Very frustrating night!

[Stargazer33]

After checking the weather forecast I thought I would set up last night and try to image M51 - Whirlpool Galaxy - with my relatively new QHY5L II.

 I set up, did a two star align with three calibration stars. Slewed to Vega to focus and got the star pretty central. Then slewed to M51. Couldn't see it anywhere. Slewed to Alkaid, again pretty central. Slewed back to M51 again nothing. Couldn't see it in the 6x30 finderscope. Got totally confused with up,down, left, right. After over an hour of trying went to M57 - Ring Nebula - thought no problems finding that...WRONG! Tried for half an hour or so and couldn't find that either so packed up and came in about 00:30 BST.

I was running 30 second exposures to try to find M51 to start with and got what I thought was a lovely clear star field. Moved the scope as no M51 and did another 30 second exposure only to find that the 'star field' hadn't moved - realised that my 'star field' was in fact hot pixels on the sensor!

I am now thinking that the QHY5L II straight onto the back of the focuser is just too high a magnification to find anything the size of a galaxy. Not sure why I couldn't find M57 though?

Oh well, what doesn't kill us...

Edit: refer to byline!

[Dave_D]

without wanting to sound like a scratched record, give astrotortilla a try.

[Stargazer33]

Thanks Dave, I will need to set up for laptop control of my mount though. No idea how to do that but I will Google it and find out what I need to buy/do. Sounds like it will save what little hair I have left! 

[Daniel-K]

What mount was you using and what scope?

[Davey-T]

M51 is not particularly big and bright,not like M31, I was looking at it last night with 110 refractor and could just make out the cores, no chance of seeing it finder scope I wouldn't think.

Dave (another one)

[wuthton]

without wanting to sound like a scratched record, give astrotortilla a try.

If you've got a telescope, camera and a laptop you should be using Astrotortilla. Simple as.

There is a teeny tiny part of me, deep inside that does think it's cheating and the last brick in the wall between "real" astronomy (those chaps who have eyepieces and bad backs) and astrophotography. I used to at least, just occasionally make use of a reticle eyepiece but since Astrotortilla I haven't even done that. I haven't looked through a telescope in months!

But, my conscience is clear! I saw a shooting star last night (a big one too) that gave me a thought.... even though I've probably seen several hundred, I still get the same little thrill every time. If I'd been bent double squinting through an eyepiece I'd have missed it.

[Mark_C]

Thanks Dave, I will need to set up for laptop control of my mount though. No idea how to do that but I will Google it and find out what I need to buy/do. Sounds like it will save what little hair I have left! 

It's definitely worth it, especially if you're wanting to image.

After using Astrotortilla, I don't know how I managed without it. It's an incredible piece of software and removes the stress of finding very dim DSO's. Beforehand, like you, I would try and search for a DSO and often fail, in the end it got very frustrating and tried to find another solution. I was a little apprehensive about using Astrotortilla at first as it seemed quite complicated to set up but in all honesty it's not that bad after reading a few tutorials!

I found I could never really rely on visual star alignments, it was always hit and miss.

[Stargazer33]

Started downloading all the software last night. I think I have the correct cable for controlling the mount too. It came with the mount when I bought it (second hand).

Daniel: I have a C8 XLT on a CGEM mount.

Thanks for all the encouragement, when it takes so long to set all the kit up and then take it down (oh for an obsy!), spending a couple of hours finding nothing discourages you from setting up the next night it's clear. 

[michaeldurban]

hurray! for setting circles...

I'll probably be booed from this thread but from the start I started

using them I could find even the faintest DSO within 20 seconds.

Yes..I know..I can't track...

I nudge...

[Ewan]

Hi Bryan, i know how you feel mate, been there done that.

I also need to try out astrotortilla, i have it but not run it yet

Can you bin your 30 sec 'search' exposures ? makes life a lot easier to find fainter targets.

M51 is not very bright even @ 30 secs, all you will see is two small dots (the two cores) & not much else.