fireballxl5

NBZ/OSC doesn't look that bad! I'd use it with the Moon, and do🙃

Well my memory can't be that bad as it's stated in the Q&A... What is the quick start mode. A. Quick start is where you set the OTA level and pointing south (or reference point) this provides a very quick ‘alignment’ sufficient for the mount to calculate the tracking rates when you are push to observing. See http://www.rowanastronomy.com/productsa9.htm CS, Andy

I'm sure that I was told you just point the horizontal scope south and then at a couple of alignment stars when I enquired at IAS last month

Thanks Geof🙂 I'm really liking this kit combination for planetary imaging. These are based on best 10% of 30,000 3ms frames. I really want to make the next step and learn how to derotate longer sequences.

Jupiter imaged last night, three shots taken over 1.25 hours. Seeing improving until the thicker cloud arrived. 6" refractor, 462MC with IR/UV filter, x2.5PM Processed using AS3, RS6 and DxO PL4 CS, Andy

not from my experience using RC6 with ASI071 (APS-C size), which requires a flattener. Supplier recommended 4/3 sensor as max suitable for this scope (StellaLyra).

My best images of Jupiter captured around midnight on Saturday night, showing Europa both in transit and off to the right. Io off to right on 1st shot. Best 12.5% of 20,000 frames captured at 115fps (3ms exposures). Processed using PIPP, AS!3, RegiStax6 and DxO. Kit: Tak TOA-150B / 2x Meade Barlow / ASI462MC / UVIR cut filter CS, Andy

all good stuff @vlaiv - thanks! I had struggled trying to get to grips with WinJUPOS in previous years thinking that videos as long as 2 minutes may benefit from de-rotation, but this is clearly unnecessary. and one of my images from last night, improved by advice given by yourself in another recent post, mainly by using short exposures (3ms here) and stacking the best 12.5% of 20,000 frames (@115fps over ~3 minutes).

My first attempt at hunting the Lion nebula during the clear spell at the tail end of August. This NB image comprises 37x300s (3h05m) captured using my Borg 101ED refractor / ASI071MC Pro combo, with IDAS NBZ filter. Processed using PI in a similar way to my previous Cygnus Wall image, bringing out some stronger colours than are often seen. Quite surprised at the level of signal in both Ha and OIII. CS, Andy

The 'Cygnus Wall' captured here as a dual-scope experiment using my 18-year old Borg 101ED f6.4 refractor on 27th Aug. ASI071MC Pro with IDAS NBZ dual-band filter on the Borg used to capture 33x300s (2h45m) subs, teamed up with a 60mm refractor/ASI533 for some RGB stars. CS, Andy

I found the ASI FITS viewer SW by selecting a FITS file in Window File Explorer and then opening with "Choose another app..." which offered ASIFitsView. So if ASIStudio is already installed then the viewer is likely there.

ASIFitsView will open / display FITS images. I think it is part of the ASIStudio package for use with ZWO cameras, so just a download from Software and Drivers | ZWO ASI (astronomy-imaging-camera.com) A search also finds AvisFV FITS Viewer which looks useful. HTH Andy

@vlaiv that looks like cool and interesting software, thanks for the YT link. Do you know of any apps that have utilised OpenCV to drive an astro mount for either daytime or nighttime applications?

I used Starnet2 to extract the nebula and StarXterminator for the stars - I've found that StarNet2 can give pixelated/poor stars, at least when working with binned data. On your advice I've started not to bin my subs and so this may no longer be necessary. As is commonly known, separating allows me to more easily control and de-emphasise the stars. Hopefully when my star shapes are sorted I can ease off the heavy processing.

Spot on @vlaiv, maybe I was a little over zealous using the GHS script after watching the YouTube tutorial 🙃 but I wanted focus on the nebula to distract from the poor stars. Also, I'm a sucker for strong colours. I've spent some time this afternoon optimising my scope configuration including install of motorised focuser and checked/adjusted the backspace from the flattener so will try harder for a more realistic look next time🙂 Thanks for the feedback👍

M57, the Ring Nebula, many observer's favourite Planetary? Captured on Wed 1st June after M16 had gone from view. 48x120s using the RC6/ASI533MCP with IDAS D2 LPF. Processed in PI, with close-up shown. CS, Andy

Impressive image, particularly the background sky as I often struggle with this. I've been a convert to StarX and now NoiseX for a couple of image processes now and so very much convinced. One thing I've found though is that sometimes the output stars from StarX have poor cores, they seem to be pixelated or similar. So I now use StarX to extract the main target, galaxy / nebula, and Starnet2 for the stars when this arises. Use the best tool for the job, as they say.

Couldn't waste an opportunity to capture M16, the Eagle Nebula on Wednesday evening, 1st June. Just 40 minutes exposure (20x120s) with some heavy processing gives this image of the open star cluster and the central region of the nebula, including the famous Pillars of Creation. Still fairly noisy but the window of opportunity is short from my back garden, with the object's low altitude (~22 degrees) & my local horizon. Looks like my RC6 needs some collimation magic to improve star shapes if anyone can offer advice for this😉 CS, Andy

Yes, FLO also confirmed this but I already had the RC6. Love the scope btw

yes, this seems to be the same part. It is listed on the TS website here. I expect that you will need one to use the whole field of view with your QHY268M. Good luck and CS, Andy PS my Border Terrier is from Skipton 🙂

I have the StellaLyra RC6 and use a flattener, the TSRCFlat2, with my ASI533MC. This may be widely believed but is certainly not true with the RC6. I thought the same but had to crop my earlier APS-C shots without the flattener. FLO told me that the limit with the RC6 was a 4/3 sensor and so the ZWO1600 may be ok without flattening, but I've seen poor corner stars with the 1" 533 on AstroBin, hence why I leave it in place with mine. Also, I no longer BIN2 but image at BIN1 nowadays, as this seems to give better final images.

Thanks for the heads-up on this SN @Littleguy80 So, early this morning I still had motivation to image this brightening supernova and I'd estimate a brightness of mag 12 at the time of my imaging run (between 1:30-2:45). 15x300s (1.25h) OSC BIN1 subs with IDAS D2 LP filter on the RC6. Captured using ASIair-Pro, processed in PI. CS, Andy

With the presence of Moon increasing over the next couple of weeks I thought that I would try for one more galaxy last Friday evening (8th April) and so here is NGC3628, the Hamburger. A little short of exposure time (only 4 hours) but it seems that I have caught a couple of QSOs in this image, possibly including SDSS J112018.38+132620.0 @ RA170.076612, DEC 13.438880; Type: QX; Rmag 19.31; Bmag 20.27; z=3.82 (approx 12B ly away!!!), but this may be an adjacent star? This determination is from the AnnotateImage script within PI using the Million Quasars (Milliquas) catalogue. The script does identify the object in my image precisely (to the pixel) though I am not wholly convinced as there is a dim star also in the vicinity in the corresponding Simbad image. Does anyone know this QSO neighbourhood or if the AnnotateImage script within PI is accurate and can be relied upon? CS, Andy Scope: StellaLyra 6" f/9 RC Camera: ASI533MCPro Filter: IDAS D2 Mount: RST135E Guidecam: ASI462MC Subs: 48x300s (4 hours)

Steve, same here but using a 12V 16Ah LiFePO4 Tracer battery. ASI071MCP, ASI462MC and GTi all powered through the Airpro, powered by the battery. Works a treat for my needs.

I don't know though I see that TS offer dedicated flatteners for both refractors and RC's, implying that they are different designs. I have only used the TSRCFlat2, https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/language/en/info/p4006_TS-Optics-RC-1-0x-Flattener-Bildfeldkorrektor-fuer-Ritchey-Chretien---2--Anschluss.html