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[atomant]

Hi Fellow Starnuts,

I thought third time was a charm.
The fourth time at Silver Springs State Park was better.
The clouds that were lingering around Chicago were kept away from Yorkville.
With temps in the 70's and a calm wind, the skies opened up.
After watching the Venus and Luna show, I went right to piggyback pics of the Milky Way. This also allowed the cassegrain, time to cool off.
This is my second attempt of piggybacking using the Vixen Sphinx goto mount. The first time, I didn't properly polar align.

Film = Fuji 35mm Super HQ color film 200 speed
Camera = Vivitar V4000 manual SLR
Piggybacked on Vixen 8in cassergrain mounted on Vixen Sphinx goto equatorial mount
Exposure time = a little over 5 minutes

Keystone of Hercules [See if you can find M13 and M92]

Darn planes!! Let's try again.

Gotta love light pollution.

Let me know if there are other dark sites within an hour from the heart of Chicago. I'd like to compare skies.

PS Joe, is this o.k. or should I resize. Thanks!

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

Bill,

What great and spectacular shots!...

Normally I would request submissions to be smaller, but I glad you kept them, as it shows the magnificent spendor of the heavens from the Chicago area.

Bill, have you tried doing the same exposures from right dead in the center of Chicago, ala C.A. Urban site #2? It would be interesting to compare the two side by side.

Martyn would be quite interested in how you are getting these great shots. How come...you arn't getting the washed out effects that he is getting? He was at a rather dark location as well. I wonder!...

Me thinks that you should submit these cool shots to the astro mags..and mention the Chicago Astronomer too...

[Rocketman]

Very nice, but that's too good to be legal!

I'll have to confiscate all of your equipment now, hand it over!

;D

[Rocketman]

Me thinks that you should submit these cool shots to the astro mags..and mention the Chicago Astronomer too...

I agree

[Al Degutis]

Bill,

Very nice images!

I tried some piggybacked images of the Milky Was this past weekend using my digital SLR. Mine were between 60 second and 3 minute exposures. Mine look overexposed (and some eastern horizon sky glow as well). I left the camera at 1600 ISO because I was using that to try and capture metoers before and after the wide angle shots. I see you used 200 ISO film. I guess I'll try 200, 400 or 800 and see how they turn out for me.

Here's my first attempts (two are untouched while two were processed in PhotoShop for level adjustments):
tinyurl.com/7h5nu

[atomant]

Hi Joe,

This week might have some clear nights, I might try taking some shots of the sky from Urban Site #2.

Hi Rocketman,

Thanks, but I need my Vixens to continue the moon survey.

Hi Al,

I have never tried 1600 speed.
From the Yorkville site, I'm able to see the Milky Way with naked eye. Sky glow also from the Northeast [Chicago].
I had a local CVS store process the pictures. I asked the technician to not overexpose the pics. I have also had good piggyback pics processed at a Walmart.
I'm curious what results you will get with the slower speeds.

Clear skies,