April 24, 2008
OK, so it was almost a full moon, but it was low on the horizon and gave me a chance to image something.
First up was M44, which from Kelling was big a bright fuzzy patch in the sky, just asking to be looked at… unlike my back garden, where I couldnt see it at all
OTA: NS8GPS @ f/2 (Hyperstar v3)
Guiding: William Optics ZenithStar 66 SD + DSI-C + PHD
RGB Imaging: QHY8 + MaximDL, 90×40s, CLS (yes, thats a lot… I was waiting for M13 to rise over the house!)
Stacked: DeepSkyStacker
Post Process: ImagesPlus + PSCS2 + Noel Carboni’s AstroTools
(Click on image for larger version)
Next up was a very short M13. How short? This was only 4 x 300s before I spotted something else….
OTA: NS8GPS @ f/6.7
Guiding: William Optics ZenithStar 66 SD + DSI-C + PHD
RGB Imaging: QHY8 + MaximDL, 4×300s, CLS
Stacked: DeepSkyStacker
Post Process: ImagesPlus + PSCS2 + Noel Carboni’s AstroTools
(Click on image for larger version)
M13 is actually the very first Deep Sky Object I ever imaged back in May 2007. So, here is that version in all its glory, a comparison of then an now:
(This is actually MartinB’s reprocess of my image)
Just after I had taken the Hyperstar off the front and reassembled the kit with the camera in the back… I was looking around the sky and… err… what on earth? No, surely that cant be right…. that looks like Cygnus, oh.. so that means,… ah yes, there is Cepheus.
Rush back to the kit, swap over to the Hyperstar again, and away I went, but having to use the Ha filter now as the moon was above the horizon and causing the haze to “glow”.
IC1396 Elephant Trunk Neb
OTA: NS8GPS @ f/2 (Hyperstar v3)
Guiding: William Optics ZenithStar 66 SD + DSI-C + PHD
Ha Imaging: QHY8 + MaximDL, 20 x 300s, Ha
Stacked: DeepSkyStacker
Post Process: ImagesPlus + PSCS2 + Noel Carboni’s AstroTools
(Click on image for larger version)
I left this one imaging until the sky was noticably lightening, then had one last quick look at what was appearing in the western sky (or at least the bits I could see past the house). Where on earth did the spring skies go? Seems to have gone from winter direct to summer… but it was there, in the sky, just over the neighbors roofline…
M16 (widefield)
OTA: NS8GPS @ f/2 (Hyperstar v3)
Guiding: William Optics ZenithStar 66 SD + DSI-C + PHD
Ha Imaging: QHY8 + MaximDL, 5 x 300s, Ha
Stacked: DeepSkyStacker
Post Process: ImagesPlus + PSCS2 + Noel Carboni’s AstroTools
I have big plans for this one in a widefield project…..
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April 14, 2008
No, I didnt get lost… I really am posting a Lunar image 
Spending most of my time trying to avoid (or cursing at) the moon, I had a very short time before the clouds rolled in on Friday, and the Moon was nicely positioned for imaging. I`d forgotten what a beautiful object this is to image, big, bright, very short subs, great stuff!
40 x 0.02s with the QHY8 on my C8 @ f/10, stacked/wavelets in Registax, post process in PSCS2
(Click on Image for the full size version)
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April 2, 2008
Went to the mini star party at Greenwitch last night, and took my tripod and 350D. Here are some of the images I grabbed
ISS and ATV pass (yes, there are two trails! - click on image for larger version)
A few of the attendees standing outside the car park (two section image, sky has had LP and gradient removed lower part has been lightened quite considerably)
as has this one
And I`m stunned to find that Astrometry solved this image
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March 31, 2008
FINALLY the clouds cleared… nearly 4 weeks without more than an hour of clear dark sky, and finally I get out.
It was actually just a test for some new bits and pieces to get the rig balanced again before Kelling heath (AstroZap dew Solid shield for Hyperstar, and the quite mesmerising DewBuster dew controller with its blinking LEDs), but the sky was clear and so it seemed a waste.
Couldnt quite get my head around just how late it is before it gets “astro” dark… it was at least 9.20-9.30pm. Goodbye winter! 
I have also reverted back to using my CLS filter. I tried the IDAS 3 times now, both with and without the moon being up, and I still find that my “black” backgrounds are better with the CLS filter from my location. Unsure why, will need to do further investigations on this issue.
Anyway, here we go. Certainly not one of the best I`ve ever done, and completely the wrong kind of target for the optical setup last night, but after 4 weeks, I dont care!
OTA: NS8GPS @ f/2 (Hyperstar v3)
Guiding: William Optics ZenithStar 66 SD + DSI-C + PHD
RGB Imaging: QHY8 + MaximDL, 21×300s, CLS
Stacked: DeepSkyStacker
Post Process: ImagesPlus + PSCS2 + Noel Carboni’s AstroTools
(Click on Image for Larger version)
Posted by Steve under Astro | Comments (0)
March 27, 2008
Any other UK based astro-imagers out there getting more than just a bit fed up with the amount of cloud cover we are experiencing (especially in the east of the country)? In the 3+ weeks since my last imaging session, I have seen clear dark skies for no more than an hour in any one go. The weather forecasts are depressingly accurate, with clear sky periods during the day, and as soon as the sun thinks about heading towards the horizon, the thick cloud banks roll in, covering the sky with a thick blanket of the grey stuff, usually accompanied by heavy rain and howling winds…. or even snow!
I hope its clear for at least one night at the Kelling Heath Spring Star Party next weekend. I really dont enjoy the whole camping experience, its something I endure for the sake of getting away to dark skies, but if its cloudy/rainy for the entire 5 days I am there, I think I will lose the plot totally.
Frustrated of Cambridge
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March 15, 2008
Well, as the magazine is now out in the shops, I guess I can quite happily post the news that my Rosette from back in January 2008 won Picture of the Month in the BBC’s Sky at Night magazine, April 2008. Can you see me grinning?
(Click on image for larger version)
Posted by Steve under Astro | Comments (1)
March 5, 2008
Got caught in a mini-blizzard while driving home last night, but the satellite images showed it was due to clear up afterwards… and it did! Not a great night, a bit milky up there, but no moon and no storm force wind blowing everything around the garden.
M101 and M51 have both started to clear the house at a decent time of the evening (well, actually thats a lie, this was started at 1am after 4 hours of IC405/IC410 which I cant seem to do anything with because my flats are messed up)
OTA: NS8GPS @ f/7-ish
Guiding: William Optics ZenithStar 66 SD + DSI-C + PHD
RGB Imaging: QHY8 + MaximDL, 20 x 900s, IDAS Filter
Stacked: DeepSkyStacker
Post Process: ImagesPlus + PSCS2 + Noel Carboni’s AstroTools
(Click on image for larger version)
I`d forgotten quite how slow f/7+ was to image with… think I`ll stick to the Hyperstar for the moment, although I do hear M51 calling my name as a “this years version versus last years”.
Posted by Steve under Astronomy | Comments (0)
February 17, 2008
Well, another clear night, but OH MY WORD was it cold! (Well, cold for the UK anyway). FYI -6C is 21.2 F
and I may need to rethink my dew supression system for the whole night (New style dew shield specifically for the Hyperstar is on its way from Astrozap soon)
Anyway… enough of the waffle, and on to the goodies
NGC 2237 Rosette Nebula in Hydrogen Alpha
OTA: NS8GPS @ f/2 (Hyperstar v3)
Guiding: William Optics ZenithStar 66 SD + DSI-C + PHD
RGB Imaging: QHY8 + MaximDL, 32 x 600s (5 hours 20 mins at f/2!!!), Astronomik 13nm Ha
Stacked: DeepSkyStacker
Post Process: ImagesPlus + PSCS2 + Noel Carboni’s AstroTools
(Click on image for larger version)
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February 16, 2008
With the moon causing problems, its time to break out the Ha filter again.
IC2177 Seagull Neb (which is confusing because TheSky is showing ANOTHER seagull Neb somewhere else). This target is really low, never rising more than 27-28 degrees above the UK horizon. A fair amout of noise in the larger version, but unsure if this was due to dodgy flats, the moon, or atmospheric interference.
OTA: NS8GPS @ f/2 (Hyperstar v3)
Guiding: William Optics ZenithStar 66 SD + DSI-C + PHD
RGB Imaging: QHY8 + MaximDL, 21 x 600s, Astronomik 13nm Ha
Stacked: DeepSkyStacker
Post Process: ImagesPlus + PSCS2 + Noel Carboni’s AstroTools
(Click on image for larger version)
Posted by Steve under Astro | Comments (0)
February 12, 2008
Well, it appears that last night was the last of the current clear spell in the east of the UK. Tonight is forecast with mist and fog, and tomorrow the rainclouds start to roll in again. I can’t complain though, 4 clear nights in a row, 3 of which I was out imaging.
I`ve been after IC443 for a while, but its always been low down on my list. As it happens, I also managed to get IC444 in the image, so I am pretty pleased with this one.
OTA: NS8GPS @ f/2 (Hyperstar v3)
Guiding: William Optics ZenithStar 66 SD + DSI-C + PHD
RGB Imaging: QHY8 + MaximDL, 20×900s, Astronomik 13nm Ha
Stacked: DeepSkyStacker (2xdrizzle)
Post Process: ImagesPlus (2xbin) + PSCS2 + Noel Carboni’s AstroTools
(Click on image for larger version)
While waiting for it to get really dark, I managed to take this image for the ISS + STS-122 passing just south of the moon just before 19:00 GMT (image is a composite of three seperate frames, hence the breaks in the line)
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