1999 SSSP Astrophoto

1999 Astrophotos

The clear skies of the SSSP made it possible for an amazing 10 hour star trail time exposure. A Nikon F2 with a 20mm wide angle lens was placed on the roof of the hotel. The first exposure was taken at 6:00 p.m. , just before sunset. Facing due south, the Inca Utama marina, the roll-off roof observatory, hydrofoils and Lake Titicaca can be seen. At 7:30 p.m. the time exposure began on Fuji color negative 800 asa film with the lens wide open at f2.8 with the camera in the same position. That exposure ended 10 hours later after a night of cloudless skies at 5:30 a.m. The negatives were then combined using Adobe Photoshop.(C)1999 Vic & Jen Winter/ICSTARS. Astronomy.

The region around the red star Antares is full of beautiful nebula... emission, reflection and even dark nebula. Take a look at this image photographed with an 85mm Nikkor lens. This image is a composite of two 25 minute guided exposures on Fuji 800 asa color negative film combined using Adobe Photoshop. The image includes Antares (center bottom of photo) and extends up out of Scorpius into Ophiuchus, Libra and M107. (C)1999 Vic & Jen Winter/ICSTARS.

Captured with a 500mm Nikkor lens the beautiful Lagoon Nebula (M8) and the Trifid Nebula (M20). The pair was photographed using a Nikon F3 with a 500mm f4.5 lens on a Losmundy CG-8 mount and guided with an SBIG ST-6 CCD camera. Only seen on film, the striking contrast of color in the nubula becomes apparent with the deep red next to the bright blue. The exposure was a 30 minutes on Fuji 800 asa color negative film. (C)1999 Vic & Jen Winter/ICSTARS.

For a look a more astrophotography images from the 1999 Southern Skies Star Party take a look at the astro slide show.