A Beginner's Journey into the Milky Way: Capturing the Cygnus Region
Hello dearest astrophotography community!
This is my first ever post here, and I'm so thrilled (and a little nervous!) to share my maiden voyage into the world of deep-sky imaging. As a beginner, this is my first attempt at capturing a part of our incredible Milky Way, and the results from last night's session in South Germany have left me beaming.
I'm incredibly happy with how this turned out, but of course, all feedback is most welcome. I'm still very much learning the ropes when it comes to techniques like stretching, saturation, and achieving the perfect color balance. It's a journey, and I'm excited to be on it!
A Surprising Discovery
Interestingly, my initial goal was to capture the famous North America Nebula. I was so surprised and delighted to discover that my camera had managed to record other celestial objects as well – it truly felt like opening a surprise box, and I absolutely love that aspect of astrophotography!
Technical Details
For those interested in the nitty-gritty, here's a breakdown of my setup and processing:
- Camera: Canon EOS 600D (modified)
- Lens: Canon EF-S 18-55mm
- Exposures: 198 x 40-second lights at 800 ISO, f/5.6, 28mm
- Calibration Frames: 35 flats, 22 biases (no darks used)
- Mount: SkyWatcher EQ3-2
- Location: Bortle 5 sky conditions
- Software: Stacked and stretched in Siril, with further color adjustments made in GIMP.
I truly hope you enjoy this glimpse into the Cygnus region of our Milky Way!
