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First go at M45 on first night with new mount. Wow!

StargeezerTim

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StargeezerTim

StargeezerTim

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This is my first attempt to image M45. It was taken two nights ago on my my first go with the new HEQ5. It wasn't level so the stars are not quite right but I have to say I am astonished at the result. What a beautiful sight the Pleiades are...

20 X 5mins, iso 1600, calibration frames and processed in Photoshop. Gradient removed with DBE. 

post-35654-0-11771800-1444496575_thumb.j

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StuartJPP

StuartJPP

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Good job Tim...The Pleiades are in a decent spot now...was also good to see Orion last night clearing the trees late on...

Did you use the MGEN for guiding? I am contemplating getting one to reduce clutter but they aren't half pricey...

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StargeezerTim

StargeezerTim

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Good job Tim...The Pleiades are in a decent spot now...was also good to see Orion last night clearing the trees late on...

Did you use the MGEN for guiding? I am contemplating getting one to reduce clutter but they aren't half pricey...

Stuart,

I used the MGEN. I know its expensive but I don't have a laptop and saved on that. They are also a bit cheaper if you buy from Telescop Express or AstroMarket, though best to wait till the exchange rate is good! Tim. 

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Pompey Monkey

Pompey Monkey

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Smashing image Tim. Don't get too hung up on the levelling of your mount.

Levelling North-South is completely compensated for by the altitude adjustment bolts.

Levelling East-West just gets the Polaris hour-angle correct with reference to your polarscope, assuming that it is aligned in the mount properly in the first place.

I regularly do five minute (or more) guided subs from a rough alignment with my polarscope (AZ-EQ6, but same principle) and my problems are not oval stars from poor PA. You might be having some backlash that happens faster than your guider can correct for. Or something else, perhaps: The stars are not trailing in the same direction all over the image - Are you not using a coma corrector yet?

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StargeezerTim

StargeezerTim

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Smashing image Tim. Don't get too hung up on the levelling of your mount.

Levelling North-South is completely compensated for by the altitude adjustment bolts.

Levelling East-West just gets the Polaris hour-angle correct with reference to your polarscope, assuming that it is aligned in the mount properly in the first place.

I regularly do five minute (or more) guided subs from a rough alignment with my polarscope (AZ-EQ6, but same principle) and my problems are not oval stars from poor PA. You might be having some backlash that happens faster than your guider can correct for. Or something else, perhaps: The stars are not trailing in the same direction all over the image - Are you not using a coma corrector yet?

Thanks. I am using a coma corrector, you should have seen my images before that! LOL. Last nights stars were much better after I levelled the mount properly. Trouble with using the MGEN as guider is that there are not that many using it on here to give advice about different settings etc and what effect they may have. I'm gonna have another go at M45 in a week or so when I can see it at an earlier time. It's like having 5 Vega's all together!  :laugh:

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ollypenrice

ollypenrice

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You do not need to level a mount at all, other than for the reasons suggested by Pompey Monkey, which apply to mounts with a conventional polarscope reticle. Even then, the effects of a slight tilt on the usefulness of the reticle will be minimal.  The very high end Takahashi (and some Vixen) mounts have no facility for levelling and a mount can be level and badly polar aligned or not level and perfectly polar aligned. Five minutes spent levelling would be better spent drift aligning, in my view.

More interestingly, you have a good M45! The nebulosity is coming in nicely and the bright stars are under control. Reflectors do handle bright stars well. Focus is tight. Good stuff.

Olly

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StargeezerTim

StargeezerTim

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Hi Geordie,

I might be wrong, but I dont think you get much star bloating with reflectors, I think it is more of a problem with Refractors. What I did do stop them going mad when stretching was to create a star mask using the technique in this video.

I also had a quick look and there are a few tutorials for reducing it in photoshop, i.e.

http://www.astronomy-images.com/Articles/reducing-star-bloat.htm

Cheers, Tim. 

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wxsatuser

wxsatuser

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Good job Tim...The Pleiades are in a decent spot now...was also good to see Orion last night clearing the trees late on...

Did you use the MGEN for guiding? I am contemplating getting one to reduce clutter but they aren't half pricey...

Nice M45 Tim.

Just got one myself from Teleskop Express, paid via PP and was £465, that included the Canon cable as well.

First try the other night, well impressed, best stars I have had for a long time, 10minute subs no probs.

Fairly easy to setup and as usual I hardly looked at the destructions. :grin:

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