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.

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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)

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M27 - The Dumbbell Nebula

Hi Everyone.

Last night, I finally managed to have a half decent imaging session!
So first light on the new camera, filters... and god knows what else that I've bought since last winter.

As it was my 1st shot, I wanted an easy target and one I thought I could process easy too.

So I chose the M27 Dumbbell.

Hope you like it, its EASILY my best photo yet. :)  (Scroll down for the one I took in 2017, and see the difference!)

Ha, OIII, SII - 170s x 10

Darks x 10

Bias x 236

Flats NONE   (I'll do these later and have another go at stacking!)

New Season, New Toys!

Well, its that time of year again when I can finally blow the dust of the telescope.

Its been a long long time since I last had a good session in the garden, and since the last evening with the stars I've treated myself to a LOT of new equipment!

Firstly, I upgraded the NEQ6 mount, to have the Rowan Belt mod.  This should now give less backlash and track the stars much smoother. (Unless I broke something during fitting! haha)

Secondly, the big upgrade. I've stepped up my camera from the Canon 1100d, to a new ZWO ASI1600MM-Pro!
This is an amazing camera, if you just google the name of the camera and see the results, you'll understand.
As I live in a reasonably light polluted area, I've gone for narrowband filters from Baader to get me going.  This should really really up my game.  Along with a 5 position filter wheel and new Baader coma corrector, I'm hoping for some amazing photos this season!

Hope to post some new photos soon!

Flame and Horse Head!

The best thing, about severe cold weather coming in... is the clear skies at night, before the snow hits!

So I jumped at the chance to get in the garden early, setup everything and shoot as soon as it was dark enough.
As per usual, issues happen.  When doing test shots, I noticed the collimation is STILL out. :(
I really need to figure out collimation, as according to my Cheshire, its all collimated ok.
Ahh well, thats for another night.

I finally started shooting at the Flame and Horsehead nebula around 7:30pm, which was around the time of full sunset and darkness anyway, so no loss.  I was aiming for around 30x 300s exposures to start with, then swap camera battery and try for another 1.5 hours after that.
Unfortunately, 40 minutes in when I wasnt near the Laptop, Microsoft thought it would be wonderful to install a new major Windows 10 update!
This force restarted the Laptop, and lost me all my tracking, and all settings I'd been using!
Damn you!
So, I only managed 40 mins of data.

I also used my DGM Optics NPB filter for the first time too. I believe that its aimed more for Visual work with Nebula but as the moon was out and bright, I gave it a go, seeing if it reduced moonlight and helped the Nebula's pop out. I think it did ok!!

So, today I thoughts I'd process the data I had and HOPE I managed to get some sort of image.
I'm pleasantly surprised with the result, I was expecting a lot worse!
I managed to take some much better flats this time, so the viginetting was almost gone, and I dragged the data out as much as I could so the Horse was visible.
I'm sure there are a million photos out there much better than this... but, Boo to them.

I took this one! :)

8x 300s Lights
25x Flats, Darks, Bias
Processed in Photoshop CC

(Click To Enlarge)

So... now the moon is becoming more of a pain, I'm going to find a star... and collimage the damn scope, properly!  (Or try)

Finally, a Dark Sky!

 January, was a pathetic month for dark skies.  The weather was simply aweful all month.
I think I managed two nights out, in total!  And one was a full moon, so managed no Deep Sky Photos!

Anyway, its now halfway through February and I finally had a dark sky, bonus points, no Moon either!!

So I spend about 4 hours out in the garden, shooting a new target.
I choose the M33 galaxy, Triangulum.

Not the easiest of targets, especially with a DSLR and not being in a 'Dark Sky Area'
But I gave it a go.

Two hours of data, 24 5 minute frames. All of them turned out perfect too!  Bonus.

I then spent a few days processing the data, and discovered that the Flat files I took, must have been bad. As there is a shocking imbalance I noticed during processing. :(

So, I had to crop... burn... and butcher the image best I could to produce an image I can be at least a little happy with.

Here is the results!

Click to Enlarge

Lights - 24 x 300s
Darks, Flat and Bias x25

M31 - Andromeda!  Our Galactic neighbour.

Hi everyone, I've been back in the garden again, trying to get some good shots and generally practising with the camera and ISO settings.
I have also been practising taking flats, with my LED light screen, and believe I have mastered them!

Below, is now my favourite photo I have taken and processed to far!  Hope you like it too!

23x Lights - 120 seconds @ISO800

20x Darks
20x Flats
20x Bias
Processed using Photoshop and ProDigital Astronomy Tools

(Click to Enlarge)

What my kit looks like

A couple of people have asked me what my kit looks like.  I've posted a few pics here and there on Facebook.   But those where mainly just random shots, with cables all over the show!

I've taken a couple of photos, to show you what I currently have.  And the wires are all tidy now too!

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Finally, some dark sky..... and working kit!!!

Last night, I finally had chance to get some photography done.  Its been a LONG time since I had chance for a good session.  I've had issues with the Laptop breaking, and then the other night, the Guide Camera was being, a pain... to put it mildly.

Anyway, I wanted to shoot something a bit faint, and small, so I could practice a few skills and just see what happens, so I chose M27, the Dumbbell Nebula.

15x300 Second shot... (but lost one, due to a gust of wind!)
20 Bias Shots
19 Flat Frames (I need to learn how to do these properly still!

And after stacking them and processing in Photoshop, I'm happy with the result!
Hope you like it too!

Click to Enlarge