Another go at The Ring, M57

We've had some really nice dark skies this weekend and I've been busy...
Unfortunately busy in the none astro way.  So didn't manage to get out into the garden.

However, on Monday night, I decided to have a few cheeky hours chasing after the last failed target, M57 the Ring Nebula.

For this image, I took the below....
14 x Ha, OIII and SII  @170s each
14x Flats for each filter @30k ADU
10 x Darks (Used Ha Filter...)
236 x Bias (Ha filter again, @0.1 second each)
I never realised the Ring Nebula was so small... and cute. :)

Click Here for full resolution

Powered Focuser!!

One of the most annoying things I've found, when setting up the equipment it finding good focus.
This is mainly due to the fact my telescope is outside and my laptop is inside the shed. So I have to go in and out all the time to focus.

Well, not now.
I've bought a dc motor focus controller, made by Moonlite so I can manually control focus from inide the shed. 😍😁
It's not as good as say an ASCOM style focuser, which is users pc control and focuses automatically.... But these cost a LOT more money.
Roll on next dark skies, and hopefully faster focus.

(Click To Enlarge) 

Bloody Windows Updates!!!

The skies where almost perfect for me tonight, so by 8pm I was out there all setup and ready to go.
This was an improvement on last night, which was also lovely and dark, but my NEQ6 mount decided to throw a wobbler, so I had to rebuild it instead of taking photos.
Anyway, tonight, with a working mount I hit the skies!

All setup, all programmed to take 13 photos of each filter, for exposures of 180 seconds.
Target, M57 the ring nebula.

I hit start, and then thought... I'll go watch some TV with the wife while the magic happens.
WHAT A NOOBIE MISTAKE.
While I was inside, Microsoft forced a windows update onto my laptop... and forced a restart!!!

I managed to get some images, but due to restart, all tracking, all alignment and everything else gone.
So I ended up with basically bugger all again.
I managed maybe half an hour of HA data... so stacked that.
No bias, darks, flats... just the HA.
Tomorrow, I'll have a motorised focuser I need to fit to the Moonlite, and a shorter drawtube, which will fix some issues I've had too. So while I'm at it, I'll put the IDAS D2 LP filter in the filter wheel.

Anyway,  I digressed...
here's the HA data I got.  (Still in B/W)

(Click To Enlarge)