Clear night wasted due to faulty monitor power button

[MikeD]

Gutted this morning to find that the imaging run I set to run last night was ruined buy a faulty monitor switch.

After setting everything up and turning the monitors in the obs off and retiring to the house to set the run going, all seemed fine and the subs looked good.

Unknown to me and not noticeable in the individual subs I was monitoring from the house ( I was zoomed in on M109 area of the image ) the monitor in the obs was randomly tuning on and off.

The result is disappointing as I can see what a goodnight it was by the amount of faint galaxies in this curdly processed stack of 30 @ 600 seconds.

Mike.

[James]

It's only disappointing as you have very high standards - It is frustrating though when something as simple as a monitor button goes wrong...

James

[peter shah]

I think its a great shot mike

[MikeD]

I have just remembered I was also shooting the same target with my 80ed and HX916 with no filter wheel ( which is where most of the light gets in that and through the back of the mirror of the newt ) so I might be able to salvage it as a wider field shot with galaxy detail from this data.

mike.

[morimarty]

Hi Mike

Sorry to here of you're equipment failure but nevertheless you have still captured some fine detail in m109. I think the light gradient coming from the upper right in you're image is caused by the nearby star phad?. I have been imaging m109 when the chance arises and have suffered simular internal reflections especially in the blue channel, thats why my scope is now stripped down ready for flocking. not sure if it will help though. I will try and post my image sometime this week as i'm a bit busy doing the graveyard shift at the moment. good luck on this one!

[MikeD]

Thanks for the info, i think you are right.

I did do a run the night before but never stacked it as the moon was high. I have just stacked those subs (11 @ 600) and applied a screen stretch in maxim and the same gradient is showing although I can't be 100% sure the monitor wasn't playing up that night too but I don't thing it was.

Mike