A different form of Imaging

[pizwiz]

I know everyone thinks of photography of some sort, but this is also a form ( mostly neglected ) of Imaging.
A sketch of the Catseye Nebula observed through a 13" Truss Dob at magnifications up to 250X
Black charcoal on white textured paper and turned into a negative.

Adolph

[neilfleming]

Neat. That's an increasingly rare skill!

...Neil

[pizwiz]

Thanks Neil.
But it is definitely not a skill. I have about the same amount of artistic talent as your average Doorknob.
But it is a great observing aid. In order to sketch an object you have to examine it in Detail several times. This forces you to notice things which you might never see with casual observation. Try it sometime. The problem is that you have to stop your goto mount long enough to actually learn how to see.
It seems to me that far too many folks are rushing around the sky like they are in some kind of Race.
OK, I'm off the Soapbox now.

Adolph

[budguinn]

adolph.....nicely done....I've tried, but have absolutely no ability in this....I can't even make a stick man look good.

bud

[BT Technologies]

I'm in the same "boat" Bud!!

Originally Posted by budguinn

adolph.....nicely done....I've tried, but have absolutely no ability in this....I can't even make a stick man look good.

bud

[pizwiz]

Some come out better than others, but you don't get to see all the ones that end up in the trash.
Besides, you're doing it in the dark, and no one will ever see them. Most of mine don't even make it inside from the telescope. If you don't want to sketch, you can accomplish the same thing by writing a description.
For example: "several round/oval gas rings emanating from a common center and overlapping. Fainter in the center than along the edges. Main axis runs south to north. A single bluish star in the center" Or any other words that describe what you see. The whole objective of the exercise is to force you to look closely at the object to reveal max amount of detail. There is no need to keep them if you don't want to, but you will be surprised how much detail has escaped you before.
I have looked at M42 for over 40 Years and I still find new things.

Adolph