Ags

Also, I am just using the stock focusser manually. I'm finding focus not too hard with an AsiAir.

I use the reducer I have - an SCT f6.3 reducer. It seems to work OK... I just got the RC, it's been great on the little targets (and there's a lot of them ).

This is taken over two nights so far with my RC6 (reduced to 924mm focal length) and ASI485MC. 180 60-second exposures, processed in GraXpert, Siril, starnet and Gimp. I would have used Astrosharp too, but having trouble getting the tool to run on my (supposedly) repaired laptop, so I just did a default sharpen in Gimp. C&C welcome!

Had a look with ZS66, Herschel Wedge and Svbony 3-8. Lovely sharp views of the giant group, which rather reminded me of an eighties Paisley pattern.

I hear you. As a precaution I take the dust cap off and shine a torch down the tube once a month.

Also, my FMA135 says "I'm ALWAYS the guidescope. I don't wanna be the guide scope!"

Every clear night they're all shouting "Pick me! Pick me! Pick me!"

Six free bottles of liquid helium with every new ASI 9900 MC Supercool?

I usually find more is more...

Epsilon 130!

ZWO filter drawer and spare slider. The photo also features my new elasticated filter securing device, I Don't Trust That Magnet (TM), available for only $99.99 from any reputable astro retailer.

Keeping on trying...

Still playing....

https://science.nasa.gov/science-research/astrophysics/breaking-the-scaling-limits-new-ultralow-noise-superconducting-camera-for-exoplanet-searches/ Superconducting cameras are the future!

Drift unfortunately is not random, so it results in walking noise. Dither is random, so it reduces noise overall.

So much information there! Many thanks @WolfieGlos!

I'm curious, what settings and AI model do you use in Astrosharp?

Thanks for the heads up. I will try grab some pictures this week.

I have hovered over a 183MC for long time now. The 071MC is not much more money for a lot more sensor though... I wonder what's the catch? On the subject of the 183, what is the sensor like? Does it have significant amp glow?

Aaaah, but was it the same sun? 😂

I hope Ms Apricot makes a swift and complete recovery. Forget the southern hemisphere - imagine the fab views we would have if we could relocate to the Large Magellanic Cloud! It’s a big universe, always somewhere with a better view 😀

I understand mono cameras are more sensitive, but really didn’t like the fuss involved when I had a 178MM. I do wonder if the 183MC might be a better option than the 533MC. It’s got the same diagonal length, but a bit more width for a little less height. or maybe I just carry on with the 485, it’s doing nothing wrong really. Rather than chasing equipment upgrades, I should just upgrade my skills!

Flats added. Reprocessed with 60% of the subs (75 minutes of data). I tried to thread the needle between the bright, noisy and colorless second version and the less stretched first version.

Obviously I need to add flats and also more data to calm the background... Unfortunately I could only use about 30% of subs because of tracking issues. Version 2 also omits AI sharpening, which seems to have significantly improved the star shapes.

More data, more stretching less color. Looks like there is more detail hidden in the data. but can I get it out?