My First Deep Sky Image: The Cygnus Cluster
After a long period of lurking, learning, and gathering inspiration from this fantastic community, I'm thrilled to share my very first attempt at capturing a true deep sky object. It's a humble beginning, but a significant milestone for me!
The Target: The Cygnus Cluster
The Cygnus Cluster, also known as Messier 39, is a beautiful open cluster located in the constellation Cygnus. It's a popular target for amateur astronomers, and I was eager to try and capture its charm.
The Gear and The Process
For this maiden voyage into deep sky imaging, I used:
- Camera: My trusty old Nikon D3100
- Mount: A Benro Polaris mount
The conditions weren't ideal, as I was shooting from the suburbs of Philadelphia, which are known for their light pollution. Despite this challenge, I managed to capture approximately 80 sub-exposures, each lasting 10 seconds.
The stacking and editing process was admittedly clumsy – a learning experience in itself! There's definitely a steep learning curve when it comes to processing these images, but I'm proud of the result given the circumstances and my current skill level.
The Image
Here is my first successful deep sky image:
Looking Ahead
This experience has fueled my passion even further. I'm incredibly grateful for the wealth of information and the supportive community here that made this first successful image possible. I'm excited to continue learning, refining my techniques, and sharing more of my astrophotography journey with you all!
#CygnusCluster #Astrophotography #DeepSky #NikonD3100 #BeginnerAstrophotography
