AstroAF

New Video Published!
In Part 3 of my astrophotography pier build, we bring everything together — mechanical assembly, leveling, power, Ethernet, mount setup, rough alignment, and first light preparation.

If you haven’t seen the earlier stages of the build:

Building My Dream Astrophotography Pier – Part 1
https://youtu.be/ZZBbORby3Vg

Building My Backyard Astrophotography Pier! – Part 2
https://youtu.be/XbPxWeFsOEk

This project has been about more than just pouring concrete. It’s about building a permanent imaging platform that supports long-term stability, repeatable polar alignment, clean cable routing, and reliable power and networking for remote and unattended astrophotography.

A huge thank you to my friend Jay for helping bring this pier to life. Jay is an incredibly talented machine and body shop specialist who restores classic cars for a private collector. He handled all of the welding and finish work on this pier, applying the same level of craftsmanship and finishing techniques he uses in high-end automotive restoration. The result is something that looks intentional, durable, and professionally built.

You can check out Jay’s channel here:
‪@oceanside2152‬
youtube.com/@oceanside2152

Cheers!
Doug

#Astrophotography #BackyardObservatory #TelescopePier #HEQ5 #CelestronEdgeHD #PolarAlignment #AmateurAstronomy #DeepSkyImaging #NINA #HomeObservatory #AstroInfrastructure

1 week ago | [YT] | 4

AstroAF

Here's my image from the last video on the Player One Xena 585M.
https://youtu.be/2lI7b9DMGok

IC 410 – The Tadpole Nebula

Located in the constellation Auriga, IC 410 lies approximately 12,000 light-years from Earth. This emission nebula surrounds the open star cluster NGC 1893, whose hot, young stars energize the surrounding hydrogen gas.

The famous “tadpoles” are dense globules of gas and dust being sculpted by intense stellar radiation — each one stretching roughly 10 light-years long.

Discovered in 1892 by Max Wolf, IC 410 continues to be a stunning example of star formation in action.

Integration 26h 35m:
Ha: 33 × 900s = 8h 15m
OIII: 24 × 900s = 6h 00m
SII: 38 × 900s = 9h 30m
Total Narrowband: 23h 45m

L: 8 × 300s = 40m
R: 10 × 300s = 50m
G: 8 × 300s = 40m
B: 8 × 300s = 40m
Total LRGB: 2h 50m

Captured in NINA
Processed in Pixinsight

Gear:
​‪@playeroneastronomy2772‬ Artemis-M Pro | Xena 585M
​‪@astroasis2020‬ Oasis Filter Wheel and Focuser
​‪@CelestronDotCom‬EdgeHD 8 (.7x 1440mm) | OAG
​‪@SkyWatcherUSA‬ HEQ5 Pro
‪@svbonyoptics‬ SV227 SHO 5nm Filters
​‪@optolongastronomyfilter1999‬ LRGB Filters

#Astrophotography #IC410 #TadpoleNebula #DeepSky #Auriga #NarrowbandImaging #LongExposure #SpacePhotography #AmateurAstronomy #NightSky

2 weeks ago | [YT] | 35

AstroAF

Doing some testing of the ‪@playeroneastronomy2772‬ Xena 585M tonight and switched over to 16-bit, using the ASCOM driver so i could get control of the settings for HDR, Gain ended up about 250 with Offset of 12. Running 1sec exposures. Solid SNR 18-20, good star HFR at 1440mm. Hanging out in the low .50s. Seeing is slightly soft tonight. Overall, really happy with these results. I still haven't done a guiding assistant yet!
Cheers!
Doug

#playerone #xena585m #guiding #phd2 #astrophotography

2 weeks ago | [YT] | 15

AstroAF

New Video Published!
Player One Xena 585M - My First Light Experience!

Astrophotography guiding changed for me the night I replaced my long-time guide camera with the Player One Xena 585M. Same mount. Same telescope. Same focal length. Same sky. The only variable that changed was the guide camera — and the results completely reset my expectations.

In this video I share my real-world first guiding session using the ‪@playeroneastronomy2772‬ Xena 585M on an HEQ5 Pro with an EdgeHD 8 at 1440mm focal length. This is practical astrophotography — not lab testing, not synthetic comparisons — just actual imaging conditions, PHD2 calibration, live guiding graphs, and star performance.

Cheers!
Doug

Player One Xena 585M product page:
player-one-astronomy.com/product/xena-585m-usb3-0-…

Player One Astronomy Dwarf Planet guiding camera lineup:
player-one-astronomy.com/guiding-camera/

1.25 Inch Parfocal Rings Set of Three:
amzn.to/3ZHoMt5

#Astrophotography #Guiding #PHD2Guiding #HEQ5Pro #EdgeHD8 #Xena585M #PlayerOneAstronomy #DeepSkyAstrophotography #LongFocalLength #SubArcsecond m#IC410 #TadpoleNebula

2 weeks ago | [YT] | 2

AstroAF

Hey Friends! New Video Published!
Astrophotography isn’t just about collecting photons — it’s about listening to what your gear is already telling you. In this video, I take a data-driven look at polar alignment using logs that NINA already generates, and show how those logs can reveal real, measurable behavior in a pier-mounted astrophotography system over time.

This started as simple curiosity: how far off is my polar alignment at the start of each session, how much correction is actually required, and which axis is really doing the work — altitude or azimuth? Like many imagers, I had strong assumptions based on feel and ergonomics. The data told a very different story.

Using NINA’s TPPA (Three Point Polar Alignment) plugin, I enabled session logging and wrote a small Python script to extract only the meaningful states: where alignment started, where it finished, and how much effort it took to get there. From that, I built a repeatable workflow that turns polar alignment into something measurable instead of subjective.

Cheers!
Doug


#astrophotography, #polaralignment, #nina, #tppa, #ninatppa, #equatorialmount, #piermounted, #mounttuning, #datadrivenastrophotography, #astrophotographyworkflow, #imagingworkflow, #python, #astrophotographytools, #gearanalysis, #guiding, #longtermimaging

3 weeks ago | [YT] | 0

AstroAF

I’ve got a very niche, gear data thing that i wrote a python script to extract data from TPPA logs in NINA. You all interested in a video on this and my making the python script and use docs available?
Let me know here in the comments.
Cheers!
Doug

#astrophotography #astrogear #datavisualization #tppa #polaralign

3 weeks ago | [YT] | 9

AstroAF

I do not know who you are, YT doesn’t tell me, but thank you to those leaving a Hype! I think these really help with the algorithm suggesting my videos!
If you would like to help out, this is a super simple way!

4 weeks ago | [YT] | 13

AstroAF

What is a requirement when using any telescope cover long-term?
You can find the answer and explanation in my latest video: Year Round Astro Setup | This Is What You Need!
https://youtu.be/j1kU8n9MVoA

4 weeks ago | [YT] | 0

AstroAF

Hey Everyone! New video published!

Astrophotography setups often live outdoors year-round, and protecting mounted equipment from weather, heat, and moisture is critical. In this video, I take a hands-on look at the TeleGizmos 365 Series cover, showing it both in real-world outdoor use and in the studio while walking through its design and materials.

This video combines on-site footage of the cover protecting my outdoor-mounted telescope with a closer breakdown of how the 365 Series is built. I cover the dual-layer construction, including the radiant heat barrier inner liner and the heavy, weather-resistant outer shell, and explain why those details matter for equipment that stays outside between imaging sessions.

The TeleGizmos 365 Series is designed specifically for continuous outdoor exposure. The reflective inner liner helps reduce radiant heat buildup and adds moisture protection, while the acrylic-coated woven polyester outer layer is built to resist UV exposure, wind, rain, abrasion, and long-term weathering.

TeleGizmos 365 Series covers and additional product information:
www.telegizmos.com/

Cheers!
Doug

#Astrophotography, #TeleGizmos, #TeleGizmos365, #TelescopeCover, #ObservatorySetup, #PermanentSetup, #AllWeather, #OutdoorImaging, #AstroGear, #TelescopeMount, #ImagingRig, #AmateurAstronomy, #AstroImaging, #WeatherProtection, #EquipmentProtection @bobpitney8665 ​

4 weeks ago | [YT] | 4