DaveS

Well, leaving Politics aside, we currently are members of ESA, and, I think ESO, which have other members outside the EU.

Being serious for a moment, I wonder if NASA have found unequivocal evidence for past life on Mars?

I think I would go with 2", as you're close to vignetting with the 1.25" ones. Also the IDAS filters which might be interesting are only available in 2" mounted and 52mm sizes.

Ooh, sounds interesting. Maybe the Little Green Men are going to land on the White House Lawn 🤣.

I don't know, but there was an Atik 6200 camera that briefly appeared on the @FLO site as a pre production item with a pre-order lead time, but disappeared when the pandemic hit, I suspect Atik had more pressing matters. I'm actually quite worried about SX, as their line up does look a lot like yesterday's technology. Perhaps they have something up their sleeves that they will spring on us without warning. Certainly they have camera bodies that could take the new ASP-C and 135 format sensors. Just need to swap out the USB2 for USB3.

OK, one more go. Back and forth between AstroArt 7 and Affinity Photo, in HST with selective colour.

Ah, Nikon Z-mount. Sorry, my knowledge runs out there, I thought you might be Nikon "F", for which adaptors are available.

Yes, Apollo was a blind alley that NASA was rushed into for no other reason than cold-war politics, which we cannot discuss. That being said, a reusable SSTO "space-plane" with a sensible payload is not a trivial task. Back in the day there were ideas of a two-stage solution with a ramp-launched booster plane (Like a beefed up V1) launching the orbiter stage.

I think the std version might be more cost effective. Encoder guiding and whole-ssky models come into their own when you get into ASA territory.

With the very wide field you will get from camera lenses I wouldn't get too hung up on the "/p figure, afterall you get the same sort of figures from using a DSLR. I would be careful about mounting heavy lenses on a camera with no other support, the couplings are designed for putting the camera on a telescope, not the other way round. Pity you're Nikon else This might be an option, though I think you may be able to get a Nikon / Canon adaptor.

Hopefully the REL Skylon will be a viable alternative, but I agree, we could have had a SSTO launcher years ago.

I would go for the filter holder, as it gives you the option of easily switching between a dual / tri band nebula type filter or a more broad band LP filter for clusters or galaxies. Incidentally the flatteners and reduces I use don't have a filter thread on them, so don't count on one being present. Looking at various options, I see that IDAS do some interesting dual band filters with [OIII] / H-alpha, and [OIII] / [SII], but they need a further UV / IR blocking filter, so *two* holders, argh! There is also a Crazy Expensive ultra-narrow quad band filter, but I don't really see the point.

OK Well, imaging rigs are really built from the ground up, so the mount is the most important part. That being said, from your post it looks like it's what you're stuck with. Don't do anything more or more drastic to your newt, as it really isn't suitable as an astrograph on that mount. For non-premium mounts (ie anything below 10 Micron / Mesu / ASA) the payload limit for imaging is reckoned to be 2/3 the limit given for visual. For that mount I'd say 1/2 the visual limit short short 'frac like you hav will be about the limit, but as you say, it has horrendous CA, and short triplet apos are expensive! OK You already have a camera, and a guide 'scope / camera, so what I'd do is get a side-by-side dovetail, so you can mount your camera and guider together and start imaging using whatever camera lenses you have to hand. This will at least give you a chance to learn the basics of image acquisition / guiding and processing while saving up for a Redcat or similar. Keep your Newt for visual, as that's what it's designed for and it would be a shame to butcher it for a dubious imaging rig.

Good luck, at least they're cheap-as-chips, at least compared with Astrodons, but then so is everything!

Thing is, I doubt anyone here would use or have experience of such a filter, which sounds like something more cine oriented given that Tiffen are known for their cine filters, and a the various fog / pro-mist are more cine orientated. Yep, just checked online. Perhaps ask on a cine forum like DVXUser if it's still going, been years since I visited.

I think such a filter would be the last thing any imager would put in their train given we all strive for the smallest, sharpest stars we can get with the highest contrast.

If you really want to go OSC and if it must be ZWO for the ASIair then I'd eschew the 294 for the new generation ASI 2600 which has zero amp glow and 16 bit ADC, as well as being a fair bit bigger. I think my preference would be for the QHY version, but of course, it won't work with the ASIair. I can't answer directly about the various dual and tri band filters as I'm strictly mono, but given your LP, the narrower the better. ZWO do a 54mm filter holder which it might be worth getting, it's available from FLO.

Won't win any prizes, but here is my CFHT palette version. Initial work in AA7, then Affinity Photo

Is your screen calibrated? I print my images on an ancient Epson R2400 A3+ printer, but am thinking of the latest SC700.

You don't know how annoyed I get with manufacturers who terminate every power cable with a blasted "cigarette lighter" plug, requiring me to cut them off and put propper plugs on or even bare ends to a terminal block. That's a pretty neat setup you have there. Do you have to set up and strike each night? I have been advised to have more than one PSU, for Mount, Camera, and "dirty stuff" such as dew heaters.

OK, sorry. the perils of trying to post from my 'phone. Make the text readable, and half the post vanishes off the edge of the screen.

Read my post. I said 135 *format*, refering to the 24x36mm frame size. To me "full frame" can be confusing, as it refers to an architecture of CCD sensors.l, besides which, who is to say which format is "full". Mods, can you kill the post above, got in a tangle trying to bold on my phone.

I think what I'll do tomorrow, look at those wrinkles on the leading edge. Maybe I can slice them with a sharp knife and stick then down flat. But the garden is in dire need of attention as I have neglected it while working on the obsy.

Anyone remember a silly song, "When father papered the parlour"? That was what it was like. Hands covered in black gunk.

Time for another couple of photos This has been a horrible fight, my eyes fight each other and are in a state of armed conflict with my hands. Lots of wrinkles in the membrane, but I have it stuck down to the edges. Until tomorrow, when it all comes loose again. Hopefully it will be rain proof anyway.