This is the results on an experiment with shorter 30 second subs with my ASI1600mm-Pro. With longer subs I found it easy to burn out the brighter stars when imaging on the 250mm Newt, so shorter subs mean fewer saturated stars but with the spin-off benefit of fewer trashed frames and rounder stars at full resolution. Its a strategy that is fine for broadband but narrow band I really do need longer good quality subs just to keep the number down for processing!
Image contrast is not great (I don't get really dark skies this time of year).
Click on the thumbnail image to see a full resolution version.
Imaging details: 250mm Newt on the CEM70G. Camera was ASI1600MM-Pro @ Gain 139, Offset 50. 30s subs, total time 1.5hrs. Guiding with a 60mm guide scope and ASI290mc (my planetary camera). Processed in PixInsight and finished in Paintshop Pro.
I still have a few things to crack like the differential flexure and misting up of the camera that trashed most of the subs I took in a 3hr session. As a result, I don't have much colour in the galaxy itself.
All things considered this is not a bad image. Its probably the last galaxy I'll shoot for this half of the year. We won't be having astronomical darkness for a couple of months now.
This was first-light for my refurbished scope the Orion Optics 250mm newt. I had the mirrors re-silvered last summer, I flocked the tube and replaced the focuser for a Skywatcher low-profile Crayford. I've just finished making a brace for the rings - to stop ring wobble - which it does very well.
The Lacerta Komakorr Coma Corrector is a big improvement over Skywatcher 0.9 CC. Sharpness has improved across the image, its very noticeable.
Continue reading "Messier 51 and first light for my Orion Optics 250mm rebuild."
This was the first night I have used NiNA, with fully automated focusing and meridian flip. The scope also auto-parked and the camera shut down at the end of the session. This software is so good, I was more than happy to make a contribution to encourage its further development.
The image is one of the most detailed I have achieved, mostly down to the sub-arcsecond auto-guiding but the new coma corrector added some needed sharpening of the stars which is quite important when pixel peeping the core of a globular cluster.
Imaging details:
3.5hrs (30m L, 60 each RGB) total.
ASI1600mm Pro, ZWO filter set, Lacerta CC, Bresser 150/750 on a CEM70G.
Captured with NiNA, Processed with Pixinsight.
Imaged on the first of two clear nights in April and is my first complete SHO image using the ASI1600MM Pro. Imaged with Bresser 150mm@f4.8 using a Skywatcher 0.9 CC. Mounted on my CEM70G.
Conditions were very good and the CEM70G tracked wonderfully well with sub 0.5" in RA and 0.61" overall. Which is exactly where you need it for this scope.
Sadly the Bresser lost its collimation by the time the L-subs were taken, this resulted in the stars not being round.
Final image:
Gain139,offest50 @-15C. S 10x300s, H 16x300s, O 16x300s, L 12x120s approx.
Processed in Pixinsight with a final tweak in Paintshop Pro.
The winter has not been great so far with heavy clouds and rain for most of January. February 10th 2021 was predicted to be clear and it was all night with temperatures dropping to -5C. My mount played up and the hub refused to work but I eventually managed to get 2hrs of decent images of the crab.
40x180sec @ISO800 550D L-PRO filter, Skywatcher coma corrector, Orion Optics 250mm newt and CEM70G mount. Processed with Deepsky Stacker and Startools7.
My Roll-off/roll-on observatory survived very well during the recent Storm Christoph.
The design is water tight thank goodness.
M101 The Pin Wheel Galaxy. A classic spiral galaxy in Ursa Major (Big Dipper).
This is the result of 2hrs of images. It really needs several nights to improve the signal to noise and better conditions but I am pleased with it. Its surprising what can be done with a small scope (Bresser 150mm F5, Skywatcher coma corrector and 550D @ISO800 on HEQ5)
Trying to find the perfect spot driving around for 1/2 an hour only to find this great location just around the corner from my house. Thanks to the owner of the farm for permission to access his field.
