Peter_D

Thank you very much Nerf_Caching!

That's a terrific image! What's your setup?

Thanks for the pointers and suggestions! Much appreciated Peter

Hi, Sorry, another M42 question 🙂 I captured M42 for the first time a couple of nights ago and used Deep Sky Stacker and Gimp on the images. My question: is there a way to retain seeing the Trapezium and seeing more of the surrounding gas / dust? At the moment, if I stretch the diagonal line in Gimp (sorry, can't remember the exact setting) , I get more visible gas but the centre of the nebula then comes overblown and white. Any suggestions? ISO setting too low? Many thanks for any feedback! PS Yes, the stars are not great in my image, I know. Polar alignment seemed fine but my GP uses the Skywatcher upgrade motors that run on batteries - probably should have replaced them before imaging. Image: 29 x 20sec lights; 10 x 20sec darks ISO: 800 C6 OTA; un-modded Canon Eos 60D. Vixen GP-E Mount with SW EQ5 Motor upgrade (unguided)

An advantage of a SC over a comparable Mak can be the weight saving. Just checked what a typical OTA weighs: Celestron C8 (200mm) : 5.7 kg SW Mak 180: 7.8 kg So possibly easier to mount if you compare these two examples. Collimation: I have a used Meade SCT 8 inch and a bought new Celestron 6SE. The Meade has needed to be collimated once in the 6 months since I bought it. There was quite a bit of focus shift - I bought a Crayford focuser which works well but obviously weighs more. The Celestron arrived in perfect collimation and has retained its collimation for a year. My C6 also displays no focus shift. It's been an excellent performer.

The Pleiades also look great in binoculars or low powered telescopes - the cluster really is a wonderful sight.

If a product was ever sold on Amazon, you can see when it was first available there and it gives a good indication of how old the technology is. Looking at the Neximage 5, it was first listed in mid 2012. Just gives you more information when you are looking to buy.

Thanks for the clarification Heather, I didn't realise they are the same design in this regard..probably easier for the OP to get the Skywatcher version than the Orion one.

Don't want to derail the thread but your video animation of Jupiter is excellent - how long did you have to capture to produce it?

OP, I have a used Canon Eos 60D that I've used quite successfully for lunar imaging with my 6SE. I also used it this year for planetary imaging. Looking back, I probably should have held off buying it and bought a 'proper' planetary cam. What I will say is if funds are tight, you can get ok results from the (few) models that have proper crop mode video.

I would second the recommendation for the Orion 6x30 RACI - another nice feature is it has two adjustment screws and a spring -I find it's a lot quicker to align than the traditional design that uses three adjustment screws.

@Rigatoni If this is an ATM scope, the tube could be from a 'classic' manufacturer like Edmund Scientific etc (judging from the relatively thick vanes, it looks an older model to me). As well as here, it might be an idea to post some photos on the US astro forum 'Cloudy Nights'. There is a 'Classics' section - maybe someone will recognise the tube and give you advice on a more modern focuser. Classic scopes can give excellent images so fingers crossed for you. Best of luck!

OP, for my 'grab and go' set up, I have a Celestron C90 Maksutov on an old heavy duty Slik-67 tripod. Attached to the tripod I have this type of light weight Alt-Az adapter: https://www.telescope.com/mobileProduct/Orion-Precision-Slow-Motion-Adapter/7033.uts Mine is made by Vixen but the Orion one would work just as well with a 90 or 100mm Maksutov. The 127mm Mak might be pushing things though. I tend to buy used astro gear on eBay. If a person claims not to know anything about the equipment they are selling, steer clear. If I see an item that interests me, I always check what else the seller has on offer. If they have more astro gear and a very good reputation (make sure it's over several years and not just on a small number of items), you should be ok. Finally, I now only ever buy items using Paypal after getting scammed before - thankfully it was for a small amount but I learnt my lesson.

Here's a view of Jupiter and Saturn from this evening. I used my Tasco 9VR 60mm and Canon Eos 60D. Images processed in PIPP and Registax6. Thanks for looking Peter

Here's an image I took yesterday evening from my balcony. Canon Eos 60D and the standard kit lens. Thanks for looking, Peter

Bresser 80mm Mangin-Cassegrain

Tasco 9VR on a Slik-67 tripod.

I bought a Celestron 6SE last January. I've used it mostly for Lunar detail and the planets this year with a Canon EOS 60D (video in crop mode, video images then stacked and processed). The OTA is a nice, convenient size which works well with its mount / tripod and the dslr attached. I will say that the 150mm left me wanting more aperture and I subsequently bought a used Meade 8 inch SCT (Only snag here was I could only use this OTA for visual as it was on an unpowered Vixen Eq mount. I only recently had the funds to buy motors for this mount.) I plan on buying a planetary cam next year but using the Canon definitely allowed me to dip my toe into Lunar and planetary AP /processing straight away. Because of only having the SE Alt-Az mount for most of the year, I have not attempted Deep Sky photography - it's something I will try this Winter with a small 60mm F5 achro refractor I have on the Eq mount just to get some experience in the area. The photos are all from the 6SE and the Canon.

Thanks for the quick response All the best Peter

Hi, I have ordered a refurbished Dell E6440 laptop with a 14 inch screen. Resolution apparently can be set at 1600x900. How critical would the screen resolution be for planetary capture (as distinct from later processing)? Does it have a bearing on the maximum resolution of astro camera I can use? Am I restricted to 1,3 Mb cameras? My plan was to get a cheaper (but still adequate?) laptop and upgrade my desktop at a later date. Thanks for any advice (probably should have asked before I placed the order). Thanks again Peter

Mars is getting so much smaller now. The seeing was the best it has been for several weeks - cold but no wind. Part of me wishes I had bought a planetary camera during the year seeing the results of others. Something to aim for next year 😀 Equipment: Meade 2080, Canon Eos 60D, Barlow x2. PIPP, Registax 6. 6000 frames, best 20% used.

If you go down the full size Dobsonian mount route, Ikea have steps in various sizes that your daughter could use to reach the eyepiece. Skywatcher, Bresser and Orion all have smaller table top dobsonians that you could put on a suitable box or platform that would allow your daughter to use the scope comfortably also.

Here's an image from earlier. Seeing was pretty poor because Mars was directly over the neighbour's house in unstable air. You can see the finger of dust quite clearly though. Equipment: Meade 2080, Canon EOS 60D, Barlow x2 Time: 17:00 UTC

I have a Celestron 6SE - be aware that when you are in 'manual mode' (ie pressing the buttons so you control where the telescope points but not tracking or using GoTo), you still need a power source. There is no way to move the mount/telescope without power. This is the one thing that I don't like about the system. Other than that, the GoTo is invaluable for my light polluted skies and the 6SE hits the sweet spot for me between ease of setup and performance. If you go with the 6SE, don't use batteries as the scope will not operate correctly if they are not at full power - go with a mains adapter or large external battery / power tank.

Why not look for a used Achromat? Here in Germany, used astro gear is generally quite expensive but I've bought a couple of Vixen achromats for good prices that are excellent performers (a little 60mm Tasco branded 9VR and an A81M). One advantage of the later is it has a 2 inch focuser - like the Evostar 102.