect ASIAIR PRO as the first method, then find “WiFi Station Mode” under ASIAIR PRO Settings and enable it.

Please be advised, the station mode only supports for 2.4GHz.

Then select the Wi-Fi network you want to be bridged and enter the password if necessary.

You have finished configuring station mode of ASIAIR PRO.

You can view IP Address and other network-related settings after you tap the “info” button in the rightmost.

In future sessions, just connect to your Wi-Fi network, open ASIAir app, and double confirm it, then tap “Next”. Now you are connected again!

Note: Some Android phones or tablets may require you to select the Wi-Fi network again.

After you configured station mode, when you open the app, the app will prompt “Reconnecting” when you are in the coverage of your entire Wi-Fi network.

And if you have multiple ASIAIR PROs in station mode, you do not need to go back to the first step, just tap “Switch Device” in “ASIAIR PRO Settings”, there will be a list for you to switch different ASIAIR PROs.

The device name in the list could also be renamed for better identification.

In real world, we strongly recommend you use station mode, which could connect your smartphone and tablets to your astronomy rig without coverage restriction. But sometime, the wireless network might not be reliable. At this time, you might try ethernet connection, which more reliable and have higher data throughput.

Using Ethernet

Method 3: LAN Ports

As the WiFi signal might not be very stable sometimes, you can also try the wired connection way to obtain higher-speed and more stable transmission effects.

Connect your ASIAIR PRO to the wireless router with an ethernet cable. Connect your smartphone or tablets to the wireless router. Open the app, you may see “Connected” after “Wired Ethernet” in “ASIAir Settings”.

Tap on “Connected” will display network details. IP Address might be useful if you want to transfer the images out from ASIAIR PRO.

ASIAIR PRO has a built-in Gigabit Ethernet port, which has better reliability and higher data throughput than a wireless connection.

Method 4: Pocket WiFi Router

A Portable Wi-Fi router only has a WAN port, which is also could be connected to ASIAIR PRO. You may set up router based on the instruction of router itself. The portable Wi-Fi router also capable for providing Wi-Fi connection in a small area. You could follow the “Method 3” instruction to set up the network. The “white box” in the following image is the portable Wi-Fi router.

Conclusion

All 4 methods have their own pros and cons. You may choose the most fitted ones.

Andrea Maniero is the winner of ZWO 2020 ASIWEEK #20 and has brought us many extraordinary astronomy photos. To make our ZWOers know this excellent astrophotographer better, we make this interview. Let’s all take a look now.

Q1: At first, congratulation that your nice image won #ASIWEEK! Can you introduce yourself to us?

Thank you very much, I am Andrea Maniero I am 51 years old and I live in Padua a city in the northeast of Italy located in the plain, I define myself a sub-urban amateur astronomer and I am passionate about astronomy from the age of 8 when I picked up binoculars for fun and I aimed it at the Moon, from that moment I started to observe the sky and it was love immediately! At age 14 my father gave me the first telescope the classic Newton 114/900 with which I begin to observe mainly the planets and at the same time I start reading magazines and books about astronomy. After completing my studies, at age18 I became a member of the GAP and started attending the 400mm Newton G. Colombo observatory in Padua, for a short time I became responsible for the observatory, and I taught groups of schools on public observation evenings. I have made observations of the sky for many years with many types of instruments mainly on planets.

Q2: How did you start astrophotography and why?

I started with photography in 1984 with film and camera applied to the Newton 114/900 telescope, I was enchanted by the photographs of the planets that I saw in books, in particular those of Jean Dragesco, and at that time digital sensors for amateurs did not yet exist, and the processing software of today did not exist, I did normal photographs and my first subject was the Moon and Jupiter, then in the late 1980s I started doing planetary astrophotography with the Newton / Cassegrain 400mm telescope of the G. Colombo observatory and when I left the group due to internal problems, I purchased a new telescope and I continued to do independent astrophotography, in the last 10 years with the arrival of digital sensors, software and the internet, I became specialized in high planetary and lunar resolution.

Q3: What setup do you use? Can you show us some pictures?

I have 3 telescopes for high planetary resolution, a NortheK Dall-Kirkham 355mmf / 22 in a semi-fixed position, a NortheK Cassegrain 250mm / f15 for itinerant planetary astrophotography and an optimized Celestron C14 that I use as a multirole telescope, for deep sky and planetary, I mainly use ZWO ASI cameras.

Q4: What type of telescope do you prefer?

The NortheK Dall-Kirkham 355mm f / 22 is a semi-professional instrument of high quality without compromise, it is the best telescope I have had of this diameter and it has given me the greatest satisfaction but it is a telescope that needs excellent seeing and a fixed observatory, my favorite optical scheme is the pure Cassegrain and for this reason the new Cassegrain 355mmf / 15 will arrive shortly, a little lighter and more transportable. Then there is a new project I’m working on with NortheK for the realization of my definitive telescope for high planetary resolution that will be ready when the planets are a little higher in the sky… but i can’t talk about it now, it will certainly be equipped with a ZWO ASI camera.

Q5: We watched so many great planetary images on your page, could you tell us why are you obsessed with planetary imaging?

There are various reasons, one of these is that the planets were the first celestial objects that I photographed and fell in love with! Another reason is scientific, their atmosphere is constantly evolving, even if we sent many probes that have visited them, the collaboration of amateur astronomers with professional astronomers is crucial, our observations and images have allowed us to discover and observe many new phenomena, such as the famous storm on Saturn, the sandstorm and the clouds at high altitude on Mars, monitor the atmosphere of Venus and we must not forget the impacts on Jupiter, then in my area there is too much light pollution, it is not a sky suitable for deep sky astrophotography, it is not very transparent due to high humidity and at my latitude for a long time of the year the sky is overcast. The last reason is my activity of Beta-tester on telescopes, this has led me to specialize particularly in high lunar and planetary resolution, to conquer many APODs, and to be first in an Italian national competition for high planetary resolution.

Q6: Do you have the good altitude of planets in your region? And how about the seeing condition?

Unfortunately in the past two years the planets are very low in my latitude and I am afraid that I will not be able to make good shots until 2022, I have to content myself with following the atmosphere of Venus, Uranus and Neptune, without forgetting the craters of the Moon.

Seeing is not very stable during the year, but there are periods from late winter until autumn when seeing and stability are good.

Q7: As to your winning image Venus, can you tell how did you manage the beautiful false color?

I used 350nm ultraviolet band combined with 807nm infrared band images to obtain luminance, then I used the derotation through the Winjupos software which generated a synthetic G channel and I merged everything again in Winjupos.

Q8: What’s the biggest and most obvious improvement you’ve achieved in so many years of planetary imaging?

I improved my shooting and processing techniques a lot. Studying the software I figured out my own way to get the best results. I made many mistakes reading articles or tutorials by many astroimagers who thought they were experts, but over time I realized that they were not so good, I deepened my technical knowledge on telescopes and planetary imaging sensors by learning to process data well and extract details in the correct way, many imagers still process gaseous planets as if they were solid bodies and this is not good, you should never force your hand.

Q9: What suggestions can you give to the newcomers?

I want to tell them to start with small steps and don’t rush, study a lot and do many tests, do research on the internet on shooting and processing techniques, study the characteristics of celestial bodies, also to study thoroughly the acquisition and processing software of images to know what needs to be done. A very important thing is to buy good quality technology if possible. Better to give up a good hamburger during the year but then buy a good filter or a good sensor to get good results.

Q10: What do you care most when buying a planetary camera? Do you prefer a mono camera or a color one?

I look at many things in a planetary camera, it must have at least three main characteristics, great full-frame acquisition speed for lunar imaging, the widest possible QE curve and the highest and widest possible QE peak at the length of wave that interests me. Choosing a planetary camera for an astroimager is very difficult because the planetary astroimager needs to work with good QE throughout the entire spectrum, from ultraviolet 350nm for Venus to 889nm infrared for Jupiter’s methane band, up to 1 micron for thermal imaging of Venus and now there is still no camera capable of satisfying this need with just one sensor. Currently, I have to work with 2 cameras to optimally cover the spectrum, ASI178MM and ASI290MM. My preference is the monochromatic cameras because they allow to obtain a finer image and to work better on each single acquisition channel.

Q11: How do you like your ASI178MM camera? Will you recommend it to your friends?

I love ASI178MM! It is a great 14-bit camera with little noise but is underestimated by many astroimagers, I am very satisfied because it covers almost all the spectrum that a planetary astroimager interests in an optimal way up to near-infrared for all planets up to

Saturn and has small pixels to make high resolution and is very fast even in full format for lunar images. Definitely recommend ASI178MM

to make planetary imaging even to newcomers.

Q12: Will you consider capturing the deep sky in the future?

Yes, absolutely! Actually I have already done some deep sky images in the past but I did not have a dedicated sensor for this type of astrophotography, but I see that ZWO is making great strides in the field of sensors for deep sky and in the future I will look at one of these! Unfortunately, the sky in this north-east plain is not dark enough and the new LED lighting creates many problems even with narrowband filters.

Q13: Do you have any feedback or suggestions for ZWO?

ZWO is a large booming company, it has captured a very large slice of amateur astronomers with a series of ever new sensors and many accessories that have made it possible to bring a large number of people closer to planetary and deep-sky imaging with great easiness thanks to good functionality of its cameras, and at the right cost. The interface problems are almost non-existent and the latest proprietary software works very well. I see that ZWO is currently focusing a lot on sensors for deep sky, but I hope it will not forget the planetary imagers, some sensors would have good characteristics for planetary imaging but they are only in color.

Q14: One last question: Can you tell your next target?

My next targets will be to be able to take high-resolution thermal images of the surface of Venus in infrared, to start deep sky images to search for extragalactic supernovae even if this requires excellent sky conditions, and to complete the project for my definitive telescope which will be a surprise for Italian area…. and maybe someday become a testimonial for ZWO!

James Gossage is the winner of ZWO 2020 ASIWEEK #22 and has brought us many extraordinary astronomy photos. To make our ZWOers know this excellent astrophotographer better, we make this interview. Let’s all take a look now.

Q1: Congratulations that your nice work won ASIWEEK #22/2020! Would you like to introduce yourself to us first?

Thank you for the honour of being selected for ASIWEEK.

My name is James Gossage. I am French and also have recently become a Kiwi and after residing in 8 countries, now live in the beautiful Bay of Islands in the far north of New Zealand.  I have a passion for astrophotography, traveling and playing swing music of the 30s and 40s.

The night sky has always been fascinating for me, but it became much more interesting and relevant when my father started working at NASA during my teen years. I started spending more time looking at the night sky and became more curious and eventually many years later – 2018 – got a telescope for visualizing and imaging. My images are on the ZWO Facebook page and under my Astro name “KiwiAstro” on Flickr, Astrobin and my personal website www.kiwiastro.com.

Q2: What equipment do you use for astrophotography? Can you show us some images?

As my targets are mostly Deep Sky, my main imaging rig is an ASI294MC Pro camera, ZWO EAF, ZWO filter drawer, ZWO OAG, ZWO Helical Focuser and ASI120mm mini for guiding together with an Explore Scientific ED102-FDC100 APO triplet refractor (focal length/ratio 714mm/F7) and Starfield 0.8 flat-field focal-reducer (FFFR) which brings the scope focal length/ratio down (571mm/F5.6), and an Astrozap dew heater.  All of this is mounted on a Skywatcher HEQ5Pro mount with Synscan WIFI.  Mount control and imaging/guiding is managed through the new ASIAIR Pro and the ASIAIR application on my iPad or android phone.

On occasion, if my target for the evening is a planet, my ASI224MC may replace the ASI294MC Pro and the FFFR is exchanged for an Explore Scientific 5x Focal Extender.

 Main imaging rig (ES ED102 and ZWO)

A couple of my favourite images captured with the ES ED102 and ASI294MC Pro are below.

 Angel Nebula (NGC2170), 3.1 hours

Sculptor Galaxy (NGC253), 2.2 hours

For night sky capture such as the Milky Way or meteors, I use a Canon 6D or 800D with Canon 200mm fix lens f/2.8+ or Rokinon 14mm f/2.8+ and iOptron skytracker pro.

Q3: How did you manage the C/2020 F8(swan) image? When did you find this new target?

I found out about this comet and its position on the evening of the 1^st of May so thought would give it a go and early morning on the 2^nd of May, there was a break in the clouds around 430am. In a few minutes, the scope was outside, polar aligned and ready to go. I manually entered the RA and DEC into the ASIAIR Pro GOTO and the mount centred on the object. With an image plan set up in Autorun, I was able to capture a few images before the clouds covered my view.

Q4: There is even a Wolf–Lundmark–Melotte galaxy in this image! Was it planned before or just a lovely accident?

Yes, that was some very fortunate timing and unplanned. I saw during processing that a faint galaxy was just to the left of the C/2020 F8 (SWAN) and found out that it is the Wolf–Lundmark–Melotte, an irregular galaxy located at 3.4m LY.

Q5: How many years have you done astrophotography? Can you tell what made you thought of taking your first astro image?

I had been hesitating to get into astrophotography as everything would be new for me (equipment, software, knowledge) but finally started in August 2018. Before this, I would look up from our dark sky location and be in amazement as so many things were visible to the naked-eye including the Milky Way, the Eta Carina nebula, the Small and Large Magellanic Clouds and so many other objects. My thought was “ how can I capture some of this”.

Processed view of Milky Way, Small & Large Magellanic Clouds (DSLR capture), 0.2 hours

In August 2018, I purchased my first DSLR camera and a f/2.8 200mm fixed lens. Learning about imaging (f-stops, iso etc) and seeing some encouraging results, I found out soon that this was becoming a passion. In January 2019, I made the decision to go after more serious astrophotography and began research on different options which would be most suitable to my location and goals. In May 2019, I acquired a telescope, mount and suitable ZWO cameras and began the steep learning curve of getting into more serious astrophotography. Now, with the ASIAIR Pro my rig is complete.

Q6: Why did you choose the ASI294MC Pro? Is it a good fit for your telescope?

I did a lot of research for all of the equipment and of course the camera is a major component. I saw a few images captured by the ASI294MC Pro and how people were raving about it and its ease of use and then looked more closely at the specifications and compared with others. I was looking for a deep sky low noise one-shot camera offering the best value and quality for price and this one was being commented on as a fantastic choice for an OSC. As with other ZWO equipment, I purchased the ASI294MC from the ZWO website and received it 3 days later.

I have been very pleased with the camera as a whole – easy to use, great sensitivity, good natural colours and low noise, and that it can be used as a hub. It took me little while to understand and deal with the amp glow but now that is no longer an issue.

In addition to a great camera, the delivery, support and service from ZWO has been great.

 Southern Pinwheel Galaxy (M83) in HA & RGB, 1.8 hours

Q7: We noticed that you also have an ASIAIR PRO. Can you share with us your experience of using this little box? What features of it do you like most?

In April 2020, I received the ASIAIR Pro and thoroughly enjoy it – it has made my imaging night dramatically simpler as it offers the full solution in a single box. Overall, it has been easy to set up. I had to do a little bit of research on setting up the optimal WIFI connection as well as the setup for the Skywatcher Synscan WIFI so that the ASIAIR Pro can control the mount.

I particularly use and like the Polar alignment, object Search & GOTO abilities with auto-centring, Preview, Autorun/Imaging plan, and Guiding. No longer the need to setup a laptop with all the connections and run different software solutions to get the same result.  Also, it has been a major contributor to help me improve cable management. I would welcome an autofocus feature should that be available in the future.

Eta Carinae Nebula (NGC3372) in HA & RGB, 1.5 hours

Q8: Have you tested the live stacking of the ASIAIR PRO? Where do you think we can improve this function?

As it was the first time I’ve used Live stacking on any software, I do not have a base of comparison with others but was pleased with how easy to set up and execute. I did not see how to set up an imaging plan so basically let it run for a period of time, checking the results every few minutes and definitely saw the results improving as the subs were taken. This allowed me to run “Live” feature longer and until I was satisfied with the overall results that would later be seen and further improved by using a specialised processing software. A combination of “Autorun” to set up an imaging plan and “Live” could be a “nice-to-have” feature.

Q9: What post-processing software do you use? People say the complex astrophotography software is the one of the reasons that makes newcomers tend to give up at the beginning. What do you think?

Being completely new to any image processing as well as astrophotography in August 2018, I found the process tricky with a lot of time spent on self-learning – with no astronomy clubs around the area, it was a very steep learning curve. Given astrophotography had become a passion, I was tenacious and finally got through the basics of the processing.  After 12 months, I became fairly comfortable and now tweak the process as needed depending on the object and exposure/gain/filter use.

For the last year, I use only Pixinsight for calibration, alignment and integration and main processing. I may also use astrophotography add-ons in Photoshop for final rendering of images, but these are usually minor adjustments. When doing a wide-view panorama, I have found Microsoft Image Composite Editor (ICE) to be very useful.

A few things which have been key for me getting through the steep learning curve have been to leverage online research of what others have done, do a little at a time, remain patient and have the time to redo processing when I’m not happy with initial results.

Q10: How is the air and observing conditions in your region?

We live in a bortle 2 zone in the Bay of Islands so there is little light pollution apart from the occasional passing car or the small town of Kerikeri about 10 kilometers away and opposite to where my imaging occurs. With no large cities closer than 3 hours away, there is only minimal pollution from the area.

Q11: Do you also use a mono camera? Which one do you like, mono or OSC camera?

For imaging, I only use an OSC (ASI294MC Pro). For guiding, I recently moved from the ASI224MC colour to the ASI120mm monochrome mini together with the ZWO Helical focuser. This means a little bit less weight on my rig and it frees up my ASI224MC for eventual planetary or lunar work.

Q12: What kind of expectation do you have for our new cameras this year?

I am unlikely to go for a new camera this or next year; however, my choice would be another ZWO camera – either a mono camera or an OSC which with higher resolution. My expectation on these would be based on my experience with ZWO products to-date – high quality, easy to use, great support, innovation and leveraging the best technology available in the market at a reasonable price.

When I started astrophotography four years ago in high school, I used DSLR 760 D. It was convenient as it can be used daily, but the quality of astronomical photos was not so good. Since using ZWO’s CMOS camera, I’ve been able to take astronomical photos of the quality I wanted to take. When I tested the ASI 2400 MC-Pro, I was very surprised at its ease of shooting and image processing. Backside illuminated sensors and zero amp glows are also found in other ZWO products. And they are just as wonderful as many of ZWOer’s amazing images show. What should be noted this time is a pixel size of 5.94 μm and a saturated charge amount of up to 100ke. At big pixel size, the photosensitive area is very large, and it is suitable for astrophotography where the photosensitive performance is very important. The ASI 2400 MC-Pro, by combining the conventional backside illumination technology and anti-amp glow, achieves high sensitivity with a peak QE of 80% or higher and low noise of 1.1e for minimum read noise. The well depth capacity of ASI2400MC Pro is 100ke, which is 132% of another full frame ASI camera ASI128MC Pro, it is able to take photograph without halation of bright stars and nebulae despite its high sensitivity.

The number of pixels of this sensor is 24 MP, which is considerably smaller than that of ASI6200 MM/MC. However, it is considered that the monitor used by an individual is up to 4K (about 8 MP). Therefore, the specifications are probably sufficient unless a person prints in A1 or A2 size. In addition, it is advantageous in image processing such as improvement in processing speed and reduction in necessary specifications of a PC. In fact, I did image processing on my MacBook Pro and it went smoothly.

The North American Nebula and the Pelican Nebula that I took with the F 5.3 refracting telescope this time without guiding were processed from the 57 images*1 minute taken with the live stack image using ASIA IRPRO. I did not feel any lack of exposure at all. Therefore, the processing of the image took less than one hour and was very comfortable. The quality of the as-captured live stack image confirmed at the observation site was as if it had been processed. The dark nebula is clearly visible thanks to the ASI 2400 MC-Pro’s excellent high sensitivity and low noise. As a result of using this camera, I think it will be easy to photograph molecular clouds.

Image Data:

Frame: 57*1min

Imaging Telescope: Takahashi FSQ85ED

Imaging Camera: ZWO ASI2400MC-Pro

Filter: ZWO Duo band filter 2”

Mount: iOptron CEM40

Accessories: ZWO ASIAIRPRO, EAF

Date: 2020/05/30

Place: Chiba Prefecture, Japan

What is pixel binning? What can you do? How do you do it? We see astrophotographers from all over the world asking these questions everyday. In this article we are going to explain how you can start binning your astro photos.

1. What is it?

Binning is when you merge adjacent pixels into one larger pixel. Most commonly in a 2×2 formation, where 4 pixels are combined through software to make one large pixel as shown in the figure below.

Bin1 VS Bin2

Something you will notice when you bin 2×2 is your camera resolution is quartered as you effectively have 4 times less pixels. This also doubles the signal-to-noise ratio.

Binning 2×2 or even up to 4×4 can be a very effective way of framing and focusing your target. This is because the larger pixels gather light much faster, revealing faint nebula and galaxies in shorter exposures.

2. Mono BIN

Mono binning is an option for colour cameras, if selected, the color camera will ignore the information of the Bayer matrix and select the closest pixel value to merge and get a grayscale image. This will result close to the image of a monochrome sensor but it is important to remember you only get a quarter of the resolution.

3. CMOS BIN VS CCD BIN?

CCD and CMOS have different readout methods, and the areas where pixel binning occurs are also different. The pixel combination of CCD takes place in the analog domain, and analog signals can be combined.

Suppose we have 4 pixels here, the readout noise of a single pixel is 1x, it needs 4 readouts before BIN2, that is, the total readout noise is 4x.

According to the pixel merging rule of CCD, after BIN2, 4 pixels need to be read out only once. Therefore, the total pixel readout noise after BIN is 1x. Seen in this way, it means that the total read noise becomes 1/4 of the original. Without considering other noises, the signal-to-noise ratio becomes 4 times the original.

The pixel merge of CMOS occurs in the digital domain, and the analog signal has been converted into a digital signal. At this time, the pixel merge can only be completed by software.

As above, suppose there are 4 pixels, the readout noise of a single pixel is 1x, it needs 4 readouts before BIN2, that is, the total readout noise is 4x.

According to the pixel merge rule of CMOS, after BIN2, the total read noise becomes the square root of the original read noise, that is, x=2x. In other words, the total read noise becomes 1/2. Without considering other noises, the signal-to-noise ratio is 2x the original.

At first glance, it seems that the effect after CCD BIN is better than that after CMOS BIN, but here we combine the actual data and simply compare the read noise of ASI6200 (CMOS camera) and KAI11002 (CCD camera):

Since the original pixel size of ASI6200 is 3.76um, the pixel size after BIN2 is 7.52um. The popular KAI11002 pixel size is 9um. The two pixels are relatively close in size, so it is fair to compare the two cameras.

It can be seen that even after BIN2, the read noise of a single pixel of ASI6200 becomes twice the original (please note that 1 pixel after this BIN2 is equivalent to the original 4), the maximum 7 electrons are also lower than 10 electrons of KAI11002.

Similarly, looking at the comparison between ASI1600 and KAF8300, although the pixels of AS1600 at BIN2 are larger than BIN1 at KAF8300, the read noise is still lower.

Since the read noise of the existing CMOS is much lower than the read noise of the CCD, even after BIN2, the read noise of a single pixel is still very small. And we actually ignore the fact that the effective signal itself is noisy, we call it shot noise, and the shot noise will be reduced to half after BIN2, so the fact that BIN will increase the signal-to-noise ratio, whether it is CMOS or CCD will be very obvious.

4. Hardware VS Software BIN

After comparing CMOS BIN and CCD BIN, let’s look at another concept of BIN- hardware BIN and software BIN.

Hardware BIN, as the name implies, is to merge the pixel with hardware, usually refers to the completion of pixel merge on the chip, due to the different chip structure, CCD can do this, but CMOS cannot. CMOS hardware BIN is more like pixel skip. The frame rate will be faster by pixel extraction, but the signal-to-noise ratio is limited. Generally, we apply it to scenes that require high frame rates, such as shooting solar system objects. For deep space shooting, we recommend binning with software on CMOS cameras.

Here we also defines hardware BIN as pixel merge on CMOS sensor, and software BIN as pixel merge in SDK in software. Please notice it is not the same BIN as CCD on chip BIN.

In our ASCOM and ASIImg, ASILive software, the default BIN is software BIN, only ASICAP have hardware BIN option. You can find this option in ASICAP->Control->More (provided that the camera supports hardware BIN).

5. What is the difference between BIN with RAW8 and RAW16?

The calculation method of software BIN is different, you can take the average of adjacent pixels, or add up the pixel values. In the RAW8 format, we use the accumulation method, the image will become brighter; RAW16 under the average method, the image will not become brighter, but the image signal-to-noise ratio is improved.

Add up BIN

As BIN increases, the brightness of the image also increases.

But at the same time, the resolution is also declining, and the details of the letter “PCO” in the picture is losing.

Averaged BIN

Taking ASI294MC as an example, select RAW16 in ASICAP, the image is saved in 16bit, and the average of the original pixel value is taken after BIN.

BIN1(4144*2822) VS BIN2(2072*1410)

In this case, the number of pixels in BIN2 is also reduced to 1/4, and the resolution and details are also reduced. The only difference from RAW8 is that the brightness is not increased, but if you look closely, you will find that the noise is reduced.

6. When to use BIN?

Generally, we will use BIN to improve efficiency when focusing and framing. If the system is oversampling when shooting, BIN can also solve the problem.

So, should we use BIN in the process of shooting deep space with CMOS camera?

Because CMOS cameras all use software BIN during deep space shooting, image post-processing can also complete this process.

If you confirm that the image is oversampled, you can use BIN to get the suitable sampling, otherwise we still recommend to keep the original image during the shooting process, and you can decide use BIN or not in post-processing.

The reason why we decided to have a third interview with Martin Lewis is that we saw his great new work – Venus nightside at 1000nm. It’s very amazing and we are curious about how he could capture this so successfully. Gladly that Martin quickly accepted the interview invitation and frankly told us his experience in shooting the nightside of Venus in the interview.

Here is the whole content of the interview:

Q1: Hello Martin, it’s our great honor to have this third chance to interview you! We’re very excited to see your Venus nightside image – it’s a huge success! Congratulations! First could you please make a brief introduction on this image? What equipment do you use?

Thanks – really glad you liked the unusual image of Venus, which shows the highly overexposed illuminated day-side of Venus on the left and the unilluminated night-side on the right. On the night-side you see the actual surface of the planet with the darker regions being cooler, higher areas.

The image was the result of processing video data gathered over four evenings using a ZWO ASI174MM camera attached to my 444mm Dobsonian telescope. In front of the camera I had a special Edmund Optics infrared filter, centred on a wavelength of 1000nm and having a bandwidth of 25nm.

Q2: It’s not very common for us to see a night-side image of Venus, can you tell what’s the difference between it and your other Venus images?

Venus has a very hot surface covered in a very thick layer of dense cloud. When imaging in more usual wavelengths of infrared light, visible light or UV light you see this cloud layer reflecting sunlight on the illuminated side, but you see nothing of the unilluminated side. If instead you image the planet through a narrow band-pass 1000nm filter the atmosphere of Venus becomes nearly transparent. In these circumstances on the night side, where there is no sunlight to swamp the view, you can, under particular conditions, detect the faint infrared glow of the planet’s 470°C surface. You can also see temperature variations which correlate with surface height variations.

Q3: What details does the image reveal at 1000nm IR filters?

The image shows several darker features that match known higher areas of Venus’ surface. These higher areas are cooler and hence emit less infra-red light. You can see the match between these darker areas from my image and the known higher features in the map below. Here I have unwrapped the globe in the first picture to make a rectangular map using the program Winjupos. This has then been matched in longitude with a map made from radar altimetry data collected by the Magellan space probe, whilst it was in orbit around Venus in 1989 to 1994;

Q4: This image took advantage of 4-days date with an accumulated exposure of 71.5mins. May I ask the air condition during this period? How many percent of frames was used for stacking?

The night-side of Venus is best seen during favourable oppositions when the planet is high up in a relatively dark sky, with the phase is around half or a bit less. Before that the day-side is too large compared to the night-side. Later on, when the phase much smaller, and a larger portion of the night-side is on show the planet is unfortunately nearer the Sun and it is in too bright a sky when it is at a decent altitude, causing other issues. The recent apparition of Venus was excellent for those in the Northern hemisphere and I was very fortunate that during the whole of the optimum imaging period the UK was blessed with very good weather – with many clear evenings. As a result I was able to record the planet on 10 separate evenings. The seeing was the steadiest on the 5th May and that was fortunate as that was when the phase was about optimum.

Imaging the night-side of Venus is all about long accumulated exposures and maximising the number of photons per pixel, as the target is so faint. In shorter exposures it is swamped with noise and the signal to noise ratio (SNR) is poor. I was able to combine my data from the 5th May with that from 2nd, 6th and 9th May, again Winjupos – derotating each day to match one common time. Combining the data like this significantly improves the SNR allowing the real detail to show through. My accumulated exposure time over the 4 days was 71.5mins and I used about 90% of the frames gathered. Being so faint it is better to keep almost all the frames to reduce noise – there is not the luxury of sorting through and then picking only the very sharpest frames.

You can see how noisy a single 200msec frame is in the gain and gamma boosted image below. You just faintly see the night-side glowing.

Single frame from 1000nm imaging video showing high noise levels but also the night-side faintly glowing.

Q5: The telescope you used for this image, the 444mm Dobsonian, what’s the biggest advantage of it? How did it help the whole project?

Imaging the thermal glow from the night-side of Venus at 1000nm is particularly difficult due to the low surface brightness – this gets swamped by the glare from the much, much brighter illuminated day-side and also from the bright twilight sky. Cameras are very inefficient at these long wavelengths and exposure times need to be long to have any chance of pulling real surface details out of the noise. A large aperture helps gather more photons to improve the SNR and because the scope is a Dobsonian reflector it has a relatively short f-ratio of f4.4. This means that operating at prime focus the image surface brightness is much higher than with a design like an SCT where the focal ratio is higher. Even with all these things acting in my favour, however, the frame time had to be a comparatively long 200 msecs, I had to use 16-bit mode, and accumulated exposure times had to be 10’s of minutes to best pull out details from the stacked image.

Q6: How is the performance of ASI174MM at 1000nm?

The ASI174MM is a pretty good camera for imaging the night-side of Venus. The large pixels help further reduce the SNR when operating at prime focus, giving smoother images. Other Sony chip based cameras are more IR sensitive at around 1000nm – particularly the ones based on back-illuminated sensors. These cameras, such as the ASI290 and ASI178, however, unfortunately suffer from an issue where internal reflections of the much brighter day-side crescent swamp the night-side with false images.

Q7: We are curious about one thing – why do you like Venus so much?

Venus is particularly photogenic and looks very different at different wavelengths. In visible light it is quite bland but in the UV cloud details are very evident as you see below.

Venus imaged recently in UV light showing cloud details

The changing phase also adds further variations in the appearance. There is something about a thin sharp crescent that stirs the soul and I love trying to capture that. Below is a recent image taken 2 days before inferior conjunction with Venus only 3.3° from the Sun, that I am particularly pleased with.

Q8: Do you have any expectation for the new planetary cameras of ZWO this year? What kind of cameras do you want most?

For imaging the night-side of Venus the best camera would have high sensitivity at  1000nm, low read noise, no internal reflection issues and, for my telescope, large pixels like the ASI174MM (or smaller pixels but the ability to bin without increasing read noise).

I hear ZWO might bring out a high IR sensitivity, low read noise, colour camera this year. That would be great for 1000nm Venus imaging as well as for other extreme imaging projects such as attempting to image the rings of Uranus and methane imaging of Jupiter and Saturn.

ZWO are at the forefront of planetary imaging technology – continually bringing out more sensitive and lower noise cameras and that is great news for us imagers who are pushing the boundaries of what it is possible to capture from our back yards!

Click here if you want to see our previous interviews with Martin: 

The first time: https://bit.ly/2YD2v0Q

The second time: https://bit.ly/3eGBhf7

When it comes to astrophotography, a great influencer on Facebook or YouTube can always teach you a lot at your very beginning stage with his stunning astro images and his experiences in buying and using the dedicated AP equipment. Luca Fornaciari is exactly one of these great influencers. As the Brand Ambassador of ZWO, he has spread and distributed the most trendy ZWO cameras(224, 385, 1600 and above all 294) throughout the Italian market over the past years.

Here we finally got a chance to make an interview with Luca and we’ve like to share it here so that people can know more about this great man and his achievement in astrophotography.

Q1: That’s really a great honor for us to have this interview opportunity with you, Luca! First, could you please make a self-introduction to our users that may not know you before?

My pleasure. My name is Luca Fornaciari, I live in Italy, I am 36 years old and I deal with photographic and graphic training for work and passion. In the last 9 years I have dedicated myself with great passion to the study of astronomical photography and today I deal with tests for different producers in the world, I organize workshops and courses, dissemination events and activities for children with an astronomical theme.

In 2019 I was awarded in the Italian Parliament for my dissemination activities on astrophotography and I won the first prize in the Abstract category at the Annual Photography Awards.

Q2: How did you start astrophotography and manage your first astrophoto?

After the first tests on the tripod and some photographic lenses, I purchased my first reflecting telescope and with a Nikon D7100 I shot for the first time at the Great Orion Nebula.

The experience of the first shot is something unforgettable and his memory will accompany me for the rest of my life. At first you can’t believe that the one on your image is really a nebula hundreds of light years away in the cosmos. You feel that you have really accomplished something great.

Q3: When was your first astro video/review posted out? At that time did you ever think of that one day you would achieve so many people’s support on Facebook/YouTube?

By simply starting to publish my photos on Facebook I started receiving messages from many people asking me how to start doing astrophotography. So one day I thought it would be helpful to tell my YouTube experience. I started in 2016 and in a short time a simple idea turned into a bigger project. In Italy there were no YouTube channels dedicated to astronomical photography and the consensus grew very quickly. Today I have the reference channel and some of the largest Facebook and Telegram online communities in Italy, with many people who help me manage and grow a large family of night sky enthusiasts.

Q4: Seeing your astro images is always an enjoyment for us. We are curious where do you normally do astrophotography? Do you have clear skies in your city?

organizing astrophotography workshops all over the country, I am often traveling and I happen to photograph under so many different skies. But it is at home that I work and make my main images. Over the years I have built a small private observatory with some automated workstations that allow me to test the equipment, photograph and observe the sky on every clear night. My sky is in a suburban area (SQM 19.60), still accessible to broadband but with a fairly polluted sky.

Q5: Where is your observatory located at? How long did the building process take? Can you show us some images?

My observatory is located in Italy, in the province of Modena. It is located in the countryside, under a suburban sky and with an SQM of around 19.60. The work on the structure never ends, every year I try to expand the observatory to be able to always host new workstations and allow me to increase the testing services.

In fact, a few days ago I completed a new box for an automatic and remote telescope.

Q6: What’s your equipment for astrophotography? Can you show us some images?

I regularly change many instruments, but one of my favorites is certainly composed of a Sky-Watcher 200/800 f/4 on AZEQ6-GT and my ASI 294 MC Pro.

Q7: Can you tell how did you know ZWO? What was your first ASI camera?

I met ZWO in my amateur astronomy association, starting to use an ASI 120 many years ago, but my first cameras that I bought were the ASI 224 and the ASI 294

Q8: How do you keep awake at those busy nights?

A matter of habit, probably. Fortunately I’m a person who doesn’t need much sleep: D

Q9: Except taking astrophotos for fun, do you do other astrophotography-relevant activities (for example, making popularization courses)?

Of course, I organize courses, webinars, one-to-one lessons, 48-hour field workshops, photographic exhibitions, dissemination evenings, workshops and readings for children and public observation evenings.

Q10: What changes and surprises do you think astrophotography has brought you?

Astrophotography does not only allow you to make images. Access to and understanding of the night sky must broaden our overall vision. Allow us to live a more conscious and better life, towards ourselves and towards others. Astrophotography must be an experience of humility, as taught by Carl Sagan, the person from whom I draw most inspiration and to whom I have dedicated the name of my observatory.

Q11: What suggestions would you give to newcomers? What equipment will you recommend?

My recommendation is not to get discouraged, not to be frightened by the failures and problems that an astrophotographer often finds himself solving. This is the very essence of astrophotography. The beauty of astrophotography is the path itself, not just the result.

Today, the new CMOS sensors allow many more people to be able to start making astrophotography with more affordable costs. My ASI 294 is a camera that I would not sell for anything in the world, it is an instrument with affordable costs, versatile and exceptional performance.

Q12: As the Italian Official Ambassador of ZWO, can you honestly tell how many ZWO products have you tested?

Of course, until now I have been able to use the cameras for a long time: ASI 120, 120 mini, 1600 M, 183 M, 224, 385, 294 MC Pro, 533, 071, 178 and 2600. I have tried and purchased the EAF focuser and the ADC and I participated in the beta tests of Asi Air and Asi Air Pro.

Q13: Which ASI camera do you prefer and why? Do you have any expectation for new ASI cameras this year?

My favorite cameras are definitely the Asi 294 MC Pro for the color and the 1600 as a monochromatic solution. However, I was very impressed with the performance of the Asi 2600 which could finally replace the 294. I am also very intrigued by the specifications of the 6200 which I hope to try soon. On these rooms I am preparing many accurate tests that I will present in the next few months, but I can already say that the new 2600 has truly superlative properties.

ZWO ASI 2600 MC Pro

Q14:  May I ask the reasons that why do you think ASI2600 will replace ASI294 in the end?

(please feel free to tell us the real thoughts in your mind ;D

The ASI 294 is my favorite CMOS color camera. It is the camera that I use more often and with more satisfaction, but the ASI 2600 (which seems to be an enhanced version of the ASI 071) still has a good FWC, but with an extremely larger format and a high QE. It is free of Amp Glow, has little Fixed Pattern Noise and an internal anti-dew resistance. It does not have the same cost as the ASI 294 and this perhaps makes them little comparable. They are two exceptional color cameras and I am convinced that the ASI 2600 will receive as many consents as the ASI 294 has received.

Q15: You are one of the rare persons that have tried both ASIAIR and ASIAIR PRO. What do you think of them? Will you recommend the ASIAIR PRO to your followers?

I tried Asi Air in its beta version, and I remember how much work there was still to be done to improve it. ZWO in these years has done an exceptional job to achieve what Asi Air can do today. It is a tool that is worth having because it allows you to simplify the setup in an incredible way, especially if you are traveling.

Asi Air Pro is an evolution of the first model that still adds new functions and compatibility for the new cameras. The thing that convinces me to recommend this tool to everyone is the ability to simply manage the sequence of shots, plate solving, driving, dithering, meridian flip, integrated storage of photographs and the ability to view from your smartphone. the FIT taken, not forgetting the new Live Stack function, exceptional!

Q16: Since you have tried so many astro equipment, in your opinion, what are the biggest advantages and disadvantages of ZWO products compared with other brands?

ZWO has always managed to create targeted and effective products. The ZWO tools always manage to manage at best the software part, very important, ensuring a wide native compatibility, offering stable drivers and presenting solutions that most of the time do not have many bugs to fix. The thing that convinces me most about ZWO is also in the assistance and commitment that the company puts into optimizing and solving any problem. The great thing about ZWO tools is that during their life they “improve” through continuous updates and corrections.

Q17: We know the targets are always up there as long as the sky is clear, but how will you do to get better results on the same target?

there is a simple phrase that I think expresses the maximum goal for an astrophotographer: to achieve the highest SNR with point stars.

This already expresses everything you need to do on the field. First of all, have a good equatorial mount and learn to use it correctly. Then choose a telescope suitable not only for photography, but also with the right sampling with respect to the camera. Optimize the autoguide, shutter speed and camera settings (on most deep sky cameras I use zero gain or unity gain).

Q18: How do you achieve the balance between authenticity and aesthetics at post-processing?

It is always necessary to remember one fundamental thing: the better the shots acquired, the lower the post-production.

For the development of my images I mainly use PixInsight and Adobe Photoshop, but the important thing to always keep in mind is not to spoil the material and not introduce defects during the post-production process. Small steps, in each step and often compare the result with the starting point.

Q19: At last, we’d like to say thank you again for taking the interview! Can you tell anything on your next project? What’s your target and which platform do you plan to post it? Will there be a video?

I am developing a large project to create an online portal that collects events on the Italian territory and web content (courses, lessons, video reviews, articles and publications), where you can involve many good astrophotographers and create a large “web container” where you can have access to any type of information to get closer to amateur astronomy and astronomical photography.

www.lucafornaciarifotografia.com

Luigi Morrone is the winner of ZWO 2020 ASIWEEK #11 and has brought us many extraordinary astronomy photos. To make our ZWOers know this excellent astrophotographer better, we make this interview. Let’s all take a look now.

Q1: Hello Morrone, congratulations again for winning the ASIWEEK #11/2020! We are very happy to have this chance to interview you! First, could you please make a self-introduction to our users that may not know you before?

Many thanks for your interview, my name is Luigi Morrone, I’m 40 years old and I live in Agerola-Italy (630m s.l) a small town located on the Amalfitan Coast (Italy). At the early age I have always been passionate about the science and in particular for astronomy. At the 10 years old I started to observe the sky with my first telescope, Antares a 60mm refractor. My first target was the Moon and for me was a wonderful view. Over the years I continued to observe the sky and at the same time I also bought astronomy magazines. I have always been very fascinated by the planets and deep-sky observation.

Q2: The details of your Mercury images are incredibly amazing! Can you tell how did you capture the picture?

About a few years ago, when I started to capture Mercury images I thought it was impossible to be able to capture some planet surface: I define this kind of planetary acquisition as ‘Extreme Imaging’. For the image above I have used a 14 inch Celestron Schmidt Cassegrain – C14 Edge HD -with the wonderful ASI178MM and an IR pass filter 807nm. During the acquisition, Mercury was found about only 18° from the Sun and It was helped in part by shielding the roof of the house opposite mine. Even if the atmospheric condition was steady I tried to avoid the telescope heating. During the acquisition my ASI178MM working at 180fps, a sampling of 0.11”/pixel and a gain about of 70%. I have acquired a lot of GB data and then I stacked about 15000 frames. AutoStakkert has been used for the stacking process. Ragistax and Iris have been used for the processing. A curve and level adjustment in Photoshop has been performed.

Q3: Except for the Mercury image, you also have brought us so many other great astro works. May I ask how long have you been into astrophotography?

I started doing astrophotography about 4-5 years ago with the ASI120MM and 10 “Newton  F/4. During these years I have always experimented with new techniques (acquisition and processing), trying to optimize my setup to make the most of the atmospheric conditions.

Thanks to the development of the electronic, the PC hardware/software and with the new digital cameras, my work is focused mainly in the acquisition of high-resolution planetary images, deep sky images and making astronomy research about the Asteroidal Occultations and Comet images.

Cone Nebula – C14 Edge HD, Hyperstar f-1.9, HaOIIISII Baader Highspeed Filter, ASI1600MMPRO, bin2x, Unity gain Setting

Q4: Do you think astrophotography can be a lifelong pursuit?

I hope to continue to acquire hires planetary and the deep sky images for the next years. I think that with new digital sensors, the amateur astronomer can make an important contribution to the professional astronomers, for example, observing new phenomena atmosphere such as the sandstorm on Mars surface, monitoring the Venus atmosphere or observing Saturn and so on. I am very excited about this and I think it will be fun!

Uranus – Neptune & Triton – C14 Edge HD, Fornax52, ASI178mono R+IR>610nm

Q5: What equipment do you use? Can you show us some images?

I like to sweep in the different fields of astrophotography: from the planets, to the Sun, to the Moon, to the deep-sky images. During these years I try to optimize my setup for the different kind of work. From last year for Hires Planet imaging I used a Celestron C14 Edge HD on a Fornax 52 mount. Recently I have acquired an Hyperstar system for my C14 and I have very fast system f/1.9 and with ASI1600MM Pro, I use it for deep-sky imaging and for Asteroidal occultation.

I have also a TS152/900 with a Daystar Quark Cromosphere filter 0.5A that I use is for H-alpha solar imaging. I have also a newton 250mm f/4 for visual observation.

Q6: We know that planetary imaging is very limited by the altitude of the planets and seeing, so do you have good imaging conditions in your region?

My images are taken from the south of Italy at latitudes 40 degrees north of the equator. Unfortunately in the last and the next years for the planet such as Jupiter and Saturn will be very challenging. On the other hand, I am pretty lucky since my site astronomical observation is located above 670m s.l overlooking the sea. When the winds are coming the right directions, south or southwest, I found stable atmospheric conditions. I live in a rural area, with a moderate amount of light pollution (Bortle scale 5) and so I can also perform deep-sky imaging.

For hires planetary imaging you have to control the collimation, the cooling, the focusing but if the seeing conditions are not good you will never be able to obtain good planetary images.

Rosette Nebula

Q7: How long would you spend on processing after you complete the data acquisition? What do you think is the most important part of processing?

From my personal experience I have been able to understand several things regarding planetary and deep-sky imaging. During a session performed for the planetary imaging if I found good seeing conditions in post-processing I try to optimize the signal to noise ratio. Whether the seeing is bad you can’t get anything being processed.

For deep-sky imaging, a lot of time is required. I always check the images immediately after they are downloaded to the computer and I check that the focus is right. I think that image processing is difficult since every picture is different from all others. I used several astronomical software in order to obtain the best result: PixInsight, Masixm DL, Registax, AutoStakkert, Photoshop. They are great tools for astronomical imaging.

Sinus Iridum

Q8: What’s your favorite region in space? How do you normally photograph it?

I love to observe and study the sky, I don’t have a particular subject. I love galaxies, supernovae, nebulae, planet, sun, moon. I think the sky is a huge amusement park. It is exciting that with our equipment we can be active protagonists.

NGC2903

Prediscovery Extragalactic Novae AT2017axz in M81

Q9: Are you active in any astrophotography groups or clubs?

Periodically, I send my images to the UAI (Unione Astrofili Italiani), to the ALPO (Association of Lunar & Planetary Observers) American and Japan version, and dedicated Facebook groups for planetary and deep-sky imaging.

When I have the opportunity, I take Asteroidal Occultations and images of comets by sending them to the main national and international lists.

I am a member of the ‘Astronomical Observatory Salvatore di Giacomo’ in Agerola (Naples-Italy) with the AstroCampania association. It is a professional observatory with a 0.5m RC Telescope. Here, my friends and I organize several divulagtive events.

Overview of my Astronomical Observation Site

Q10: Do you travel to long-away places for astrophotography? Can you tell any unforgettable experiences?

Sometimes I go to Monte Paipo, about 750m s.l, located close to my town. It’s a good place with a good view of the Tyrrhenian sea. Most of the time I stay in the garden of my house. For me it’s more convenient since I can leave all the setup in the place and ready, whenever possible, for working.

As soon as possible I hope to some Northern Lights with my wife and my sons.

Q11: What advice you may give if you are asked to teach some lessons to newcomers?

I can recommend to start step by step, know the setup (Optical tube, Mount, Camera, etc). Another recommendation is to know the software’s for acquisition and for post-processing. Unfortunately doesn’t exist a single software to carry out everything and every tool works better for some operations respect, for example, to the other ones. Another important aspect to be considered is the characteristics of the camera and understand the best parameters to be used for the acquisition. Another important thing is to experiment on the place where you capture the images trying to optimize the atmospheric conditions with your setup. Be patient!

Q12: How did you know ZWO? Which ZWO product you like most?

I know the ZWO products by web and also by amateur astronomers. I have several ZWO cameras (ASI178,290,174, 1600MPRO) and I use them for planetary and deep-sky imaging. I have also an ADC 1.25”( Atmospheric Dispersion Corrector), in order to reduce the effect of atmospheric dispersion on lunar and planetary images.

Leo Triplet Galaxies

Q13: What parameters you care most when buying an astronomy camera?

Nowadays I think for the best acquisition of the astronomical images a key role is played by the latest astronomical cameras, in particular by the CMOS sensors. The main parameters that an Astroimager has taken into account for selecting a camera are essential: the higher QE as possible, the highest frame rate and the low read noise.

In the last year, I have acquired several ASI ZWO cameras: ASI178, ASI290, ASI174, ASI1600. I prefer to work with monochrome cameras since I can obtain much finer details and they have much more sensitive beyond the visible light respect, for example, to the color cameras. For several years I used ASI178MM for my planetary images. With its low readout noise(2.2e -1.4e) and the high sensitivity, result the one of the cameras on the markets. I also use ASI174MM for high-resolution solar imaging in white light and in the H-alpha band. I recently purchased the ASI290MM for Uranus and Neptune imaging and I found it more sensitive in the infrared band.

Since last year I am working with the ASI1600MM Pro for the deep-sky imaging with C14 Edge HD and Hyperstar System f/1.9. I use the camera in visible light and with narrowband filters (H-alpha, OIII, SII) whit good results.

Q14: Do you have any feedback or suggestions that want to speak to us?

From my point of view, in last years ZWO has become the reference point for amateur astrophotography with its CMOS cameras. The small chip, low noise, high QE, high full well, make the ZWO cameras the best for amateur astronomers. In addition, they are cheap and they are very compatible with several acquisition software.

Thanks a lot for your extraordinary work!!

Paweł Radomski is the winner of ZWO 2020 ASIWEEK #28 and has brought us many extraordinary astronomy photos. To make our ZWOers know this excellent astrophotographer better, we make this interview. Let’s all take a look now.

Q1: Hello Paweł! So happy to have this interview opportunity with you. Congratulations again that your nice image won ASIWEEK #28/2020! First, can you make a self-introduction to us?

Me near Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos on LaPalma island

Hello. Thank you very much, pleasure is all mine. My name is Paweł Radomski, I’m a 40 years old photographer from Poland. I have been dealing with astrophotography since 2009, due to an impulse from a friend. I take photos mainly from Warsaw (the capital of Poland) in a narrowband, but for some objects I go under the dark sky. In addition to astrophotography, I’m interested in photography, martial arts, programming and board games, as well as RPGs.

Me on Caldera de Taburiente, LaPalma – one step from LaPalma Astronomical Observatory

Q2: How did you capture the ASIWEEK image ‘Ghost Nebula’? Was the whole process relatively smooth to you?

Not at all, it was definitely not smooth. The weather in Poland is not kind for astrophotographers and we have very few cloudless nights. I believe that vdB141 is an object that every astrophotographer should have in his portfolio. Somehow I always avoided this area, until I finally decided to face it on a larger scale. At the end of 2019 I had only part of the material but I was determined to continue acquisition in spring 2020, if the weather would allow me to do it. Just after the galactic spring period, Cepheus constellation is low over the horizon, under Polaris. Gathering material in such conditions is very troublesome. Additionally, when collecting RGB, high cirrus clouds drifted across the sky. So I had luminance collected at a very low altitude and RGB through high clouds. The luminance processing turned out to be very pleasant (mainly due to the amount of material collected and the fantastic low read noise of the ASI1600MMC camera) but RGB was a test of processing skills. Fortunately, patience paid off and the desired effect was achieved.

vdB141 Luminance after using first iteration of Histogram Transformation

Q3: We noticed that your images often came with very long exposure time. So how long on average does an image take for you?

As I mentioned earlier, I take photos mainly from the Polish capital, the light pollution is huge here and the frames, even in narrowband do not have enough signal. To take a good picture I need to have a lot of frames. Collecting narrowband (Halpha, OIII, SII) requires a longer exposure time than LRGB. On average, I spend 20-35 hours of total exposure time on a narrowband photo. In LRGB relatively less, because I collect such material under much better sky. Of course, a lot depends on the object. To achieve good SNR (signal to noise ratio) on a bright object I must acquire less frames than if I would like to take a picture of a dark nebula. It is all about the knowledge of the sky – to know what lies around the main object. Generally, if I take more frames with longer exposure time will it help me show fainter parts of nebula or will that appear to be a waste of time (when there is nothing to show)?

NGC2264 and surroundings, my record of total acquisition time: 53h 35min from huge LP in Warsaw

Q4: What’s your favorite target on space? Do you have any useful skills in shooting this target?

That’s a tricky question I don’t have a favorite object, although I have a bucket list of astrophotography. The objects on the list are: Rho Ophiuchi area, the Magellanic Clouds, the Centaurus A Galaxy NGC5128 and Simeis 147. However, I love all kinds of dark nebulae, barely visible dust clouds – completely unattractive photos but to me it’s the hidden beauty of the universe. vdB141 is such an object, but in my wildest dreams I didn’t expect what I would register on my frames. I try to build my skill mainly to process dark nebulae and SHO compositions. My favorite constellation is Cepheus.

vdB152, my first attempt to photograph dark nebulae. Lack of good material caused a poor photo

Q5: What equipment do you use? Can you show us some images?

I use two telescopes – the first, for wider fields is Sky-Watcher ED80 with 520mm focal length (with a 0.85x flattener), the second is a slightly modified Newton TS 8″ f/5 (1000mm focal length). The modification involves the installation of a larger secondary mirror and a better focuser. Reflector is with Baader MPCC Mark III coma corrector.

SW ED80 + ASI1600MM-C + ZWO EFW during a session in Warsaw, Poland

In both cases, camera is ZWO ASI1600MM-C and a 7 position EFW ZWO filter wheel with LRGB, Ha, OIII, SII filters. It is mounted on Sky-Watcher AZ-EQ6.

ED80 gives a scale of 1.54″/px and Newton 0.78″ /px.

Newton 8” f/5 + ASI1600MM-C + ZWO EFW before session

I use the ZWO AC 60/280 + ASI120MM telescope for guiding.

Q6: Do you have any particular preference for telescopes?

It’s hard to say, preferences change depending on your needs. There is no universal telescope. At the beginning of the adventure with astrophotography I preferred Newton’s telescopes, mainly because of the quality/ price ratio, later I change my setup to refractor that requires less work with the telescope itself and generates stars without spikes. In addition, it’s easier to get a well-corrected focal length refractor than a reflector.

IC405 Refractor SW ED80 (520mm focal length) and IC2574 Reflector 8” f/5 (1000mm focal length). Stars without and with spikes.

However, there is the other side of the coin. Long focal refractors are very expensive and Newton telescopes that generate very similar quality images are much more accessible and much brighter (lower f ratio). There is always something for something. I turn between reflectors and refractors, depending on what scale and field of view I need. I have never used catadioptric telescopes for astrophotography.

Q7: We know you run a website named ‘Astro SCAPES’ and we’d like to learn more about it! Can you briefly describe it to us?

I warmly invite all readers to: www.astroscapes.eu

So far it is in my native language but I am working on translation

On the site you can find primarily photos divided into two categories – astrophotography and photography. In addition you can find information about my workshops on astrophotography, consulting on equipment assembly for those who want to take pictures, but aren’t familiar with the equipment and finally where you can buy my photographs.

Mosaic of two panels (horizontal) of M16 and Sh2-54 taken from Warsaw. SW ED80 + ASI071MC-C + Halpha 7nm filter

Q8: What’s the farthest place you’ve been for astrophotography? With whom?

Refractor ED80 on HEQ5 with ASI1600MMC and ASI120MM-S on session.

On astrophoto trips I often travel with my friend (visit www.foto-zdjecia.pl)

To escape from city lights we go about 80km from Warsaw to the south. The furthest we were is the Bieszczady Mountains – I believe one of the most beautiful places in Europe and at the same time considered one of the darkest places in Poland (Bortle 2).

Astro party

Q9: If you are asked to choose 3 words to sum up your experience in astrophotography over these years, which 3 words will you use and why?

Patience – it is required to do astrophotography well both when completing the equipment, the sessions themselves and during processing. Impatient people will have a real problem spending a few nights awake for one photo

Messier 16 Eagle Nebula. Newton 8” f/5 ASI1600MMC + narrowband filters. 34,5h total exposure time

Precision – essential feature for astrophotography and applies to both acquisition and processing. You must be thorough, otherwise you will not have good material.

Knowledge – everything changes around, cameras, software, methods of processing. You can stick to your old tricks, but when you just replace your camera, you will have to modify your workflow or even the rules of acquisition. We can’t do anything without proper knowledge.

And… did I mention patience?

Q10: When it comes to post-processing, which style do you prefer your images to be?

Probably only masters of astrophotography have their own repetitive processing style. They work mostly using one equipment and process the material in a similar way.

NGC2237 Rosette Nebula in SHO, SW ED80 + ASI1600MM-C. One of first SHO images – searching for my own style

I’m still looking for my style in the LRGB technique and in narrowband. On each material I try to get something that will make my face smile and say “I like it!”. However, if I were to define it, I would say that I do not like excessive work on the stars or candy colors. I prefer subdued photos with natural colors for LRGB, for narrowband I like high-contrast photos and in the case of the SHO palette I like to show all 3 colors.

Messier 42 in RGB then and…

… Messier 42 in narrowband – SW ED80 + ASI1600MMC + Filters Halpha/OIII on ZWO EFW, AZ-EQ6. Warsaw Poland

Q11: You use both ASI1600MM and ASI071MC cameras, how do you like them?

M81 & M82 with slightly visible IFN– SW ED80 + ASI071MC-C 90x300sec.

Yes, I like them very much. In fact, I was one of the first people in Poland who tested ASI071MC and it was a good experience. I think it is a really great camera that even an amateur catches IFN in the M81 / M82 area and get a photo with an absurdly small total exposure time. This color camera is also suitable for acquiring frames in the Halpha band.

NGC4565 Needle Galaxy, SW ED80 + ASI071MC-C, ONLY 15min (3x5min).

ASI1600 is a great camera that can be successfully used in conditions of increased LP in contrary to a color camera, which needs a good sky to avoid colored gradients. High resolution, low read noise. The small ASI1600 pixel sets the tracking requirements high, but the scale that can be obtained is really impressive.

I recommend both of these cameras.

Q12: What do you think of the future of CMOS astronomy cameras for amateurs?

CMOS entered the world of astrophotography with a big bang. It allowed less affluent people to cultivate this passion without selling a house to buy a good CCD camera. In addition, it greatly reduced the need for perfect tracking for dozens of minutes, which means that a good photo can be produced even on weaker mounts.

Messier 90 – Obtained through lucky imaging technique from Warsaw. Newton 8” f/5 + ASI1600MM-C LRGB (summary 7000 frames, 10sec each)

Low read noise enabled the registration of lucky imaging technique which allows you to use really budget equipment to get a great picture. They lack hardware binning (chip issue) and CCD dynamics – mainly through 12-14 bit ADC, but the ASI6200MM-C 16 bit mono CMOS camera has already appeared. This is my distant dream I believe that CMOS can conquer this market.

Q13: Do you have any feedback or suggestions to ZWO?

You are doing a great job building awareness of CMOS cameras in an astrophotography community. My suggestion is more monochrome cameras with high ADC. Full frame requires very good (and very costly) optics so 4/3 monochromatic sensor with 16bit ADC will be great

-Over-

At the end of this interview, we’d like to share one video made by Paweł – “The Beauty of Astrophotography”.

We did not ask Paweł why he loves astrophotography, cause we think the answer is very clear in this video.

Click here if you are interested in more images of Paweł:

Facebook fanpage: https://www.facebook.com/PRAstroscapes/

Astrobin page: https://www.astrobin.com/users/Pav1007/

Matthieu Téquiis the winner of ZWO 2020 ASIWEEK #25 and has brought us many extraordinary astronomy photos. To make our ZWOers know this excellent astrophotographer better, we make this interview. Let’s all take a look now.

Q1: At first, congratulation that your nice image won #ASIWEEK. Can you introduce yourself to us?

Hello,

First of all, thank you for your interest in my photo. I am honored to have been selected for this #ASIWEEK.

My name is Matthieu Téqui, I am French and I live in a small town in the south of Auxerre in the Bourgogne region. I am fortunate to live in a semi-rural area that is fairly well preserved despite the light pollution that is gaining a little more in our countryside each year. After joining an astronomy association close to my home, Ursa Major Astronomie, I quickly caught the astrophotography virus.

Even though the sky has always fascinated me, I have not gifted myself with the need to have so many things above our heads. Since I can practice from my garden, this passion quickly became addictive.

I also have other passions like sports and cinema.

Q2: Can you tell the reasons why you’re interested in space and astrophotography?

What I find fascinating in astronomy and particularly in astrophotography is the fact that we are photographing the past! It’s just amazing to think that these photons which cross millions of light years so that we can now be captured by amateurs since the arrival of digital! The mix between the precision mechanics of our instruments, physics, optics, computer science and astronomy, a fully-fledged scientific discipline which constantly requires documentation in order to progress. I still learn every day and I am far from mastering everything! I really like this notion of optimizing our equipment! As the saying goes, the best instrument is the one we take out most often!

Q3: What setup do you use? Any images of them?

I started astrophotography in 2017 following the purchase of a CPC925 which I mounted on an equatorial table. A guidance system was essential to be able to take long exposure photos. So I bought a guide scope which I coupled with the ZWO ASI 224MC (+ ZWO IR filter) which I used to make planetary; a bomb this little camera because of its very high acquisition frequency. At first, I was using a DSLR then I quickly bought a ZWO ASI1600MM Pro in May 2018 which was perfect for my setup upgraded to Hyperstar. The only problem with this altazimuth configuration on an equatorial table was balancing! Becoming pickier and pickier on my images, this fork mount was great on certain amplitudes but less when I wanted to shoot close to the zenith (the counterweight coming up against the table). So I changed the mount for an iOptron CEM60EC and I kept the same OTA that I found on edge version! Long focal astrophotography was therefore also possible! Automating session was being felt more and more, so I opted for the ZWO EAF focuser in order to keep the Hyperstar (F/2.2) and focal reducer (F/7) versatility without having to change the material for focus.

Q4: Where do you normally take astro photos? How is the air condition in your city?

 I mainly picture from my background in my garden where the Bortle is not bad (4) and more rarely with my association in a park where the Bortle index is very good (2-3). I recently participated in a study to measure the quality of the sky in order to have the starry sky label and my SQM is around 21. Unfortunately, the massive arrival of LEDs on our street lamps goes against this label. I really like the deep sky! Difficult to give a preference between nebulae or galaxies … I am a fan of the Sharpless catalog for nebulae and Arp for galaxies. The f/2.2 configuration is a big advantage for faint targets!

Q5: Since your winning picture Abell 39 is not a very easy target, how did you capture and process it?

 For Abell39, I preferred moonless nights for the L, OIII and blue filters. To have more dynamics, I lowered the gain to 76 offset 15 for LRGB filters. I remain at unity gain for narrowband filters in general. I multiplied the number of poses for my luminance. The advantage of f/2.2 makes it possible to have signal even on short exposure times. 3 nights were required.I then selectively sort my raw data and assign a weight to the best of them before stacking my images. For treatment, the main difficulty is to fight against the background noise of the sky without reducing the IFN present. This is all the compromise to be made during the histogram rise: having a correct sky background while preserving the IFN. So I boosted the planetary nebula with my OIII layer which I also integrated into my blue layer, hence its slightly more bluish color instead of turquoise. I finish my treatment with a work on the color of the stars which is also very important on these wide field images to avoid it being dull.

Q6: Can you take an image for example and tell how do you normally do when the signal is very weak?

 First, you have to look at the composition of the target you want to shoot. If there is a Ha or OIII component then it is imperative to shoot with these filters which will allow you to fight against the PL (and have a cleaner sky background) and increase the signal on the object to be photographed. Pay attention to the moon! Difficult if not impossible to bring out faint objects under a moon is very present. And finally, respect the signal/noise ratio according to its sky and its instrument. If you can move around in a dark area to image, then it’s even better! Those who have a Bortle 2-3 will obviously benefit.

Q7: What’s your favorite region and target in the universe?

My favorite region is in the constellation of Cepheus and extends to the swan’s constellation. Impossible to shoot without falling on a nebula! There are also a lot of Sharpless nebulae that I particularly like but not one in particular. I really like the OIII-dominant nebulae.

Q8: Do you have any useful experience or skills on photographing this target that can share with us?

 At the risk of falling into cliche, I would say that it obviously takes a lot of patience! You also need to know your equipment and follow the steps scrupulously. There is not one link in the chain that we can overlook:

Good acquisition-> preprocessing while respecting the good calibration of the images-> processing. Once the image has been processed, it is important not to post it immediately but to wait until the next day. We often notice certain faults. Then, I submit my image to a small group of seasoned amateur astrophotographers for their objective reviews. And only after publication comes.

Q9: Do you think astrophotography can be a lifelong pursuit?

This is a debate that we talk about a lot between amateur astrophotographers especially since the arrival of Starlink/SpaceX and others. But in my opinion, the answer is yes. The world of astrophotography has taken an incredible step since the advent of digital. It will therefore be necessary to adapt either by practicing with a longer focal length, or with faster optics (short F/D). But whatever happens, the cameras will have to be more and more sensitive to photons with a very good QE. The arrival of CMOS sensors has already shaken up the CCD. It’s just a matter of accommodation. But I recognize that not all disciplines of astrophotography will be impacted in the same way. Very wide field night photography will be more impacted in the future in my opinion.

Q10: How did you buy your first ASI camera and why? Are you satisfied with the ASI products you have by now?

I mainly buy on online merchant sites or through second-hand forums. For my cameras, I bought everything directly from the ZWO site or through their main reseller. I currently own the ASI1600MM Pro, the ASI224MC for planetary or guide, the ZWO ASI120MM Mini when I guide to the DO and the EAF focuser.

They fulfill their function perfectly and I am fully satisfied with them. My sampling at F/7 is a bit complicated for the ASI1600MM Pro which I use as the main camera. I think about a camera with larger pixels but still in mono to promote resolution and sensitivity while having a large field. I look carefully at the setup photos similar to mine since the arrival of your new range …

Q11: What do you do at pre-treatment and treatment stages? Can you tell us the differences between them?

I perform pretreatment is carried out in 6 steps:

Phase1: “light” sorting of my images

Phase 2: calibration of my images with DOF

Phase 3: cosmetic correction

Phase 4: selection according to certain criteria and weighting of my images

Phase5: alignment

Phase 6: stacking with drizzle if necessary

For the processing: it depends a lot on the composition of the image because I can’t have automatic processing in my opinion. But for the main lines, I work the image as much as possible linearly so as not to lose any detail with the removal of noise, deconvolution, the reduction in the size of the stars, mixing,… Once in nonlinear, we come to adjust contrast, balance, curves. I have created with other astrofriends a small youtube channel or I explain my procedure. But no treatment can be similar.

Q12: How do you achieve the balance between authenticity and aesthetics at post-processing?

Very difficult question. All it depends on the composition of what you are photographing. If you shoot a galaxy or a cluster, then you have to respect the balance of the different layers so as not to distort the colors. That’s what I’m trying to do in LRGB. Many steps during the treatment thanks to specific astro software allow to calibrate these colors as well as possible. For the treatment of nebulae in narrowband SHO, then it’s different. The Hubble palette was developed by NASA in order to best differentiate the different gases present in nebulae. It is therefore false color by definition and the artistic side can then be expressed more. It’s the same thing for HOO images even if they are generally more faithful.

Q13: Will you often re-process the old date to get a new and better image or you prefer to start new sessions?

I keep on my HDD all my old images, the pre-treatment and treatment techniques evolving constantly. It also allows me to add poses to old images. Sorting and quality can therefore be more selective. Another advantage is the sharing of our images with other amateur astrophotographers in order to have the best possible rendering. This is what we do with the aforementioned small group of astrophotographers in order to share our raw data and help each other with the processing of our images.

Q14: Have you ever captured any planets or comets?

The original purchase of the ASI224MC was to take pictures of the planets. Unfortunately, they are at low altitude in France. An atmospheric dispersion corrector is therefore mandatory in order to produce good planetary images. However, I have some shots. Regarding comets, I only have one to my credit made with the ASI1600MM Pro: it is 46P / Wirtanen taken in December 2018.

Q15: What product do you expect most from ZWO? Do you have any other feedbacks that want to speak to us?

Already, a big thank you for your products which allowed a lot of astrophotographers like me to equip myself with quality material. I hope that you will continue to release new products by incorporating ever more sensitive sensors. Community ideas are not lacking. The dream: cameras with a very high QE, little reading noise, with the possibility of native binning, a large sensor size, built-in tilt correction, a generous buffer, no amp glow, anti-reflection treatment of optical surfaces… and all this while keeping a contained price. In short, big specifications! J We can imagine in the future cameras with integrated corrector! Why not! Your range has been expanded with the arrival of new large-format sensors that work wonders. Thank you for your products and look forward to seeing your future cameras in action.

Jun Luo is the winner of ZWO 2020 ASIWEEK #30 and has brought us many extraordinary astronomy photos. To make our ZWOers know this excellent astrophotographer better, we make this interview. Let’s all take a look now.

Q1: Hello Jun! Congratulations that your nice work won ASIWEEK! First, could you please make a brief self-introduction?

My name is Jun Luo. I was born in Urumqi, Xinjiang, China and currently live in Tampa Florida, US. I had been into photography for many years. I was mostly self-taught and my main interest is landscape photography. My wife and I adopted an Aruban Cunucu a couple of years ago. His name is Cheetah. Now Cheetah has more photos than all my landscape and astro photos combined.

Both of my parents were middle school geography teachers. They found a simple refractor for me and my friends to observe the moon when we were kids. That was definitely the spark that started my interests in looking up the night sky and astronomy in general.

I captured all my images from the driveway of our house. It has some light pollution due to increased urbanization and plenty of street lights. It has a typical suburban sky of Bortle 5/6. I share all my astrophotography work on my Instagram account @xchaos360.

The Whirlpool Galaxy, EdgeHD 9.25X0.7 + Paramount MyT + ASI2600MC Pro + ASI174mm , 40X300s

Q2: When did start astrophotography and how? Do you have a teacher at the very beginning stage?

I started deep space astrophotography about 15 months ago after I tried out a Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer tracker. I had always been interested in astronomy and landscape photography but had never mounted a camera to a telescope. About two years ago, I attended an astrophotography workshop in Banff, Canada. It was more about night time landscape photography. One of the teachers introduced the concept and use of star tracker and equator mount to us. After that, I started reading books, blogs and watching tutorials on the web. In some sense, those are my teachers into astrophotography.

The Jellyfish Nebula, Tele Vue NP127is + Paramount MyT + ASI2600MC Pro + Triad Ultra Quadband Narrowband filter, 26X600s

Q3: What setup do you use? Can you show us some pictures?

Currently I have three main setups:

1. Wide field refractor

My main telescopes for wide fields are a Takahashi FSQ 85EDX and a Tele Vue NP127is. They cover focal length from 330mm to 660mm, which are good for most of nebulae. Both are Petzval refractors that offer large, flat and relatively fast optics.

My main mount is a Paramount MyT controlled by the SkyX for sky modeling, pointing, tracking and capturing. I use Focus Max v4 for autofocus “V” curve runs and refocus during captures.

A PrimaLuceLab Eagle3 computer is used to run all the software, power management and dew control.

Tele Vue NP127is + Paramount MyT + ASI2600MC Pro + ASI290MM mini

2. Galaxy/Planet and longer focal reflector

This is a new set up I recently put together. I chose a Celestron EdgeHD 9.25 SCT for its optics and weight. For galaxy or long nebulae shots, a Celestron 0.7X reducer is used to bring the optics to F7. For autofocusing, a PrimaLuce Lab Esatto 2” microfocuser is used. Celestron OAG and ZWO ASI 174MM mimi are used for guiding.

EdgeHD 9.25 + Paramount MyT + ASI2600MC Pro + ASI174MM mini

3. Travel set up

I had planned an astro/photography trip to Easter Island, Chile to image the Southern sky in March 2020. This portable set up was put together so that I can carry all the equipments on a plane and still be able to produce excellent result. The mount was a Rainbow Astro RST-135 Harmonic Drive. I was so glad ASIAIR (the original version) worked very well with this mount. The collaboration between Rainbow Astro and ZWO was very impressive. Portable harmonic drive could very well be the future of astrophotography mount and ASIAIR is the perfect companion for it on the road.

Takahashi FS-60CB + Rainbow Astro RST-135 + ASI1600MM Pro + ASI290MM mini

Since I have RST-135 and ASIAIR as the center pieces of the travel set up, the rest are mostly ZWO products to make everything work together seamlessly. The imaging scope is a Takahashi FS-60CB. With reducer and extender, it covers focal lengths from 255mm to 600mm. Motorized focus is done by ZWO EAF with hand controller/ASIAIR. ZWO OAG with ASI290mini for guiding. The imaging camera is ASI1600MM Pro and ZWO 8 position EFW loaded with Astrodon LRGB and narrowband filters. ASIAIR (later upgraded to an ASIAIR Pro) together with a Pegasus Powerbox, provide all the power outputs needed for electronics. A Celestron Powertank Lithium (Airline approved) is the main power source.

ZWO portable set up

Unfortunately, after I put everything together and tested the imaging workflow, my trip was canceled one week before departure due to the pandemic. I’m sure whenever this trip becomes reality again, I will be able to enjoy this set up and capture some good photos.

This colorized Hydrogen-alpha(Ha) photo of the Rosette Nebula was taken during the practice run of this travel set up.

The Rosette Nebula, Takahashi FS-60CB + Rainbow Astro RST-135 + ASI1600MM Pro + ASIAIR, 20X300s Ha

Q4: What type of telescope do you prefer?

Since my main interest is imaging, I prefer refractors that provide a large image circle, flat field, excellent color correction and relatively fast aperture. Refractors make set up a lot easier. They do not need much collimation and cool down time. My choice of Takahashi FSQ-85 EDX and Tele Vue NP127is apparently reflected my consideration. Both are Petzval astrograph telescopes that are built for imaging.

Reflectors like the EdgeHD and many others are interesting to use when I get the chance. They provide much longer focal length or much faster aperture that may be more suited for certain targets.

Q5: Would you mind telling us how did you capture your winning image Trifid Nebula? And how did you successfully bring out those beautiful colors?

The Trifid Nebula, EdgeHD 9.25 X 0.7 + Paramount MyT + ASI2600MC Pro + ASI174MM Mini + Celestron OAG, 42X180s

The Trifid Nebula was the second deep-sky objects I photographed using my “Galazxy” long focal length set up. I did some planning beforehand and noticed that the Trifid Nebula fits nicely in an EdgeHD 9.25X0.7(reducer) and ASI2600MC Pro field of view.

The capturing process was uneventful. After polar alignment, I ran a 40-points sky model. It confirmed that the polar alignment was excellent on both axes. After running an autofocus routine to make sure focus was accurate, I started a sequence to capture 180 seconds subs. I refocused about every 8 frames. It was a hot and humid summer night in Florida and the focus actually shifted quite a bit during the imaging session. ASI174mm mini did a great job picking up guiding stars. The seeing was good that night. I remembered the total RMS tracking error was between 0.5 ~ 0.8 throughout the night, which was a nice surprise to me given the long focal length. (1645mm) I ended up with 42 usable light frames, which amounts to just over 2 hours of integration time.

Most of the post processing was done in PixInsight. The master file from ASI2600MC Pro is always a joy to edit. It has very good detail and low noise. Of course, what I liked the most was no amp glow. It made editing so much easier. I read about Trifid Nebula before and had some understanding where those colors come from. My goal was to bring out the red in emission nebula, the blue in reflection nebula and improve the contrast of the dark nebula in the middle. The PixInsight ColorMask script is very handy to isolate color channels and individually adjust color curves. That’s probably the main editing steps that helped to bring out the colors. I used a denoise/sharpening plug-in (Topaz Labs DeNoise AI) in Photoshop as the final step to make the image “pop” a bit more.

Q6: When did you get your ASI2600MC Pro? Why did you choose it? Is it a good match with your telescope?

I pre-ordered ASI2600MC Pro in late 2019. At that time, I was trying out the OPT Triad Ultra Quad-band narrowband filter with ASI294MC Pro. Such combo works wonders in a Bortle 5 area for emission nebulae targets. It yielded very good results except one issue, the dreadful amp glow. With narrowband filters, I routinely take 10 minutes subs and the amp glow from ASI294 is very pronounced. Although it can be somehow calibrated out, I was looking for something better. The no amp glow design of ASI2600 MC Pro is godsent. The larger sensor is also a selling point for me. The pixel size of ASI2600MC Pro matched my refractor focal length very well. It falls in the “well-sampled” zone.

The Rosette Nebula, Tele Vue NP127is + Paramount MyT + ASI2600MC Pro + Triad Ultra Quad-band Narrowband filter, 20X600s

Q7: What’s the biggest difficulty you think of astrophotography? How do you normally handle it?

Astrophotography is definitely one of the more difficult forms of photography. Many factors need to go right in order to produce a satisfactory result.

On the technical side, the most difficult and also the most important part is to get a good telescope mount. A mount that is easy to polar align and can point and track accurately makes everything else much easier. Not everyone can afford the best of mounts available. However, if one is passionate about astrophotography and willing to invest the necessary time and money into it, he/she should seriously consider buying or saving up for the best mount they could afford. That will lay a solid foundation for the future. I started with a Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer and eventually saved enough to purchase a used Paramount MyT mount. It made a world of difference in my imaging workflow and end result.

On the non-technical side, it is probably more difficult to stay focused and keep even-keeled through ups and downs one is sure to experience. There are so many variables in the process.  Any of them could go wrong and ruins an imaging session. I had seen many people giving up astrophotography after a short stint. Good hardware and software surely help but do not automatically lead to good photos. I found it easier for me to accept that I will always be a student in this hobby and the best way forward is to keep learning. I had felt frustrated many times as well. With help of the community and a calmer mind, I had solved many issues and learned even more during the process. I’m now even in the position to offer help to other people. That is just as satisfying as creating a pretty picture.

The Bubble Nebula, Takahashi FSQ-85 EDX + Paramount MyT + ASI1600MM Pro, 5X600s on each narrowband filter

Q8: What post-processing software do you use? People say the complex astrophotography software is one of the reasons that makes newcomers tend to give up at the beginning. What do you think?

I’m using PixInight and Photoshop for my post-processing these days. I’m still learning both software to create my own workflow and processing techniques.

I can relate to the concerns regarding post processing as I was a beginner just 15 months ago. I would say the best way to find out is to start using the software one can find or afford, watch a lot of tutorials and ask for help when necessary. There are both free software like DeepSkyStacker, Sequator, GIMP and commercial software like PixInsight and Photoshop to try. Some are more intuitive and easier to use than others. One does not need to master everything to produce a “good” photo. The best part is that one can always re-process an old dataset when skills are improved. It is really part of the fun to keep learning and improving.

HH555/Pelican Nebula, Sky-Watcher Esprit 120 + Paramount MyT +  ASI1600MM Pro.

10X600s of Ha, OIII and SII filter, SHO Hubble palette process in PixInsight

Q9: Do you ever travel to distant dark places for astrophotography? Are there any interesting experiences that can share with us?

Unfortunately, I had not traveled to any dark site for astrophotography yet. The nearest dark site is about 3 hour’s drive from home. It is definitely what I want to try.

The closest I was going to a dark site actually was March this year (2020) when I was ready to travel to the Easter Island, Chile to image the Southern sky. That’s one of the main reasons I put together the airline friendly travel set up. That trip was canceled due to the pandemic and had been postponed to next year. Hopefully by then I will be able to go and have more astrophotos to share.

Q10: Do you have a favorite region or target on the space?

There are so many interesting and beautiful targets in the sky. If I have to pick only one, it has to be the constellation Orion and its surrounding area. The Great Orion Nebula(M42) is the first true deep space objects I photographed. It is a bright target for beginners to start with. However, due to its bright core and darker nebula clouds, it is quite challenging to “do it right”. I’m pretty sure I’ll be photographing the Orion Nebula every year to keep improving my skill. The Horse Head Nebula is of course another iconic target nearby. The Rosette Nebula not far from Orion is also a winter favorite target for both RGB and narrowband capturing.

The Orion Nebula, Tele Vue NP127is + Paramount MyT + ASI2600MC Pro + Triad Ultra Quad-band Narrowband filter

16X300s + 16X180s + 10X10s

In summer sky, my favorite area is definitely in the constellation of Cygnus. From close up to the Crescent nebula to wide /ultrawide field of the whole Cygnus area, from the North America Nebula, Pelican Nebula to the Veil Nebula and Cygnus loop, there are so many interesting targets to try different techniques. One of my goals of this summer is to photography a multi-panel mosaic of the Cygnus loop.

The Eastern Veil Nebula, FS-60CB + Sky-Watcher EQ6R-Pro, ASI1600MM Pro, 20X180s Ha and OIII

Q11: Do you think astrophotography somehow changed you over the past times ever since you are into this hobby?

In many ways, the answer is yes. Astrophotography is both challenging and rewarding. It takes a lot of effort to understand the general principles and troubleshoot all the issues that are sure to come up. Since I started this hobby about 15 months ago, I think I had become more patient. I believe one has to be patient to be able to learn and master this “technical art” form. Many things could go wrong during an imaging session. There are not many quick and dirty ways to get that “pretty picture” in a snap. When the problem rises, I had to calm down and focus to find out the issues and search for answers.

Q12: Do you know ZWO ASIAIR PRO? What features of it you might feel interested in and what new features you expect it can add in the future?

I currently have a ZWO ASIAIR PRO as the controlling unit of my travel set up. It works very well with the Rainbow Astro RST-135 mount. I had the original ASIAIR that drives a Sky-Watcher EQ6R-Pro mount and it was truly a pleasure to use. The ASIAIR PRO apparently had added many new hardware and software features. The plate solving and guiding are fast and solid as ever. Those are the features I love the most.

I’d love to see ASIAIR Pro adding a robust and accurate autofocusing function, especially if it can be added as an autorun step.

ASIAIR PRO in travel set up

Q13: What suggestion or feedback do you want to speak with us?

ZWO had made a huge impact on the astrophotography community with so many high-quality products at a reasonable price. Keep up the great work. If anything, keep listening to community feedback, answering technical support questions promptly and providing excellent customer services.

On a side note, an “ASI2600MM Pro” would be a fantastic addition to the ASI line up. There is a huge sensor size and price gap between ASI1600MM Pro and ASI6200 MM Pro. It could be the dream camera for many astrophotographers.

Q1: First, can you make a self-introduction to ZWO users that may not know you before?

My name is Tim “TJ”Connolly.  I am 38 years old and live in a small town called Saranac, New York.  It is in upstate New York in the Northern Adirondacks.

Q2: How did you capture the winning image Barnard 150? Was the whole process rather smooth for you?

 I used my Celestron 9.25” EdgeHD SCT with a Starizona Hyperstar lens which brings the focal length down to 525mm and the focal ratio to f2.2.  It is a real light bucket and helps capture the deep space photons.  It also helps bring out the detail in dark nebulas, such as Barnard 150.  I also used the ZWO ASI2600mc-pro, which is my favorite camera.  It is very dynamic and sensitive which also helps pull detail with minimal noise.  I calibrated the image with darks, flats and dark flats in Astro Pixel Processor, and did the post processing in PixInSight.

Barnard 150. Equipment: Celestron 9.25” EdgeHD + Starizona Hyperstar V4 f2.2 + CGEM DX + ASI2600MC Pro + ASIAIR PRO.

100x180s, gain 100, no filter used as ASI2600MC Pro has the built-in IR cut window

Q3: How did you start astrophotography? Do you still keep your first astro image?

Back in March of 2013, I heard there was a comet setting in the western sky.  I took my Canon 450D, DSLR, and went to a hilltop.  I looked to the west with binoculars but couldn’t see anything.  I randomly started capturing 30 second exposed images in the western sky and it wasn’t long before I spotted the comet, C/2011 L4 PANSTARRS.  From this moment I was hooked.  I started imaging constellations, and eventually I bought an Orion 8”F3.9 Astrograph and started imaging deep space.  I purchased a Lunt Solar Scope and started imaging the sun.  I was completely hooked and found myself imaging every object I could in space.  From Comets, Asteroids, the sun, the moon, planets, nebulas, galaxies, novas, star clusters, double stars, I was imaging it all.  I ended up upgrading my camera to a ZWO ASI1600mm-pro, then the ASI294mc-pro, and now I primarily use the ASI2600mc-pro.  I have a wide array of ZWO planetary cameras I use for guiding, lunar, solar and planetary imaging.  My favorite solar camera is the ASI174mm and my favorite planetary camera is the ASI224mc.

M31. Equipment: Celestron 9.25” EdgeHD + Hyperstar V4 f2.2 516mm + ASI294MC Pro + ASIAIR.

Q4: What setup do you have? Can you show us some pictures?

My primary setup for deep space imaging is the Celestron 9.25”EdgeHD, with the Starizona Hyperstar, ASI2600mc-pro (Main Imaging Camera), SVBONY 60mm Guidescope with a ZWO ASI224mc (Guide Camera), mounted on a Celestron CGEM DX Mount and on a SkyShed Pier.  All my gear is controlled wirelessly through the ZWO ASIAir Pro and with my iPhone X.  It is the ultimate setup and I love every aspect of it.  It allows me to image from the comfort of my home and even from bed.

For solar imaging, I primarily use a Lunt LS152 Hydrogen Alpha Solar Scope.  I also use a Lunt Engineering 80mm refractor with a Calcium K module.  I run both these scopes on the Celestron CGEM DX mount and not only do I image from these scopes, but I also do a lot of outreach with them and show off the sun to the public.

Q5: We’ve heard that you are now working on a backyard dome, how is it going?

The dome is coming along great.  I am installing a SkyShed POD 5 bay dome in my backyard.  I have everything all set and am just waiting on the dome which was held up at the factory due to the virus.  The factory shut down but recently reopened.  It should be delivered any day now.

Q6: What do you plan to do with the backyard dome when it’s done except for astrophotography?

In addition to astrophotography, I hope to use the dome for visual views of the moon and planets, and a nice retreat to be out under the stars.  Some day, I will discover a comet from it.

M81 & M82. Equipment: Celestron 9.25” EdgeHD + Hyperstar + ASI2600MC Pro + ASIAIR PRO. 120x60s.

Q7: Would you mind introducing your site AstroNorth with us? Do you run it by yourself?

AstroNorth is a website I started to share my images and selling astro prints.  I am also working on an online store selling astronomy and astrophotography gear.  This is a long term plan and dream I have and I am slowly pressing forward.

AstroNorth

Wide field Trifid and Lagoon Nebula. Equipment: Celestron 9.25” EdgeHD + Starizona Hyperstar V4 f2.2 + CGEM DX + ASI2600MC Pro + ASIAIR PRO.

50x180s, gain 100, no filters used as ASI2600MC Pro has the built-in IR cut window.

Q8: On your site we see that you have presented classes, lectures and workshops to many astro groups and schools. May I ask why are you so interested in the popularization of astronomy?

I have presented at the North East Astro Imaging Conference (NEAIC) and every year I instruct at the Adirondack Sky Center’s 4 day astrophotography workshop in Tupper Lake, New York.  I really enjoy the personal interactions and teaching others how to image space.  From image capturing techniques to image calibrating, stacking, and processing, I like to pass along the skills I have learned.

Heart and Soul Nebula in the HST palette. Equipment: Pentax 200mm + ASI1600MM Pro + ZWO 7nm SHO filters.

About 8 hours of each SHO filter. 300s exposures.

Q9: Do you think astrophotography can be a life-long pursuit, especially seeing the appearance of Starlink?

I believe astrophotography will have to evolve to survive.  Light pollution is increasing drastically and youth aren’t as interested as they were in the past.  As our technology advances, we will have to overcome obstacles.  I am probably one of the only astrophotographers who is excited for Starlink.  It will bring high speed internet and low ping to my area which does not have cable television or high speed internet.  I try to help and do my part by volunteering at my local observatory, teach astrophotography, and get the public, including our youth, excited about space through outreach.

Witch Head Nebula. Equipment: Celestron 9.25” EdgeHD + Hyperstar V4 f2.2 516mm + ASI294MC Pro + ASIAIR.

Astronomik UV/IR filter used for star bloat. 130x60s.

Q10: What region in the space do you love most, or, to put it another way, what kind of targets is your favorite?

I love the Cepheus region. I enjoy the dark nebulas and dusty regions.

Shark Nebula. Equipment: Celestron 9.25” EdgeHD + Hyperstar V4 f2.2 516mm + ASI294MC Pro.

Astronomik UV/IR filter used for star bloat. 150x60s.

Q11: How many places have you traveled for astrophotography? Are there any interesting & unforgettable experiences you can tell us?

Fortunately, when I step out in my backyard, I am under Bortle 3 skies.  This allows me to image and take advantage of the dark skies locally.  I have traveled to Massachusetts, Vermont and other regions of New York to image.  I would love to travel more and travel around the world in the next several years.

Horsehead and Flame Nebula. Equipment: Celestron 9.25” EdgeHD + Hyperstar V4 f2.2 515mm + ASI294MC Pro + ASIAIR.

Astronomik UV/IR filter used for star bloat. 1x60s.

Q12: How do you like the ASI2600MC Pro camera? Do you think it is suitable for AP beginners?

I absolutely love the ASI2600mc pro.  It is an excellent beginner’s camera and is a camera to upgrade from a DSLR and grow with.  Every time I upgrade cameras, it takes my imaging up a notch.  I remember the first sub frame I captured.  I was completely shocked at how smooth the image was with minimal noise and no amp glow.  I wasn’t use to seeing anything close to this before with my other cameras.

The Whirlpool Galaxy. Equipment: Celestron 9.25” EdgeHD + 0.7x Reducer + CGEM DX + ASI2600MC Pro + ASIAIR PRO.
10 hours of OSC data (3 minute exposures) and 4 hours of Hydrogen Alpha data (3 minute exposures).

Q13: As one of the very first testers of ASIAIR, you’ve witnessed the fast development of ASIAIR over the past two years. What’s the biggest improvement do you think that it has achieved? And What features of it do you love most?

I am proud to have been able to test the ASIAir out over the past couple years.  I have seen it grow rapidly.  I tried to make three YouTube tutorials for it, but they got outdated very quickly.  I just couldn’t keep up with ZWO releasing new features and upgrades.  I have seen brand new astrophotographers, who never took an astro image before, take a guided, successful image, with amazing final results.  The biggest improvement I have seen with the ASIair is the simple interface.  As more features are being released, ZWO has been able to keep a simple interface with everything at my fingertips.  My favorite features of the ASIair are the plate solving, ability to sync the mount location to SkySafari for perfectly framed targets.  It makes it simple to find tough targets like Barnard 150.

Comet C/2020 F3 NEOWISE. Equipment: Pentax 200mm lens + ASI294MC Pro + iOptron Sky Guider Pro.

Q14: Where do you think ZWO should focus in 2020?

I think ZWO should focus on the ASIair, roll out AutoFocus, and keep releasing innovating products. ZWO is a great company, which continues to rock the astrophotography world, and this is the reason all my gear is made by ZWO.  Thank you for taking the time to interview me.

Anis Abdul is the winner of ZWO 2020 ASIWEEK #33 and has brought us many extraordinary astronomy photos. To make our ZWOers know this excellent astrophotographer better, we make this interview. Let’s all take a look now.

Q1: At first, congratulation that your nice image won #ASIWEEK. Can you introduce yourself to us?

Hi, my name is Anis Abdul. I live in Austin, USA. I am 43 years old. I have been interested in astrophotography for almost 2 decades. Austin has an active astronomy community which was very helpful and I started astrophotography from Jan 2014. I am interested in all types of astrophotography such as Deep space imaging, Planetary and Solar Imaging.

Q2: What setup do you use for astrophotography? Can you show us some pictures?

I have been mostly imaging from my backyard in Austin. But I have recently setup a system at dark skies in west Texas. I have different setups optimized for different types of imaging. Some of the configurations are:

1. Widefield setup:

Astrophysics AP900GTO mount with Takahashi FSQ106ED with multiple different cameras: ASI1600MM, QHY814A, FLI8300 with ZWO174-mini guider

2. Long focal length setup:

Astrophysics AP900GTO mount with Celestron EdgeHD 11 with ASI1600MM, QHY814A and FLI8300 with ZWO174-mini guider

Edge 11 setup

3. Planetary:

Astrophysics AP900GTO mount with Celestron C14XLT with ZWO ADC, ZWO ASI174MM, ZWO224MC, ZWO290MC-cool

C14 planetary

4. Solar:

Astrophysics AP900GTO mount with Explore Scientific AR150 Doublet or Orion ST80 with Daystar Quark Chromosphere and ZWO ASI174MM.

Some of the images from these setups:

This was my first APOD: SH-308 with ASI1600MM-cool with FSQ106ED

This is my second APOD: Elephant trunk – high res with ASI1600MM-cool and Celestron Edge11

Sun in HA using Daystar Quark Chromosphere, ES150 Doublet, ASI174MM

Montes Apenninus – C14/ASI174MM/Baader IR685

Q3: How did you capture that sharp image Jupiter? It was beyond amazing!

I am primarily a DSO imager, but I have been very interested in shooting high-resolution planetary images. I bought a used Celestron C14XLT early part of 2020 with that aim. The first thing I did was to get an image train that is optimal. I decided to start with a one-shot-color camera instead of the mono to make things easier.

With 2.9um pixels of ASI290MC. The critical sampling for the C14 is at a focal ratio of around 15. So, I got a Siebert 1.5x telecentric Barlow. With the outer planets staying in lower altitudes, I needed to use ZWO ADC. I also used a Baader UV/IR filter. I also added a Moonlite Crayford focuser with high res stepper motor for remote focusing.

The image train is:

C14->Moonlite CHL 2.5’’ Crayford focuser->Siebert 1.5x barlow-ZWO ADC->Baader UV/IR Cut filter->ASI290MC.

On the night of imaging, I allowed the scope to cool down for a couple of hours to avoid thermal tube currents. I also tuned the ADC when the planet was at near its peak of 30 degrees altitude using FireCapture’s ADC tuning tool. I also did minor collimation adjustment of the scope using one of the moons of Jupiter.

Imaging was done using FireCapture and I kept the gain low (at 275) and had a FPS of about 40. Histogram was at around 80%. Capture was done using 8bit mode and stored as RAW SER file.  I tried to get the best focus I could during the capture. I shot a series of multiple videos of 150 to 180s.

The main thing we cannot control is the seeing and it luckily was getting better that night. The seeing during this time can be seen in this video.

Here is an animation of the videos showing the seeing improving:

Processing:

Stacking was done in Autostakkert 2. 50% of the video was stacked.

Initial sharpening: Deconvolution was used in Pixinsight (parameteric PSF (2.2 StdDEV, Shape 0.6 with Regularized VanCittert algorithm – 50 iterations)

Secondary Sharpening:  Deconvolution with much lesser threshold as well as Local histogram equalization

Color correction: Registax 6 color autobalance. No wavelets done here,

Final processing: Photoshop with curves, levels, Saturation

Sharpening: Topaz denoise AI with sharpening (applied with 25% opacity to blend to give a sharp look)

The whole thing works only due to the seeing! The data as to support the sharpening processes without falling apart. Different folks have various types of rendering of the data (Soft, smooth etc.). I prefer sharp/colorful presentation.

Q4: Where do you normally take astrophotos? Do you have an observatory dome?

I mostly have been imaging from my backyard. Planetary and Solar imaging are always done in my backyard. My setup is usually left under a cover of Telegizmo 365 cover.

I have a shared setup in Marathon Texas with Celestron Edge11/AP1200 combination. I am also setting up a personal remote observatory in darker skies west of Austin for DSO imaging. I hope to have that setup operational in a month.

Mars. Taken with Celestron C14 XLT and ASI290MC Cool

Q5: How do you think of astrophotography? Do you do it for fun or for science?

Astrophotography is a unique blend of science and art and I find it very satisfying as a hobby. The steep learning curve, dependence on weather means, when you get a good image, it is immensely satisfying. It allows one own unique interpretation and presentation of our natural wonders.

 I do it mainly for fun (getting pretty pictures) but I would love to be able to contribute to the scientific community. I have collaborated with other imagers for some interesting projects (Hubble’s variable nebula animation, full map of Jupiter etc.). I am hoping to do more collaboration in the future. I would also be interested in doing astrometry and exoplanet hunting in the future.

Color enhanced moon to show various mineral region. Taken with ASI1600 with R/G/B filter and aligned in post processing.

Q6: There’s a very steep learning curve of astrophotography for beginners. How did you make your entrance into this hobby? How long did it take for your to successfully produce your first decent image?

It all started in 2014 when my wife gifted me a 6’’ Newtonian telescope and I stuck my DSLR with T-mount adapter into the focuser. Like many, once I saw the image of Orion Nebula, I was hooked! The biggest contribution in developing the craft came from the fine folks at the Beginning and Intermediate Imaging forum at CloudyNights. There are lot of very helpful members who went out of their way to help new imagers like me. For that, I am forever grateful. I also had a lot of help, specifically in Pixinsight from local members in Austin. It took about 6 months before I got a reasonable image (M51) using DSLR. Within one year, I had bought a SBIG ST-8XME and then a QSI683 and I was completely consumed by the hobby and it is still going string!

Here is my very first image:

My first astro image in Jan 2014 – Celestron OMNI150 XLT with Canon T3 DSLR!

Q7: What’s your first ASI camera? How did you know ZWO?

My first ASI camera was the venerable ASI120MC! I loved using that camera and was one of my first planetary camera. After that I bought ASI224MC, ASI178MC-cool, ASI174MM, ASI290MC-cool . My first ZWO DSO camera was the ASI1600MM-cool. ASI has been instrumental in moving the pace on camera technology at a rapid pace. I truly believe that ASI1600 is a pivotal camera in expanding the astrophotography hobby. I don’t know of any other camera that had so much impact. I have two APOD using the ASI1600 and this model will always have a special place in my heart.

Bubble Nebula, taken with Celestron Edge 11HD and ASI1600MM Cool.

I am excited to see new offerings from ASI, especially with newer form factor (all-in-one models with integrated FW/OAG that fit within 55mm will be extremely popular).

Here is it in a widefield setup with Nikon lens.

Q8: Color or mono, what’s your choice for astronomy cameras?

For DSO, I prefer Mono due to its versatility.  With Light pollution getting worse everywhere you look, the mono + narrowband is a potent combination.

For Planetary, I still lean on using one-shot-color mainly for convenience. I find cameras like ASI290MC / ASI224MC can approach mono’s performance.

Saturn. Taken with Celestron C14 XLT and ASI290MC

Q9: What’s your wildest dream for the future of CMOS cameras? Do you think the way we do astrophotography will change in a big way in the next ten years?

With the ASI6200 (and other variants with the same chip), I am already very happy with the full-frame mono CMOS cameras that have low read noise, deep well. This was my “best case camera” even a year ago. This camera is looking like a game changer (which possibly will end CCDs reign).

My hope is that this improvement will continue and will allow lucky imaging of DSO to allow high resolution imaging just as the case of planetary. The low noise + high gain offers very intriguing possibilities that are very exciting.

Having such a camera will low short exposures that will negate the need of very high-performance mounts and which in turn will allow astrophotography to be more accessible!

M64 – Lucky imaging with the uncooled ASI174MM

Q10: We noticed that you also photograph birds and insects from time to time, can you tell the difference between this and astrophotography?

I love photography! I find daytime photography and astrophotography to be two side of the same coin. They both offer their unique technical challenges and reward precision. Both allow exploring and engaging with our surrounding in different ways. Once you take a camera, a boring backyard becomes a place of immense interest with so many subjects to explore and photograph. Macro lens + Telephoto lens is a great medicine for being stuck at home due to the pandemic.

While the daytime photography requires observation and being ready to shoot when the opportunity presents itself, astrophotography rewards planning and preparation.

Both types of photography allow pushing the limits with post processing.

Both allow us to keep learning new techniques and improving our methods.

Both give us a reason to buy new gear.

Rosette Nebula in hubble palette

Black chinned Hummingbird with Sony A7R2 and Sony 200-600 @600mm

Q11: What’s your favorite region or target in the dark sky?

I am very interested in high resolution, high focal length imaging, specifically ARP, ABELL and Planetary Nebulae targets.

Little Dumbbell Nebula. Taken with Celestron Edge 11HD and ASI1600MM-Cool.

I find imaging the less common, or less accessible targets to be lot more interesting. The challenge of getting imaging and matching details on objects that used to require professional observatory level telescopes is a great motivator.

Therefore, there is always something or other to image regardless of the seasons!

As for a specific region, I do love the colorful Rho Ophiuchi cloud complex.

Q12: What a good astrophoto should be like in your opinion? Are there any fixed rules to help measure it?

I think it is really hard to quantify on what constitutes a good astrophoto. Without specific restrictions, it is hard to compare two images.

For example, an image taken from a backyard from a light polluted backyard with modest equipment cannot compare against an image from a fixed observatory However, the effort to take a good image from such light polluted location may be lot more than that of the observatory image. At the same time, setting up a working, remote operation on an observatory takes commitment, effort that cannot be quantified.

Another point is that, there is really no standard on what constitutes “correct” processing. As long as data is not altered egregiously (cloning, copying, mixing unattributed data), most processing is fair game. These are all pursuits of pretty images than publishing scientific results.

But, given those restrictions are in place, an experienced set of imagers can come to a consensus on a case by case basis (The type of process, the difficulty in imaging some target, etc.)

Q13: Can you share your plan for your next target? Will it be very challenging?

There are few targets that have been hard for me and I would like to do a good job

1. ISS – This has been something I have been trying to do. Especially with a C14 + 2.5x Barlow. Every time I have attempted, I have made one mistake or another that resulted in failure J . I really would like to image ISS with sufficient detail to identify various modules. IMO, this is quite challenging for me with manual tracking etc,

2. Uranus and Neptune – I want to image these with the C14 + 2.5xbarlow and try to get some kind of detail in the disk. This is a challenge that will require trial and error with different filters (IR685 or IR610) with ASI174MM that may work.

For DSO work, my plan is to work on setting a long focal length setup that can be used to image ARP targets. In addition, I have always wanted to image gravitationally lensed object like the Smiley face: SDSS J1038+4849 – I want to be able to get some detail on this target using a C11 or higher.

Q14: One last question: Do you have any feedback or suggestions that want to speak with us?

I appreciate all the advancements in camera technologies your company has been doing. Being able to bring astro-imaging to a wide set of people allows creating a community that goes beyond country and cultural boundaries. In this day and age, Its impact cannot be understated.  The combination of reasonable price and very good performance is a key reason for that.

Your company pushes the boundary on developing newer cameras that allow imaging target that were simply not possible few years ago. It is not just a question of building one or two type of cameras and sticking with it. Instead, newer models have been continuously released that allow truly specialized setups for specific types of imaging.

M27. Taken with Celestron Edge 11HD and ASI1600MM Cool.

In addition, developing non camera hardware like the ADC has been of immense help! For me, being in 30N, this has been a game changer. I truly appreciate that aspect. I hope you will continue doing hardware development like this!

The excellent ADC!

Andrei Gusan is the winner of ZWO 2020 ASIWEEK #36. His work “Cygnus Loop” is one of the most beautiful images we’ve seen on this target. To know how he captured the image and how he started astrophotography, here we made an interview with this great astrophotographer:

Q1: At first, congratulation that your nice image won #ASIWEEK. Can you introduce yourself to us?

Thank you very much, it’s an honor! My name is Andrei Gusan, I’m 36 years old and live in a small village in the heart of Transylvania, Romania – that’s right, the home of Dracula, boo! UX Designer & Developer, father and husband during the day and amateur astrophotographer by night.

Q2: When did you start astrophotography and why?

It all started in the summer of 2018 with the Opposition of Mars. I didn’t know anything about telescopes, but I got a 6” Newtonian for the kids – who are passionate about space, a SkyWatcher EQ3 mount and a few eyepieces. I will never forget the rush I felt the first time I saw the moon! After a few moments I felt that I needed to take a picture to capture the moment. And that was when I started to go down the Rabbit Hole. The next few weeks were very tough, I began learning the basics (balance, polar alignment etc) and chased deep sky targets. Ended up learning the techniques on Andromeda Galaxy. After that I quickly started upgrading the gear and tried a few different things until I realized what I needed.

Q3: Where do you think astrophotography’s charm lies in compared to other types of photography?

Astrophotography is unique. And tough. Very tough! Unlike other types of photography, in astrophotography you need to apply a lot of science, not just dial the camera on auto and press the shutter button. It’s unforgivable, no matter how big your bank account The night sky is like a time portal that allows us to look back in time – thousands and even millions years with the equipment available to amateurs. And I want to be a witness to all that!

Rosette Nebula HOO. Equipment: SW ED80 + ASI1600MM Pro + HEQ5 Pro. Integration: 8.2 hours.

Q4: What equipment do you use? Why did you choose them?

Currently, my main setup is a wide-field setup. I wanted a nice flat field up to 300mm focal length so I got the RedCat51 Petzval design APO and paired it with a ZWO ASI1600MM Pro cooled mono camera. It’s a perfect match! Between the telescope and camera, I have an 8 position ZWO 1.25” filter wheel and inside Astronomik LRGB and narrowband filters. For perfect focus, I use AF3 from Deepsky Dad. The small black with a bit of red accent ZWO mini guide scope and the ZWO ASI120MM mini matches in a fashion way with the rest of the gear – the classic red-black combination. It’s true, you don’t see the gear during the night, but I absolutely love to see them paring during the day All these are carried by an old HEQ5 mount that I got and hyper tuned it myself last year.

I’m absolutely in love with the wide field, but apertures matter, so my plan is to have a secondary setup of a 8” or 10” fast f4 Newtonian for the next galaxy season.

North America and the Pelican Nebula. Equipment: Williams Optics RedCat 51 + ASI1600MM Pro + HEQ5 Pro. Integration: 11.3 hours.

Q5: Do you have a personal observatory? Any images that can share with us?

 Yes! This is one of the best investments that an astrophotographer can make! Last summer I built a 3/2m roll-off shed. I feel that I’m cheating with the permanent setup, but it saves me a lot of time. I just need to power on the equipment and I’m ready to roll. It’s literally 5 minutes! The location is OK, not great, but it works so far for me as I live in the rural area with 4 on Bortle scale.

Q6: How did you manage your winning picture the Cygnus Loop? Was the whole process rather smooth to you?

With the setup stable and performant now, it was really down to post-processing. I’m in the learning phase and I just started to scratch the surface, but I’m happy with my progress so far. I spent almost two months exclusively on this target. Was a record for me with more than 17 hours of hand-picked exposure time. The total integration time was more than 22 hours but I decided to dump some frames that didn’t help (airplane trails, bad seeing, a few clouds etc). The post-process was a bit challenging because I wanted to highlight the very faint upper part of Cygnus Loop that unites the two large nebulas. I know there are more details there, but I had to move on eventually. Will definitely revisit this area next year to integrate more data.

Cygnus Loop – A Stellar Death. Equipment: Williams Optics RedCat 51 + ASI1600MM Pro + HEQ5 Pro. Integration: 17.1 hours.

Q7: Do you think your skills have been improved a lot since the first time you tried taking an astro photo?

Yes, definitely, but as I said, there is room for improvement. You have to take it step by step. In the basic learning process I choose an easy target, The Great Andromeda Galaxy. Here’s my evolution so far:

The 2018 versions were made with the 6” Newtonian and a Nikon DSLR and the 2019 version with SkyWatcher 80ED and a stock Canon DSLR.

Watch out for the 2020 version!

Q8: Do you ever feel frustrated since you were into this hobby? For what and how did you get over it?

Right now the only frustration I have is the bad weather and apparently new gear is a cloud generator When I learned the basics I felt a lot of frustration because nothing worked and, because I learned everything on my own from the Internet, sometimes I didn’t know what was my problem and why something didn’t work. Because of this it was difficult to find an answer without knowing where to look. This is why I encourage everyone to reach out from local astronomy groups or clubs.

Q9: Do you have a favorite target in space?

When I choose my next target I search online for details about the subject because I want to know what I’m looking at and every time I realise that I absolutely love the Space! Galaxies, nebulas and globular clusters, even our neighbours in our Solar System the Planets and Moons. I don’t have too much experience so far and I don’t think I have a favorite target, but usually I feel attraction for the large star formation nebulas. Our Lady Moon has a special place in my heart.

The Elephant’s Trunk Nebula. Equipment: Williams Optics RedCat 51 + ASI1600MM Pro + HEQ5 Pro. Integration: 23.5 hours.

Q10: What’s your astrophotography goals this year? Did you already accomplish them?

I’m very interested in Integrated Flux Nebula (IFN) regions. Currently I’m working on a wide field on Iris Nebula as there is a lot of IFN there. I managed to acquire the data so it’s all about post-processing now and it looks great so far. I’m also preparing for the winter targets, in particular Rosette Nebula and, of course, the objects from the Orion constellation, the Orion and Horse Nebule.

Q11: How did you know ZWO and get your first ASI camera?

There is a lot of hype around ZWO products in astrophotography communities so it was relatively easy to choose the brand. You guys rock! Keep up the good work! My only dilemma was around the idea of mono or color camera. So I got two. The ASI294MC Pro One-Shot-Color and ASI1600MM Pro mono. The OSC was fun to use, but wasn’t for me as I was looking for more faint details and I ended up keeping only the ASI1600MM Pro mono. It was very challenging at the beginning because of the complexity around acquisition with different filters, different focus points between filters and of course the integration. But definitely worth it. As technology evolves very fast, I see great results with the new OSC cameras and narrowband filters so I might get one OSC in the future.

M51 Whirlpool Galaxy. Equipment: SW ED80 + ASI1600MM Pro + HEQ5 Pro. Integration: 17.9 hours.

Q12: What do you care most when buying a dedicated astro camera?

At the beginning as I didn’t know too much about cameras I went on the community hand and what others were using. Now that I’m beginning to understand the technical side better, after the brand, the first thing I’m looking at is the pixel size to match with my setup. As the read noise is very low on all models, next is the full well capacity because I’m absolutely obsessed with this aspect because I tend to use long exposures and stars get very quickly oversaturated.

Q13: One last question: what feedback or suggestions would you like to tell us?

I would really, REALLY like to see a new camera similar to the new full-frame ASI6200MM Pro but on a smaller 4/3 chip size, hopefully more affordable. I’m not sure if there is a sensor like that on the market, but I’m particularly interested to have a better dynamic range and larger full depth capacity with 14 stops. The two USB hubs on all cameras are great, one more port would be even better (for guiding camera, filter wheel and focuser) and also I believe it’s time to upgrade the USB-B type to the USB-C type output.