Finally, a clear night, all night! :) (M44, M13, IC1396, M16)
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…..
Posted by Steve under Astro | Comments Off on Finally, a clear night, all night! :) (M44, M13, IC1396, M16)
