Messier in UMa via LodestarLive

[nytecam]

The bright near full moon [94% phase] last night was the dominant LP leaving London's LP in the shade! So whilst most visual DSO observers abandon the nightsky, astro-video and CCD cam users carry on regardless.

The display via LodestarLive is enlarged [over the Lodestar-Mx2's native 720x580p] and thus sharper and superior to the SX s/ware display. No darks take - the few hot pixels post removed via PaintshopPro's "despeckle" option prior to final contrast stretch and post here. I miss the option via LodestarLive to apply flats to remove corner darkening - to me more important the darks!

Here's my crop of DSOs around the Plough via my 30cm f/3.3 SCT in exposures limited to 15s-30s [M101=45s] due to moonlight - starting with M82 and its fading supernova SN 2014J - the image is post cropped and enlarged x2 [inset M82 full size] but holds resolution very well under LodestarLive.

Also included are M51 M81 M97 M101 M108 M109 and finally faint "Frosty Leo" a proto-planetary nebula near Regulus ;-) Moonlight - who cares !

[Astrogate]

Wow Maurice, I did not realize that your setup 12" Meade SCT @ f/3.3 had that much vignetting all this time. I see that using the SX software allowed for you to subtract flats and I agree with you it is much more important in your cast to have LodestarLive  with the ability to subtract flats rather than darks. Also you will benefit much more when LodestarLive is capable of stacking to great reduce the noise I am seeing in the background. Over all not bad results considering your viewing conditions. Does SX software allow for stacking?

Chris A

Astrogate

[Astrogate]

Astrogate, on 13 Apr 2014 - 7:01 PM, said:

Wow Maurice, I did not realize that your setup 12" Meade SCT @ f/3.3 had that much vignetting all this time. I see that using the SX software allowed for you to subtract flats and I agree with you it is much more important in your cast to have LodestarLive  with the ability to subtract flats rather than darks. Also you will benefit much more when LodestarLive is capable of stacking to great reduce the noise I am seeing in the background. Over all not bad results considering your viewing conditions. Does SX software allow for stacking?

Chris A

Astrogate

That should have said case not cast (too bad you cannot edit your own posts). Also when there is that much vegnetting, it tends to get difficult to adjust your brightness/contrast levels when the FOV is not flat.

Chris A

[Martin Meredith]

Those are great results -- huge amount of detail given the conditions. I too was looking at some of those objects last night (M82, M97) but with nothing like that level of detail in the 80mm scope. I agree, no need for a near full moon to stop the fun! I must admit though that IC342 was a big challenge to see more than the core, thanks to La Luna.

Martin

[nytecam]

Those are great results -- huge amount of detail given the conditions. I too was looking at some of those objects last night (M82, M97) but with nothing like that level of detail in the 80mm scope. I agree, no need for a near full moon to stop the fun! I must admit though that IC342 was a big challenge to see more than the core, thanks to La Luna.

 

Martin

Hi Martin - did a lot of Lodestar good stuff awhile back with my Meade ETX-70 including Abell GC 2065 that challenged big Dobs visually! Here's AGC 2065 from last night via my 30cm SCT in 20s - any longer swamped by moonlight :-)