mag10

M42, my first (and so far, only) DSO.

Two hours after buying my Canon 550D. I Did not know the menus, and had not yet read the manual. Just plopped the Astronomik CLS filter in, stuck it on my C8 CGEM (bought just the week before!) and clicked away.

It's definitely a "first time" effort, but I still consider this the best picture (not just astro) I've ever taken in my life.

Well, the most satisfying anyway, especially having been taken from downtown Montreal (see my avatar picture, I'm right in the middle of all that light!), on a balcony shaking with every passing car below!

Single exposure, around 20 or 30 seconds (really not sure, as I fiddled this way and that), and I have no idea what the ISO or F stop was!

Enlarged, and processed on Photoshop afterwards for Levels and Saturation, but not much.