Caveman Astrophotography

Adventures in el-cheapo astrophotography - please navigate back to Chapter 1 using the page links at the bottom of this page for the start of the journey...

Pluto - formerly classified as a planet (now "dwarf planet"), this distant icy world drifts slowly across our skies at a very dim magnitude of a touch under 14. I've often thought I'd like to shoot it, but considered it too close to the limits of my gear, an entry-level DSL piggybacked on a wobbly EQ1 mount. This was complicated by the fact that in recent times it has been moving against the backdrop of a very busy field, the Milky Way in Sagittarius!

However, flushed with recent 'success' in shooting short, tracked shots at 200mm that seemed to pick up mag 14 stars when "stretched" a little, I decided to give it a go in mid-June 2009, taking advantage of Pluto's position against a dark lane in the Milky Way, giving a darker background for contrast.

First night was hopeless, light cloud and nothing brighter than about mag 12 showed up. Second night was a little better - I "stretched" (using Levels in Photoshop) a stack of 6 subs, each 70 seconds at ISO 1600 & F/6.3, and there it was, a faint little dot tucked in against a slightly brighter star! Yay, Pluto, but no work of art that's for sure!!

Next night the sky was excellent - 6 x 70 sec again (70 sec was about the limit I could go at 200mm, before my crappy rough polar alignment induced significant star trailing) and there was Pluto, a nice little dot and clear of any stars!!

Now I had enough to put an embarrasingly rough two-night animation together, to show Pluto's movement. Pluto is about centre - you'll see the dot move up & down...

Rapt!! Would the skies stay clear for a third night? Yep, just got another shot before clouds came in. Pluto just snuck in, barely clear of another star, so that gave me enough for a three-night animation. It was also the end of the clear nights, so there wouldn't be a fourth!

Put this video together using Windows Movie Maker, hope you enjoy!!

NASA's New Horizons spacecraft was launched in 2006 and will visit Pluto and the Kuiper Belt, arriving at Pluto in 2015. This will provide our first detailed images of the former planet, as well as a wealth of scientific data. If you want to follow the mission, here's a link:

New Horizons

And if you want more information on Pluto, go here:

Pluto - Dwarf Planet