M81

[Albireo380]

A single 90 second guided exposure using a Canon 350D at prime focus (okay - on a 20" Newtonian). Taken at COAA about two weeks ago. It has hardly stopped raining since I got home & I needed to see this image again to remind me what reasonable skies looked like.

Hope you like it.

Tom

[Helen]

Very nice Tom!

We went to COAA a few years ago and my husband got to use that big scope for his 300D. In his case the 'guided' bit was Bev crouched on the floor underneath the scope hand-guiding it :shock: was your 'guiding' the same??

Helen

[centroid]

I'd say that was pretty good for a single 90 sec exposure Tom, well done!!

Dave

[Albireo380]

Very nice Tom!

We went to COAA a few years ago and my husband got to use that big scope for his 300D. In his case the 'guided' bit was Bev crouched on the floor underneath the scope hand-guiding it :shock: was your 'guiding' the same??

Helen

My guiding experience was me doing hand guiding whilst contorted like a limbo dancer, looking through Bev's 4" refractor guide scope, with the 350D at prime focus on the big Newt. Why is it that whatever object I wanted to image - the only way to hand guide was with the guide scope eyepiece 18" off the floor? Although to be fair - I am not complaining - clear skies, a 20" scope and Bev leading me through what I needed to do to get a reasonable image. The learning experience doesn't come easier than that.

Tom

[MartinB]

Good to see a DSO Tom, you've certainly picked out the faint arms and some dust

[barkis]

Nice 81 there Tom. I know the contortions that can be involved in manual guiding. It can be pretty stressful. Did you manage to bang your head on the guide scope as you were getting up from the exposure? Just joking mate. It is a good un.

Ron.

[geppetto]

Lovely image Tom

Lots of detail

[Martin 2]

Thats a great pic for a single exposure, afew more stacked would be awesome

M2

[zhgutas]

okay - on a 20" Newtonian

That should've been quite frightening trying to handle a beast like that! 8) Nice picture though, worth the risk

[MikeD]

Very nice job, and with "old school" guiding.

[anthony]

Good job. Tried manual guiding before, but didn't like it much

Anthnoy

[mpeniak]

Nice picture Tom. I would be easier to see it if you lowered the resolution of the image to 800x600 or 640x480 so that we can see it all at once without scrolling

Martin