Big or little Dipper

wildherbalian85 · #1 (**permalink**) 17-10-2009, 07:16 PM

I tested my new camera last night on the stars and got this.... Ok i needed a little tweaking to bring out the best but i was surprised with just how many stars it caught... even i didn't see this many

Anyway i was wondering... is that the big dipper or little dipper i have caught??

Located towards bottom of picture and just left of center - it will help if you view picture in full size.

loripo · #2 (**permalink**) 17-10-2009, 07:29 PM

Centre bottom of the shot? Big dipper - the Plough. One of the few I recognise

wildherbalian85 · #3 (**permalink**) 17-10-2009, 09:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by loripo

Centre bottom of the shot? Big dipper - the Plough. One of the few I recognise

Ahh thank you

I was not sure if it was the big or little dipper.

Tringa · #4 (**permalink**) 18-10-2009, 02:07 PM

Which direction was the camera pointing when you took the photo and what time?

Sorry, but I can't find the big Dipper in there.

loripo · #5 (**permalink**) 18-10-2009, 04:40 PM

THis is a section of the original image - and it should be this way round

wildherbalian85 · #6 (**permalink**) 18-10-2009, 06:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tringa

Which direction was the camera pointing when you took the photo and what time?

Sorry, but I can't find the big Dipper in there.

There is one of the dippers in there but i do not know which.

The camera was pointing east at around 10pm

wildherbalian85 · #7 (**permalink**) 18-10-2009, 06:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by loripo

THis is a section of the original image - and it should be this way round

Well my camera might have been at a funny angle or even upside down

(it was dark)

Hey what did you use on my photo to bring those stars out more?? Its much better.

loripo · #8 (**permalink**) 18-10-2009, 06:16 PM

I downloaded it into windows photo Gallery, cropped it and turned it round, Then sharpened it using Paint.net (but I expect other software would do) the sharpening just brightened up the stars... I must have originally turned it round in my head

Google images of the Plough!

carlos_dfc · #9 (**permalink**) 18-10-2009, 08:46 PM

Nope - sadly not the Big or Little Dipper....

The 'bowl' of the Big Dipper is a trapezoidal shape, whereas the bowl of the Little Dipper is more rectangular.
The 'bowl' in your pic, is trapezoidal - however the Big Dipper's 'handle' has a bend in it, halfway along - the handle of yours curves away, more like the handle of the Little Dipper - It actally curves too much, even for the little dipper.
Also - Both Dippers are pretty-much due North all the time - Not East
Last night at about 10 - the extent of the Big Dipper was spread across the lower/middle area of the sky to the North - The little dipper would have been hanging almost vertically, bowl at the bottom, with the handle curving away upwards and to the right.

How high up were you pointing the camera (low - middle - high ?)
And were you using any 'zoom' at all?
(an estimate of the picture's scale may help with ID)