gorann

Very important info from you Frank, and missing info from SW! I have two Esprit 150 with the aim of using them as a double rig. One is the older version that I just bought used and one is the newer, and as you say the end of the focuser is quite different, and 74 mm diameter will not fit in the old one. Have you had any response from FLO or SW about this issue?

This is a bit off topic but I was looking through the Risingcam web store (through Ali Express) and found that they are selling a camera with the IMX410 colour sensor. This is the same 24 Mp (6 µm pixel) full frame sensor as in ASI2400MC or QHY410 but at 75% of the price (about 2600 Euro without VAT if I calculated it right). An excellent sensor as far as I can tell with big pixels (104 ke- well depth) suited for longer FL scopes. I guess no one here has pulled the trigger on it yet. https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005002530783852.html?spm=a2g0o.store_pc_groupList.8148356.32.4b1a243fqbSqjY

Thanks a lot Craig and Martin! Cold and mucky it is😁

I am not sure about the spikes (possibly something protruding into the light path as suggested) but the dark lines going inwards are well known for TAKs if I remember Olly @ollypenrice correctly and I think they are called the light house effect (or something like that).

Thanks Tom! Yes, I expect there must be something bright behind the darkness, most likely stars

Here is an area with rarely imaged dark nebulosity in Camelopardalis. Numerous LDNs (i.e. from Lynd's Dark Nebula Catalogue) and Bs (from Barnard's catalogue), as you can see from the annotated image (from my Astrobin upload). Interestingly the locations of the nebulae seems rather imprecise suggesting the Lynd and Baranard did not get their coordinates perfectly right. Googling it gave no images and very few on Astrobin. The data is from January this year that I now processed using Star Xterminator in PS to stretch the nebulosity before bringing back the stars. Captured with a RASA 8 and ASI2600MC (gain 100, offset 30, -15°C), 49 x 5 min. Cheers & CS, Göran

Relly nice collection in one image Wim! Much to look at and like. CS, Göran

I now suppressed the blue halos, which I found were a more apparent on some screens.

Thanks a lot Tom! Yes, I strive to find new objects or at least rarely imaged ones. CS, Göran

Been there, done it, or rather not done it! I am a sucker for those off beaten ones. Thanks Steve!

This is a very rarely imaged area and most likely an SGL premiere. Finally, after more than two weeks I had a few clear hours, and I was inspired by Kurt Zeppetello's recent image of LBN 639 on Astrobin to aim at this area with my dual-RASA8 rig. These nebulae from Lynd's catalogue of Bright Nebulae are part of the MBM 3 molecular cloud. I have not found any other images of LBN644 on Astrobin and in addition to Kurt's image I have only found one other image of LBN639 on Astrobin, which is by Jim Thommes who also gives some info on his web site, including a relatively close distance estimate of about 800 light-years: http://www.jthommes.com/Astro/LBN639.htm. There you can also see that there are several distant galaxies and quasars in this area. The close distance of the nebulosity means that it is not IFN from the outskirts of our galaxy, but still it is very faint, so Kurt's effort to image these at a light polluted site borders on the heroic. Fortunately I have a Bortle 2-3 sky although this time SQM showed 21.0, so not the best of nights. Facts: dual RASA8 with ASI2600MC (no filter), 96 x 3 min so 4.8 hours. Gain 100, offset 30, -15°C (hardly needed as it was -10°C outside). On a Mesu200. Processed in PI and mainly in PS. I attach the annotated image from Astrobin. Cheers, Göran

To complicate things, FLO say on their web page for the Esprit 150 flattener that the distance should be 98 mm. I once asked them about this and they said that the Esprit manual was wrong stating 96 mm. Maybe it is not that critical but something to think about if you end up with eggy stars in the corners: https://www.firstlightoptics.com/esprit-professional-refractors/skywatcher-field-flattener-for-esprit-150.html By the way, why do you want a luminance filter in the train? Is it to be able to replace it with other filters, such as a dual band filter? If not, you do not need it to block IR since your camera has a built in IR filter.

Interesting @Merlin66! I thought the mirror was the heaviest optical component, so why add a weight in that end? By the way, why did you completely dismantle your Meade (assuming the scope in the images is yours)?

I have both brands and I am curious: why are Celestron SCTs considerably lighter than Meade SCTs? Is it the metal or the optics?

There are several youtube videos showing how to defork Meades, and how not to do it and scratching the OTA badly, like this guy🥴

For those that experience tilt problems, I just found these and ordered some (they ship to Europe for about 4 dollars). Should work with my RASA8 but I may have to cut off much of the handle since it will probably mess with the stars by sticking into the light path. CS, Göran https://astrodymium.com/collections/frontpage/products/rotating-tilt-adjusters

I am sure John it is going to be more than lovely after a few tweaks! I feel (on my screen) that there is a bit of green that needs to be tuned down, but it is already a very lovely image.

For me it was, at the age of 50, buying an old farm as a weekend house and seeing the very dark sky (I later heard about the Bortle scale and found it was Bortle 2-3). I decided that I had to get a telescope and ended up with a package deal, a SW 250p Newtonean on a NEQ6. I soon tried to take images, and realized that I had committed the usual newbie error of buying the biggest telescope I could afford. So what really got me into astrophtography was a small 3" refractor (ES 80ED) and a DSLR (Canon 60Da).

Great Ha-images Steve! I have no idea about the filamets I am afraid, but they are enigmatic. And who cares about a cut off Crescent, there are enough images of that one.

Looking very good now John! Especially the last one. And yes, there can be many good versions of an image. In addition they may also look different on different screens.

Could not stop myself trying some adjustments using PS. Hope you do not mind. I adjusted the color curves a bit and also adjusted the magenta and red using Selective Color. Cheers, Göran

I agree with Wim, excellent details and dust but I would also bring down the curve for the blue channel a bit. If you have PI you could also see what SCNR-green does to it (or any other program that removes green). I feel there is a slight green tone in the dust here and there.

And I recently payed less for a second hand but hardly used Esprit 150 in as-new condition, but then I had been looking for one for a long time. You need to jump at the opportunity but unfortunately they may be years apart.....

Very promising! Yes, first one. I dislike green in astro-photos. I would even put the second one through an SCNR-green treatment in PI. I would also apply a bit of NR on the sky.

Gravity is really the great enimy if you want to lift a long neck and still have some blood reaching your brain!