AKB

Has the epsilon experience been long enough, now, to ask if you’d go for a fast Newt again? Full disclosure: I’m awfully temped by the SharpStar 2032PNT (F3.2).

Do consider a roll-off roof rather than a dome. Your signature mentions cameras, and if you’re planning long exposures, then this would require a drive for the dome. Also, your existing base may be more suited to a roll-off. It may also be the case that condensation is less of an issue in a timber shed than a fibreglass dome... ...so many things to think about. Don’t rush it. Tony

Possible, perhaps, to find a second hand QHY8L around that price... https://www.qhyccd.com/index.php?m=content&c=index&a=show&catid=59&id=12

Does this help? NOAA Solar equations

The one with the knurled plastic knob is standard thread for attaching a camera... ...or take that away and attach a second dovetail bar (like the one on the other side) to attach other things to (like a finder/guide scope...) No end of things you could buy to fit on there – assuming they were in stock and could be delivered.

Ah yes, thanks, I did read that (honestly) when I first installed PDM... but there’s such a wealth of information there that I must have mentally filed bits of it in the ‘not needed on voyage’ suitcase. Now, clearly, on a slightly different voyage, and I did need that bit. Thanks again.

Mike Thanks so much for the concise and highly informative reply. I feel much better educated, now. Doubles are something that I, er..., um..., haven’t yet ‘done’, really. I’ll add them to the list Tony

Caught up, once again, with C/2020-M3 (ATLAS). Now in Aurega, near to HD 34425. It seems to be a very pretty area of the sky, with a lovely linear string of stars nearby. Harder to see the moevement, now, this is 20 x 20s images stacked, but over a total period of about 10 minutes. I've also added a snap from Pretty Deep Maps, in the region of the grid square where it is. I/m sure I should know, but can anyone enlighten me as to two things: the SEI 178 designation the meaning of 8.3 | 11.7 | 25.6" | B5 next to HD 34425 A Thanks for any insights! Tony

There’s something rather appealing about an image which draws you in to look at the detail more closely. I suppose it’s more like the observing experience.

I rather like this type of comparison, as long as it’s clear what we’re looking at, and, indeed as @RobertI says, the difference is often less than you might think. It would surely be churlish to have saved your data from an EEVA session and then *not* choose to revisit it with a processing tweak during those (interminable) cloudy nights. If it brings out a fine detail of astronomical interest, then so much the better, IMHO. Tony PS: that looks rather good for 4 x 60s on the Rosette.

Good man! To save yourself a lot of RSI, I'll repeat some advice that I posted recently here:

I was with you, there, until I realised that all the drag-and-drop rubbish that you get fed with the online tutorials is totally unnecessary. Most processes simply apply to the front most window (which is almost always what you want) by just pressing the ‘square’ button, instead of dragging and dropping the triangle every time.

I do find that it works better (for me) with a light stretch to begin with (typically so that I can start to see the nebula.). I then process separately, often adding a slight reverse stretch to diminish the stars before combining in a non linear fashion...

I could do with a better understanding of this too, but I have to say that I’ve all but given up on star masks since I started using Starnet++ to separate stars from background. Tony

Thanks. That’s what I needed to know! Sorry for aiding and abetting any hijacking.