September 18, 2007
Attended the Kelling Heath Star Camp over the weekend, and managed to do some imaging between the observing/drinking/eating.
M42 Orion Nebula
Imaging: William Optics ZS 66 SD (piggybacked), QHY8 Camera (Gain 50, Offset 120), MaximDL/CCD, 17 x 300s
Guiding: NexStar 8 GPS @ f/6.3 (FR), DSI-C, PHD
Processing: Deep Sky Stacker, Photoshop2 + Noels Tools
(Click on the image for a larger version)
M45 Pleiades
Imaging: William Optics ZS 66 SD (piggybacked), QHY8 Camera (Gain 50, Offset 120), MaximDL/CCD, 12 x 300s
Guiding: NexStar 8 GPS @ f/6.3 (FR), DSI-C, PHD
Processing: Deep Sky Stacker, Photoshop2 + Noels Tools
(Click on the image for a larger version)
Published in Sky at Night (Coverdisc), January 2008Â
NGC7023 Iris Nebula (Mono)
Imaging: NexStar 8 GPS @ f/6.3 (FR), QHY8 Camera (Gain 50, Offset 120), MaximDL/CCD, 17 x 300s
Guiding: William Optics ZS 66 SD (piggybacked), DSI-C, PHD
Processing: Deep Sky Stacker, Photoshop2 + Noels Tools
Posted by Steve under Astro | Comments Off on Kelling Autumn Star Camp – 15th September 2007
September 11, 2007
Finally got out of the “DSLR” mindset of worrying about hot pixels, and went the whole hog on long exposures with my QHY8 last night. All went well, other than me kicking the USB cable during one of the M27 subs which caused PHD to go nuts, and wondering why my 4×4 binning repeat focus was creating trails (looked down, saw one of my cats rubbing themselves against the tripod in an attempt to catch my attention).
Right, first up…
All images taken with:
Camera: QHY8
OTA: NexStar 8 GPS @ f/10 (2000mm)
Guiding: PHD + DSI-C + WO66 piggyback
Imaging: MaximDL
Stacked: DSS
Tweaked: PSCS2 + Noels Tools
M15
10 x 300 seconds (Gain 20, Offset 120)
(Ignore the stray line across the top of the image)
M27
7 x 900 seconds (Gain 20, Offset 120) – lost one sub to the kicked USB incident 🙂
Note: I think this one may be approaching the “over processed” limit
M31
12 x 300 Seconds (Gain 20, Offset 130)
(Ignore the stray line across the top of the image)
Note: This one was imaged with the WO66, while the NS8GPS was guiding
This one REALLY IS over processed, I know that… it turned noisey, but I`m so tired that I have no energy to go back and start again
Posted by Steve under Astro | Comments Off on M15, M27, M31
September 6, 2007
First DSO light for the QHY8, after a clear spell appeared over the house last night and stayed until at least 3.30am (which is when I decided I really needed to get some sleep!)
OK, so a few problems with this image: The colour balance is off, the stars are a bit “blobby” (due to the 10 minute exposures I think), and I am unable to remove the light pollution and/or radial gradient from the centre of this nebula with destroying the finer detail in the core… but i`m happy with it as a first attempt.
NS8GPS @ f/6.3, 6 x 600secs, PHD guided, no filters
Posted by Steve under Astro | Comments Off on NGC6888, Crescent Nebula
