Chris

Thanks for sharing such an incredible telescope experience. It really is a beast!

I enjoyed reading that, thanks Stu! All I can say is good old long focus achromats

A week or two back I attempted 5 minute unguided subs with the following rig - StellaMira 90 EDT with 0.8 Reducer Flattener, working at 432mm focal length, 2.29"/seconds with the Fuji XT1 onboard the iOptron GEM45 mount. I marvelled that I could get 5 minute unguided subs, however after discussion with Vlaiv and others I plugged the subs into CCDInspector to check the FWHM readings and it turned out that there was a around 1-2 pixel width of wobble on the exposures because the FWHM was reading 5-6"/pixel. Still remarkable and the picture of the California nebula looked detailed to my eyes. This week I thought I would take this one step further and I ended up taking 8 x 8 minute unguided subs on the Monkey head Nebula in Orion. Again I was working at 2.29"/seconds and plugging the subs into CCD inspector revealed a very similar 6"/seconds average which matches iOptrons <7"/second claim for this mount. With 8 minute exposures we must have completed at least one rotation of the mounts worm gear so in theory you could expose as long as you want with a short apo as long as you can accept 6"/seconds. To be fair the image looks detailed enough for social media to my eyes but you probably wouldn't get away with blowing it up for a print. Here is the FWHM chart for the 8 minute subs, plus a PNG of the Monkey Head nebula, and a short video documenting the night.

Monkey head nebula with the StellaMira 90 EDT and 0.8 RF. 8 x 8 minute exposures with a stock Fuji XT1 camera and Optolong L-eNhance filter.

Alnitak is always a problem child with this shot but you've captured some very nice detail in the HH and flame. Very nice!

Hey Jeremy, thank you! I'm too addicted to stop

Thanks Michael, much obliged

Many thanks John, and I'm sure I speak for all when I say likewise

Thank you Steve Cheers!

Cheers Jock, and we're all still leaning everyday which is of course one of the fun bits : )

Much appreciated Stu, Cheers!

Thanks Pete! and I just noticed that it wont be long before you hit 30k!

Cheers! Those designations were fun so it's a bit of a shame they went. Although, I did notice plenty of occasions where folks got the designation mixed up with members name.

Thanks Rob and likewise! Your posts are always wise and engaging.....no pressure though

Thanks Dave yes it really has been an good move, and I'm very lucky to be able to work within the astronomical community! I still need to pinch myself sometimes!

I've just checked and I made my first post here on SGL in September 2011, and I'm about to make my 10,000th post as soon as I hit the enter key! It's been 10 years of hanging out with a great bunch of folks. I joined the forum as an Astronomy graduate so thought I new it all at the time and quickly realised I knew very little . You lot have taught me a great deal over the years, and it's fair to say this forum has kept me sane through some challenging times! So a big thank you from me! and I hope for many more years and posts on SGL.

15/15 is still impressive all the same

Just a bit of fun to see in the new year, and wishing everyone clearer skies for 2022!

I would like to do more astronomy with my kids in 2022, I feel they're at a good age for it now and If it sparks something great, if not fair enough Also, I should really continue my mirror grind project that has been shelved for a about 3 years so far!...

We used SBIG cameras at Uni, circa 2000 ish, and I don't think they were new cameras then so they must have been making cameras in the 90's. I seem to recall a model with a second sensor on camera for guiding?...I don't think I dreamt that part.

Anyone else got butterflies!? I think it will be ok unless there's lightning.

I've always wondered why they didn't make a mono version so very welcome news. A mono ASI533, imagine how clean and sensitive that will be!

I'll leave it there I think. I won't subject you to the size of the 1600% crop!

This is 800% according to GIMP. Probably in the ball park of your 400% but we're really pixel peeping now

Maybe software? I'm zooming to 400% in GIMP and cropping to the field of view before exporting.