tooth_dr

Damn that’s a hot chilli pepper! Great capture.

So... things have progressed more rapidly than I could have anticipated 🥳 A 2.2m dome is due to be delivered this week. Please be patient if i ask some stupid questions 😎

Outstanding!! I noticed this in your image! What do you think could have caused that?

Lol I did think it was you, just wanted to check 😂 That’s class you bought an EQ6-R, have you got it out much yet?

Hi @mercandrea Mark! Welcome to SGL! What part of Co Antrim are you from? Do you attend the IAA meetings? Congrats on purchasing a fantastic mount. CS Adam

I'm really really lucky to be involved in the new dark skies programme that is currently underway in Northern Ireland. The sites in question are about 15 minutes drive from my house, and offer beautiful views. I took a spin up on Friday night, to one of the sites, the less dark one. I had intended to do both, but I only ended up doing one of them for one reason or another (hardware issues) I took this one of the MW rising over the stone circles. Nikon D800E, 30s exposures, 28-70mm Tokina lens at 28mm stopped down to F4 (I think). A few stacked together vertically using ICE. This type of imaging is way outside my skill set, and I'm never happy with the results I get compared to the shots I see online. Thanks for looking Adam.

No issues here with apt, running 2 x CCDs and the temp is always on the money. Re warming. I go to 5 deg C and they turn off. Similar to you. No issues noted. I just wouldn’t want to go from -20 and turn off. I was imaging at -15 but realistically-20 is never an issue (apart to not being able to take calibration data during the day of some summer days.) But that’s 99.9% not an issue

Nice Job Goran, the Ha is pretty much essential I would say on this one. I've about 14 hours of Ha on this, and it's pretty faint indeed. I havent tried anything like this before as I tend to do the more common stuff. I might post it up later.

Excellent Carole. Lovely image.

Have you got the figures entered correctly into phd for the equipment profile so that the graph etc is accurate?

I normally use the phd target as a guide to my star shapes. I think your circle of stars on the target looks a little taller than wider. This would certainly support the stars even still being slightly elongated. With those figures you’d expect round stars given that RA and Dec are equal.

Any photos

There is nothing in the previous or following frame, but I dont whereabout within the 45s frame it occured

@jam1e1 that does look similar indeed. I've picked up a fainter trail, but that may well be due to my darker site.

I would think that the EQ6 should be able to guide that ok, provided its well balanced etc. I have imaged at 0.91”/arcsec and definitely lost a few subs but didn’t have consistent trailing.

Just got a quote for delivery. More than I expected so may consider alternative arrangements for collection.

After a year of asking I’ve finally given in and agreed to do a short talk on AP at my club, and expect around 100-150 learned people at it 😬 This blog should prove as a useful reference. Thanks Gina and all contributors.

Incredible. That last image is worth it’s own thread.

Thanks. It was 45s

Thanks guys. I’m excited about this. I’ll take time to read through and consider everything mentioned above. Thanks again.

I just missed this visually last night, as when I came in and sat down in the observatory it was just on the screen from the all sky camera. Any idea what’s going on? Is it a reflection or a meteor that broke up into pieces? TIA Adam.

Thanks Steve. I’ve read your thread and find it very informative, but got a bit lost with all the software stuff. I’ll need to plan this out carefully. My wooden ROR shed is a lot more forgiving both in terms of space, and for retro fitting stuff (ie hidden under floor).

Thanks. Great info. I haven’t ruled out building a brick structure and mounting a dome on it. My concerns were a) attaching the dome and b) heat from the bricks. If I built my own base it would certainly leave more options, as I’m used to a warm room. But it would also increase costs, the fibreglass walls are ‘only’ £900

Thank so much Michael. I was wondering about off setting the pier, in my ROR shed the pier is the middle, and my largest scope collided with the wall on one side. If offset this wouldn’t have been an issue. Im not sure what the standard wall height is for the domes, I’ll check that. I have 12 x 240v items plugged into sockets in my shed observatory. I will need to factor in socket placement etc. Heat from the 3 x PCs might an issue if in the dome with the scope. Currently they are in my warm room and north of the scope.

Im planning on getting one bay, or do I need it?