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There's something incredibly wholesome about the quirkyness of your videos. It's so relatable. Never change Sarah. Dummy-battery was certainly a QoL-improvement for me back when I was still using DSLR. No more panic-switcing inbetween exposures.
I just watched this video on a bus from LAX to Van Nuys in the afternoon rush hour on a Friday.. which is the worst time and day in L.A. … Loved it !!! Thank You for sharing !!! If I ever find an alien base somewhere..you’ll be the photographer I call !!! Have a great day Sarah !!!
I really love how practical your content is. It's great information that beginners need as well as some good tips for more advanced players. Thanks and clear skies!
Thank you for sharing your knowledge and enthusiasm for astrophotography. I appreciate how much work goes into producing these gems. Personally, I was first captivated by the hobby fifty years ago when I ground my own lens for a six inch reflector, built a darkroom (I had tolerant parents) and constructed an enlarger from lenses scavenged from cast off projectors. My target at that time was black & white lunar and planetary photography not requiring tracking (a clock drive was beyond my middle school budget). I began to dip my toe back into astrophotography as a retirement hobby by purchasing a Seestar 50s.. The hobby has changed in the last half century and your content increases the slope on my learning curve. I find your “short courses” in topics like this accessories video, lunar imaging, using a star tracker and connecting a camera helpful for me at this point in my journey. I would also like to hear more on how you are using your Seestar, as well as reviews or tips for other smart telescopes. (I know some will argue smart technology is cheating, but in my past not grinding your own lenses was slacking - what was an art form becomes off the shelf essential.) Keep your playful spark glowing. Clear skies!
Hi Joe, Thank you for your thoughtful response and kind words. That’s incredible that you were making a telescope on your own in middle school. To have the vision and ability to do so is amazing. And then on top of it all, want to image the moon? Wow! I think it’s really cool that you’ve been so open to the evolution of this field and that you have so much perspective over the years to glean insight from and share. I think the Seestar S50 and other smart telescopes are the perfect way to get started or to re-jump into something like this. In terms of the Seestar specifically, I did a video recently on how to do different types of sun photography (sunspots, ISS Transit, and more with it). Along with the Dwarf II. Here is the video: Sun Photography with Smart Telescopes | Astrophotography for Beginners ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-XwSR2a8rBxs.html I so appreciate your viewpoint on smart scopes and your openness. Your positivity is wonderful. Thank you again for taking the time to share such a thoughtful response and for taking the time to watch this video as well as others. Your encouragement means so much! Please feel free to reach out anytime! Sarah
"I know some will argue smart technology is cheating, but in my past not grinding your own lenses was slacking - what was an art form becomes off the shelf essential." That's a great statement! Thanks for sharing your experience sir!
@@ziggyfrnds Isn’t astronomy a great adventure? Our community thrives in a vanishing present of new challenges (e.g. light pollution, satellite streaks) intersecting with innovation and inspiration. From nostalgic old guys, like me, to eloquent teachers of the current art, like Sarah, our shared passion for the heavens fuels the joy we experience despite the differences in how we participate in the hobby.
good list of items all needed at some point.- I have them all other then other then cable hair clips.. I usually use disposable zip ties and cut them off after use.
Nice list of accessories for sure. For keeping you warm during a session especially in the winter I can highly recommend heated socks. If you stand still next to your telescope for quite some time and your feed don't move, they get cold pretty fast. For the head lamp I would like to add to check that you can turn on the red light separately. Some of the lamps just cycle though all modes with a single button and you cannot avoid turing the white light when turning it on or off. Thanks for the idea with the rubber-wrenches. I never thought of these for unscrewing telescope parts, but they are perfect. They fit any size and don't harm the tubes.
Oh wow, the heated socks are an awesome idea! So true about the standing in one place, especially if you're trying to troubleshoot or polar align, or get in focus. Also, spot on about the headlamps. Thank you! I hope you find the strap wrenches helpful. There was a Sarah before strap wrenches, and there is a Sarah after strap wrenches. The Sarah now is much better off. Thanks for stopping by and for all of your great recommendations.
I may have to get some of those cable clips (not necessarily for my Dwarf or Seestar, more for my home cinema setup). Also, I sense a seasoned prankster behind the mask of this unassuming space fan.
Us "GUYS" probably didn't know about these😮. Brilliant. I find twist or velcro a hassle. I just realized you're wearing them at the beginning of the video.
I can’t believe that you forgot, er, um, well, I think you got them all! I especially liked 1 1/4. I never used those, but a really good idea. When I lived in NE Ohio, I learned to wear latex gloves (now they have them for touch screen) so the moisture doesn’t get zapped out of your skin when touching something below zero. Nice video and enjoy your humor!
I have the Apertura power supply and it is great and the capacity is very good. My wife and my grandson are my astronomy buddies and we each have a pair of hand warmers. Indispensable. When I bought a 2" visual back for my SCT I couldn't get the original back off. I asked Celestron and they suggested a strap wrench. It worked very well. And I have a metric and SAE set of hex wrenches, with the ball end. Very handy. I also have digital calipers. And I'm going to buy those clips for cable management and that portable SSD. Thank you for the great ideas!
Glad to hear that you’re enjoying the Apertura power supply. That’s really sweet that your wife and grandson are your astronomy buddies, too! Always best to keep loved ones’ hands warm. Strap wrenches and the hair clips have been live changing as have external SSDs! There are many other accessories I wish I could have included here. Thanks for stopping by and sharing. Cheers!
I live in Florida, so right now my biggest thing is that it rained every night for the past two weeks. And if it didn’t then the sky was at least cloudy
I feel your pain, lol. I'm on the gulf coast. It's annoying when it's clear in the morning, but then by 1 or 2pm, when I can see the sun and setup my telescope, the clouds and rain move in.
I would add a tarp to cover your equipment. I was waiting for dark and was ready to go when a stray cloud came over and started to sprinkle. Luckily, my sister-in-law brought me out a small tarp to use. Now I carry one just in case.
Thank you Sarah for this video. This list is a good representation of profitable items to have handy. But the way you've blended subtle humor with true practical tips is perfect.
Great list. Hex wrenches first 😂 Absolutely true. I was just setting up my scope… and I have the exact same list… I used to use the chemical hand warmers. Rechargeable is better. I was waiting for the rubber strap wrenches. Real life savers! Thank you.
A cheap roll of double sided foam tape. put that on some of the stuck adapters and suddenly there is mega grip to twist them off. Smallest i got unstuck was 5 or 6mm long. Also can mount some light accessory for that temporary thrown together rig :D AND A BOX OF KIMTECH SCIENCE WHIPES! Its like having infinite microfibre cloths that are actually good
For the DSLR dummy battery they also make them with USB 2 connectors which (1) use less power than the AC adapter and can be used with a Li-Ion battery pack.
Thanks, very nice well edited compilation of items not covered by others, very helpful to us newbies. You could probably do shorts with more details on each of these items, or a full video on a subject like backfocus.
Great list! One suggestion: Instead of the hot potato hand-warming option, which died quickly one night at 23 degrees, look into specialized photography gloves. Vallerret makes a really cool range of bespoke photography gloves that have hinged cutouts for the thumb and index fingers. Some even have a back-of-the-hand zipper compartment to cram a chemical hand heater for when it's really cold. They aren't cheap, but what is in the benighted hobby?
I've been meaning to look into those. They seem like a perfect addition. The back-of-the-end zipper compartment is a really nice UX touch. Going to look for these ones now. Thank you for the excellent recommendation!
Hi Sarah! What another great video! Thanks for all the great info! Ha, I am sharing this to all my friends who make fun of my little red wagon. If Sarah say's it cool, THEN IT"S COOL!!! And it's in your top 10 list!! Have I mention how much fun I am having with all my toys! Thanks Sarah, you are Awesome!!!!!
Hi! So great to hear from you! And the red wagon is a must and is totally cool!! I hope your friends have finally come around to this fact, lol. I’m also glad to hear that you’re enjoying all of your new toys!! Cheers ☺️
@@SarahMathsAstro Someday they will come around to the wagon side of things, lol. I did just complete a 120sec, 14 pictures per row, x 2 rows high, for the sky the other night. I can't wait to share with you this beast of a picture, when I am finished! The AM5 makes a world of difference, Thank you for recommending it!! By the way, do you know if I can put a full frame astro camera, like the 2400mc p on a Sigma 35mm or a 20mm len. Not sure about the vegnette side of things, but would be nice if it would work? Have a great day!!
Great vid. Dial calipers are handy too, though one does have to know how to read them and translate standard to metric or reverse, which is good for the brain, imo. Mainly handy as they never run out of batteries(the user might run out though considering how late astro people stay up😂)
Great job sarah! First, i like those clips for cable management i will purchase some. Love your cat and when it grabbed the headlamp strap! 😅 Also the rubber strap wrenches is a great idea i will purchase them also I've got into those situations were things were to tight, but my favorate item is that beautiful red table or desk your working off of, is that real wood? If so? awesome! If not? i still love it! Keep up the good work! Sarah 😊
One small suggestion: I'd go with traditional Vernier calipers, simply because they don't run out of battery and don't need to be zeroed / recalibrated. Reading Vernier calipers isn't that difficult, and the tiny batteries they have often don't do well in the cold. Plus it's a real shame when you measure out everything, only to find out that you forgot to zero your calipers, haha
@@anandarochisha Under normal circumstances, yeah, mine too. But in cold weather, they have a tendency to act up. Not a huge problem, but they always tend to die right when you need them. Plus my main issue with digital calipers is the calibration: only the really high quality ones can be reliably switched on and off without zeroing them before each use. Again, not huge issue, but if you're really trying to be precise to the point that you need calipers and set everything up without zeroing them, it's a huge hassle from a small issue.
I am either you at the first half minute of the video, or I am fully prepared and ready to go and there's 3 months of clouds. Norway astro life. But this is a great list, gonna get a dummy battery since I'm a dummy.
Great list, Sarah... I'm thinking about keeping my optical train intact rather than assembling after arriving at a darksite. I guess some kind of plastic storage box with a secure lid and foam insert would be handy for transport. Or, maybe rapping one's rig in a large towel could work. Any thoughts or experience around other AP folks? Cheers, Michael
Huh, how did she know I have two hands? That was for real freaky. In all seriousness though, good selection of accessories. I already use most of these, or suitable alternatives, except for the hand warmers. Might have to get a pair of those, they should come in handy in winter. And speaking of hands, I would also add another accessory to the list, some simple cotton gloves to handle filters with. Would have saved myself a couple annoying instances of cleaning fingerprints off filters if I'd bothered to start using gloves sooner.
@@SarahMathsAstro no, haven't used latex gloves for this purpose yet. Mainly just because I don't like using them in general, or rather, don't like the part where I struggle to put them on or take them off :). But I don't see why they wouldn't work just as well or even better, since they should give more secure grip than cotton gloves.
Good morning Sarah. I have a ? What kind of telescope and setup do you use the most for astrophotography? I would really like to get a lot more involved in it. Thanks.
Ms Sara ....A super top 10 list of things needed .....I'm not sure about the dust blower....You do have a quirky way of explaining items ...I thought you might have included a portable heater but maybe next time
Hi Sarah, 9 year old daughter loves your channel and everything Space. Looking to get her a first Telescope set (budget $5,,000) just wondering what you would recommended and for that price could she also include photography to capture images onto her laptop. Equipment needs to be easy to use and achieve the results needed to keep her interested. Scalability would also be good, so that we can invest more as she gets older.
Hi there! That's amazing that she loves everything space!! I'm also incredibly honored that she watches the channel! I'd be happy to help point you both in the right direction for a setup around that price range. What types of targets is she interested in photographing? Deep space (large emission nebulae like the Orion Nebula, large galaxies like the Andromeda Galaxy, etc) versus close-ups of the lunar surface/the planets? Thanks so much!
@@SarahMathsAstro Thanks for your reply, really appreciated. Even though she loves reading and talking about deep space I would say objects within our solar system, if she could find, view and photograph Saturn by herself that would be a monumental moment for her.
Of course! Thanks for your response as well. Since she's wanting to do planetary, I'd look into something like the Celestron C9.25 for the scope (something with a wide aperture and a long focal length - well over 1000mm). Schmidt-Cassegrain (SCT) design telescopes are great for this and easier to use for imaging versus using a Dobsonian for imaging (typically made for visual). You'll also need a good sturdy mount like the Sky-Watcher EQ6-R Pro or an AVX mount. A German equatorial motorized GOTO mount will be your best bet overall. For cameras, it might be best to start with a DSLR with a cropped sensor to get some added "zoom". Preferably one with decent high-frame rate video capabilities. 60 frames per second or more (FPS). You could also get a field laptop and put FireCapture on it or another acquisition software on there to control the camera and imaging (videos). With planetary as well as lunar and solar, you want to image when the sky isn't turbulent but that varies moment to moment even. So your best bet is to use an acquisition strategy called "lucky imaging" (take several frames very quickly and then choose the frames that are the best from those to stack together to get a final image). By best I mean where the frames show that the planet appears most in focus and less wobbly from the atmosphere. Another note, eventually you could upgrade to a dedicated astronomy camera but a DSLR will be easier for now since it has a screen on the back and is a little more intuitive. You should also look into a spotting scope to mount to the top of the telescope to get the planet in frame perfectly in the center after performing a GOTO to the planet. I hope this gets you started in the right direction. There are several routes you could take of course but this is what I would start with.
@@SarahMathsAstro Thank you for taking the time to post such a detailed response. My daughter knows more about this kind of kit than I do and she seems extremely excited after reading your post.
Very informative video! learnt a lot. i have a little question, If i want to build a perfect setup to capture almost all objects, i was thinking of getting 3 scopes. 1 is redcat 51mm for m31, m42, etc, 2nd would be celestron edge had 8 for small and distinct galaxies and nebulae. what should the 3rd scope be? i was thinking of a 80-100 mm scope to bridge the gap. what would you recommend? i am considering founder's optics 86mm scope but there's not a lot of reviews on it. please suggest me something or give your inputs Sarah. thank you.
Hey there! I'm happy to hear this video was helpful. In the 80-100mm aperture range, I would also recommend the William Optics Fluorostar 91 Triplet APO Refractor. The glass is very high quality. I am a big fan of Fluorostars from William Optics. I don't have direct experience with the Founder's Optics 86mm, so I'd be going off of reviews myself other than just pure specs/ features and spot diagram view. Hope this helps! Cheers and clear skies!
@@SarahMathsAstro thank you sooo much for your reply! I appreciate it a lot. I just checked and William optics flt 91 is available here. I'll definitely look more into it since I trust your judgment. Thank you again!
Haha, I almost took that out! But glad I kept it :D they really do provide maximum value. I can’t tell you how many times they’ve saved the day (well, the night… mostly, lol)
Ooo, good question! I’m a big fan of cookies n’ cream Nestle bars, also Reece’s Pieces. I’m sure I’m forgetting some right now though. Do you have a favorite?
@@SarahMathsAstro that sounds really good!! I like to bring out a small ziplock bag of the grape and strawberry hi-chew candy, and a handful of lifesavers.
@@SarahMathsAstro yeah, it was extremely precise. I was forming metal into shapes with tolerances of 0.05 of an inch. Plus the calipers were 12 inches long.
@@SarahMathsAstro Quick question: Even though i only have a star tracker and a DSLR that was Ha modified, is it worth it to try to use software like NINA or APT, or should i hold off on that until I get my HEQ5 and an astrospecific camera like the ASI533MC and have something like the ASIAir? And second, given the ASIAir is specific to ZWO products, if I dont want to be attached to a specific brand, should I use a different but similar miniPC - and if so, which one would be best to get?
Great question. It may be worth getting a mini PC or ASIAir for your star tracker and DSLR if you want to 1.) Guide (using a guide scope and guide camera) so that you can get longer subs and also dither automatically (benefits of dithering: telescope.live/blog/improve-image-quality-dithering#:~:text=There%20is%20still%20an%20advantage,Astrometric%20accuracy%20is%20preserved.). 2.) Another reason why you may want to get a mini PC, particularly the ASIAir, is that it's very easy to create mosaics with it. Which is useful for all sorts of setups. Many people create mosaics with wide-field setups like the one you would be using with a star tracker. While your star tracker likely doesn't have GoTo, using the ASIAir, it makes plate solving very easy while creating a mosaic and just overall very easy to know where you're looking in the night sky when you don't have a GoTo mount. With the ASIAir, it is also compatible with a wide range of DSLRs and Mirrorless cameras (you could reach out to ZWO for an updated list of compatible DSRLs/ mirrorless cameras). However, you would need to use a ZWO guide camera to guide (and as you know, if/ when you did decide to get a dedicated astronomy camera as your main imaging camera, you would need a ZWO camera). 3) if you wanted to automate your image acquisition workflow in terms of your imaging plan (lights, darks, bias, flats), the mini PCs are great for that. N.I.N.A. in particular has a wonderful built-in feature for taking very accurate flats. So those are the three main reasons for getting a mini PC for a non-GoTo star tracker that I can think of. Otherwise, you could wait to get a mini PC/ ASIAir until you get a GoTo motorized mount like the HEQ5. The ASIAir makes polar alignment extremely easy compared to having to polar align through a reticle or get a polar scope for the mount. I think N.I.N.A is great for more permanent setups since there are a lot of different types of features you can use, but again, it is a bit more involved so it just make not be as beginner-friendly. But if you're fairly tech-savvy/ persistent, and want the flexibility of what cameras you want to use in the future, then N.I.N.A is the way to go. The Mele Quieter 2 is a popular miniPC choice as is the PrimaLuceLab mini PC (but more expensive).There are others out there too worth researching. I hope this helps though!
@SarahMathsAstro I had an American teacher for elementary school then on higher grades was taught using SI units. Learned both but never got into imperial units except for carpentry where it sort of made sense
Hello fellow wanna be astrophotographers and astrophotographers! If you happen to have a channel, or thinking of starting one, please let me know so I can subscribe and join you on your adventures! Best of luck out there and clear skies everyone! (Thank you for the video Sarah!!!)
