Chefgage

Capture information HEQ5 Pro mount ASIAIR pro Skywatcher 72ed refractor Canon 200D modified Optolong L-Enhance filter ZWO ASI120mm mini guide scope ISO 800 EXP 180s Lights 43 Darks 0 Flats 20 Bias 20 Total exposure time 2 hr 9 minutes Stacked in DSS and processed in Pixinsight Starless version (but before a bit more processing)

This screen shot shows the field of view using a 75mm lens (blue box) using a similar camera sensor size. So a wider field of view than you are using, so I would have thought Andromeda would still be out of view unfortunately.

I'm jealous of your bortle 2 skies, I am imaging in bortle 8 where I live. Still, with the right filters I can still get some decent images. I am off camping soon to bortle 4 skies so hopefully I can take advantage. From the look of it I am taking more imaging gear than camping gear!

Excellent image. I have bookmarked this region when I get to the dark skies I'm off too in a couple if weeks.

The star you are centred on is Alpheratz. You can see Alpheratz in this image from skysafari. Andromeda is a bit further up.

I have just platesolved this image and you are not pointing at Andromeda. Here is the platesolved image. You are not far off but Andromeda is not in your image.

Very nice image. I too am looking forward to imaging M31 again this year. I am traveling to a darker sky (bortle 8 to a bortle 3/4) soon for a week. I imaged it last year from this location but I have upgraded a few things equipment wise and also have improved my processing skills since then. So I am loving forward to comparing the results.

Yes I have that same problem. When I remember I unscrew the dust cap with the scope pointing down. But I rarely remember to do this. Interesting what you say about removing the dew shield. I did not know you could do this. I agree it's a bit of a poor design having the dust cap being threaded. Might have to have a look for a plastic push over cap that will fit maybe.

Not sure about that one but this is the one I use. It has a 12v output which I then split using a splitter cable to power both my asiair pro and heq5 pro mount. Lasts a good while. https://www.picstop.co.uk/telescope-power-accessories/celestron-powertank-lithium-lt.html

Nice. Looking at that I have 11 days left until I get astronomical darkness back in my location. Even better as it co-insides with me going to a darker sky location (bortle 8 to bortle 4) for a week

Your two sets of lines A and B are not showing the same measured part of the mount?????? So yes of course they are different.

Knowing me, it was probably myself that moved mine

No apologie needed I am just jealous that you have astronomical darkness before me.

So did I apparently Just had a look and it had got put to one side with some other stuff and I did not see it. Ah well, good job I did not email them about it.

Just realised I have not had my sky at night magazine delivered yet (August 21 issue). Has anyone else who has a subscription had theirs delivered? Was supposed to be here a week ago.

The advantage of living down south For me who is further north I will have to wait a lot longer for astronomical darkness to return.

Thanks. I thought it would be possible.

Yes you are ok with the asi120mm mini as a guide cam. As for the asiair pro I would certainly recomend it.

Unfortunately I did not go out last night. But I will at the next opportunity.

Lovely image. I too was out imaging this the other night. I have the images stacked but I just need to process the stack now (if I can tear myself away from the golf).

Like above. I find it best when finished processing I export as a tiff for later use as need be, but also export as a PNG or jpeg that can then be uploaded to this site and more importantly seen when viewing the thread.

Thank for that. I will try it tonight and let you know. I can highly recommend the asiair especially if you do as way with the hand controller of your mount and just use the platesolve method to get to a target, works a treat. Something else I have found whilst trying to answer the question I asked is if when the mount moves to a target and you want the target to be a bit lower for example. I have been using the manual controls to move the target but you can just press and hold anywhere on the image and it will bring up a goto button. This makes it alot easier than just moving the mount a bit then taking an image then repeating. So this is nearly what I was after but you seem to have confirmed what I am after doing. I will report back if it works

I have my asiair pro connected to my heq5 pro. No hand set used, everything is done by platesolving which is great as no star alignment is needed (just a polar align and then goto will go to any target). However if I want a target to be off centre a bit then I will let the asiair/mount platesve to the target. I will then manually move the mount to frame the target. If then on another night I want to frame the target in the same place can you use an image that was taken and is stored on the asiair to platesolve to the target again and frame it up th same so it can be stacked with the previous nights images? Can the goto do this? I am sure I read somewhere it can but cannot find it.

Lovely image. It's got me thinking. I imaged the eastern veil the other night (still processing the image). I have framed it up with the eastern veil in the middle and when processing I have a bit of the western in the edge of the image. So I might have another go and frame it up with the eastern to the edge of the frame as you have done. Again very nice image.

Well to answer my own question in case anybody else has issues. My heq5 pro was still taking a bit of time to settle during which the next image starts. But as it was 180 second exposures this did not have an effect with regards star trails. On another note I managed at some points during the session to get my guiding rms error down to 0.51"