M82 with Dob

[Scooot]

I thought I'd see how a galaxy would come out after my efforts with M27 and The Cats Eye. I spent more time aligning the platform, polar aligned it properly, levelled the platform with a bubble level, and drift aligned it for a while to check the speed. This is a single 20 second exposure on ISO 1600 with my 16" Dob. I focussed on Dubhe this time, then pushed it to M82. When I looked at it on the camera, the stars looked as if they had small tails, so at the time I thought 20 seconds was pushing it a bit too much for the platform, but they seem better after downloading. I'd foolishly left off my light shield so I had a bit of nasty light scatter on the image which I've minimised by reducing the black in processing which has also reduced the detail of the galaxy slightly so I think I could get a better one next time. Maybe?

[Barv]

Very good for a dob, - top work!

[faulksy]

nice one richard, very good mate, all the imagers will be getting dobs now. there great at everything i wonder if scott has seen this

[estwing]

very nice...now put that camera away!