Hals

3 minutes ago, Vic L S said:

Thanks. I did come across some people saying the Celestron OAG taking quite abit of backfocus? But it's got a bigger sensor. 

I might have to look at the OAG-L. Seems like a good compromise of sensor size and having more backfocus allowance. 

Take a look here...https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://www.ancientphotonsastro.com/post/back-focus-for-the-edge-hd-8-at-f-7-and-f-10-using-a-celestron-oag&ved=2ahUKEwixgb_t1OKFAxXJSkEAHU7LD7MQFnoECBUQAQ&usg=AOvVaw0_W8pERpcnbX-nDLc-Snex

Very nice. A cosmic snowball 👍

1 hour ago, Vic L S said:

 

Sorry for jumping in, but may I ask what OAG you are using? This is something I was looking into a few months ago when I was getting my C8, but decided to go with a guidescope as that was easier to use with my refractor as well, but I might well get an OAG + 174mm just to go on the C8 in the future. 

Yes of course. It's the Celestron OAG with the 12x12mm prism. The ZWO OAG-L would be a good match too but if you get the 174 I'd stay clear of the thin ZWO standard OAG as the sensor size of the 174 is too big for that one really.

6 hours ago, david_taurus83 said:

Yes with reducer it's platesolving at 1480mm. I think native scale is around 0.5" with the ASI533MM or 1" binned 2x2. Guiding hovers around 0.6"/0.8". Hope we get better weather during summer as I will be imaging for the few darkish hours we get! My north view is pretty good apart from sky glow from Birmingham city so can keep popping at Cassiopeia and Cygnus in narrowband

My Edge8 with reducer platesolves at 1456mm. That's at the specified 105mm back focus and I could do to put a 1mm spacer in I reckon. Depends on the mirror position and no two are ever the same.  My guiding is anywhere from 0.6 -1.0 (CGEM DX). I've just updated the OAG guidecam to a 174MM Mini, a massive gamechanger for me as I could hardly use my QHY5L-II with it. Was lucky to get one decent guide star even then the SNR was poor despite binning and noise reduction, so I resorted to using a standard 50\200 guidescope. It guided ok with decent figures but I was throwing a lot of subs due to mirror flop\flexture\you name it. Now I'm able to multi-star guide through the OAG with a nice field of stars, although obviously some targets are OAG unfriendly. It's a challenge using an SCT but when everything clicks into place it makes it worthwhile.

Yeah...it's M13 !

Two clear spells on consecutive nights...unheard of !

Managed to image M13, LRGB three hours fifty minutes total time before the clouds rolled in, so the blue is lacking a bit compared to the other filters.

I'll go back and add to it when I get the chance.

Had to have the dew heater on full too as the corrector misted up after a couple of hours.

Just happy to be imaging again.

Pete.

M51 LRGB taken under the light of a full Moon.

Gradient hell!

I wouldn't normally bother with a galaxy under such conditions but clear nights are so few and far between this year for me.

Edge8HD & 0.7 reducer, ASI294MMPro. A tad under five hours total integration.

Pete.

The rugged great crater chain of Walther down to Ptolemaeus. 16.04.24

A really rugged area.

Poor seeing with added heat and smoke from next door deciding to light a fire didn't help but you have to take what you can get.

Edge 8HD at native FL, no barlow.

Pete.

Just checked 12:58 and it's working for me! Has had a lot of issues lately though.

Definitely Cooper's Cone ! No doubt about it 😉

Spectacular!  Very atmospheric. Well done.

Pete.

Superb image. 

Excellent image, very nice. Astounding that the quality of pictures taken by amateurs in our backyards and gardens can almost rival a spacecraft in orbit. 

My first foray into planetary imaging. 

The seeing was horrendous after very heavy rain all day but I had to have a go before these two get too low in the West for me.

Just happy I managed to get something from the bouncing, shimmering blobs I was looking at!

Simple set up, x2 Barlow ASI120MC-S via Skywatcher 200P. 1500 frames on Jupiter, 1000 frames on Uranus. AutoStakkert, Registax and PS.

Pete.

Great start! Nothing wrong with those. Lucky imaging with a 9.25 will definately pay dividends as that extra resolution will really show. 

5 minutes ago, PatrickO said:

Excellent. May I ask what you use for processing.

Just the usual stuff... Autostakkert for stacking, Registax for the wavelets and I usually finish off in Photoshop. Does depend on the quality of the data though as to what actual steps I take. I may need to use, say, Camera Raw filter in PS on one image but not another.

Lying in the South polar region is the massive walled plain of Bailly, 188 miles in diameter. It's a pity it is so foreshortened from Earth.

The three prominent craters in front of Bailly are (L-R) Kircher, Bettinus and Zucchius.

Taken at 22:00 on 22nd Feb, unfortunately I was plagued by thin high cloud and this was imaged through that cloud.

Pete.

This image is dominated by the impressive walled plain Schickard.

To the south are the trio of Phoclyides, Nasmyth and the strange plateau Wargentin (actually a crater completely filled with lava).

The crater mostly in shadow is Inghirami. Also of note is the elongated Schiller.

One of my favourite areas on the Moon, especially when the libration is favourable.

Pete.

Some interesting formations in this area.

The very bright Aristarchus with Herodotus alongside with the winding Schroter's Valley below always reminds me of a cat's face.

Notable craters are the lava filled and eroded Prinz, Schiaparelli lying between Herodotus and the impressive Seleucus and along the limb Lichtenberg, Briggs and illuminated walls of Russell.

ASI120MC-S via Skywatcher 200p, x2 barlow.

Pete.

Thankyou.

Taken 22nd Feb 22:40.

Best 20% of 2000 frames through some high but very thin light cloud.

Seeing was moderate.

Pete.

Outstanding!

Taken 19th Feb just after midnight.

I'm still learning AutoStakkert and Registax, certainly makes a change from deep sky.

Best 12% of 2000 frames. ASI120MC-S via Skywatcher 200P and x2 barlow. 

I'd have liked more detail especially some of the rilles in the area but the seeing wasn't too helpful despite the lucky imaging.

Pete

6 minutes ago, PatrickO said:

Beautiful image. I'd be proud of that. What mount did you use?

Thanks Patrick. Its a HEQ5.

Thanks Roy.  I don't think I quite nailed the focus and it's a bit over processed to compensate but it's nice to pull detail from the bubbling mess I was looking at! 

Rupes Recta (The Straight Wall) and surrounding area.

Best 10% of 3000 frames stacked in Autostakkert and processed in Registax and PS.

Skywatcher 200P, x2 Barlow, ASI120MC-S.

00:32 19.02.24

Pete.