M13 and Antenna with my evostared80

[Quatermass]

Could not get enough subs to bring out much more detail.. thank you clouds...

Any way I just wanted to test out my evostar ed80 with the focal reducer, it does a great job in giving a nice flat fov and the stars were crisp to the edge as well. Still getting used to a refractor I am still more in love with my 200p but round stars and wide field of views take some getting used to after 2 years of diffraction spikes and close up.

Think tonight will be the Sombrero Galaxy again in widefield view it just to cool to ignore.

[Gina]

I like the Antenna Good one of M13 too

[Quatermass]

Thank you Gina, hoping for a clear night again as I really want to get the Sombrero Galaxy in a wide field view. Cant wait for those lovely big nebula to come around again then I can really make use of the fov that the ed80 gives me.

[Gina]

I'm thinking of trying the ST80 for wider field use but initial tests on terrestrial objects show it to be a long way below the quality of the ED80 which considering the low cost was no surprise. It's good for it's purpose of a guide scope though For really widefield I've got lenses or 35, 55 and 135mm focal length from my Pentax SLR film days.

[Pete Presland]

very nice, particularly the antenna

[eddy]

Looking good QM

Ive found a bit of a love for galaxies recently! And the atenna looks a very worthy target to have a go at! Easy to find?

What are the vital stats on the images?

[Gina]

Just looked up the antennae galaxies - WOW they're BIG - needs wide angle. Looks like a lens candidate.

[Quatermass]

The Antenna is easy to find if you take a good look first at Stellarium then use a pair of binoculars to work your way there from the top of Corvus. Follow a line down from Corvus and on to the next star the antenna is just above that star. I found it pretty easy to find certainly faster then the Markarian chain that took ages. They fit nicely in my view with the 200p which is the best one for galaxy's you will find them easy with an ed80.

The ideal would be sixty subs at two minutes ISO 1600 with thirty darks and flats and bias shots for stacking but clouds can soon end all that as they did last night set up tonight and it keeps clouding over and raining but I am not going in. Got my fishing brolly out.

The st80 is a great guide scope and I have seen some very good images taken with it Gina but would use it as a guide scope only I guess. Well lets hope for some more clear patches everyone, Happy galaxy hunting.

[Gina]

Thank you Mark I'm working on M51 ATM as I know where that is and have had plenty of practice finding it Guiding is working perfectly with PHP, ST80 and QHY5. I'm currently using 150 second exposures at ISO 800. The stars are pin points I'm very pleased with my guiding setup. My only criticism might be the time PHD takes to calibrate

[Quatermass]

Take heart Gina it takes much longer for me to get guiding with my modded EQ5 mount that eq6 is the bees knees of mounts so once you get sorted you will have no worry's at all. Sticking to mg51 is a good idea it really helps to get lots of practice on one subject each time you learn more and more.

[Uranium235]

My only criticism might be the time PHD takes to calibrate

Before you calibrate PHD, just tap your North button on the HC until the stars start to move. Then start calibration, you will notice it will skip the "clearing dec backlash" step - that saves quite a bit of time.

QM, dont worry about the FL of your new scope. It will really start to pay its way when you go for the big stuff (M16, M8, M31... etc), in fact I like the SW ED80s so much im going to buy another!

[Quatermass]

QM, dont worry about the FL of your new scope. It will really start to pay its way when you go for the big stuff (M16, M8, M31... etc), in fact I like the SW ED80s so much im going to buy another!

I am slowly coming round to the evostar there's just been so many galaxys to image its been outshone by the 200p a bit but when it comes to M31, oh boy cant wait

Buying another!!

[Gina]

I'm thinking of adding my 2" ED 2x Barlow and boosting the size of the galaxies. And now I have much better resolution due to better focus and guiding I can see the reason for a field flattener - oh dear, more expense

[Quatermass]

Yep more expense oh well we could be wasting it on fags and beer much better to spend it on getting out in the fresh air and discovering the universe.

[Uranium235]

I'm thinking of adding my 2" ED 2x Barlow and boosting the size of the galaxies.

Really bad idea, it only works on solar system objects - not galaxies or other objects.

By doubling your focal length, you are also diluting the light (so things appear dimmer) - and your exposure times increase by a factor of x4. In addition, it introduces really bad coma and other optical nasties.

Unfortunately, its a case of getting a bigger scope if you want to get closer.... Or use a CCD (even more expensive!)

[Gina]

Really bad idea, it only works on solar system objects - not galaxies or other objects.

By doubling your focal length, you are also diluting the light (so things appear dimmer) - and your exposure times increase by a factor of x4. In addition, it introduces really bad coma and other optical nasties.

Unfortunately, its a case of getting a bigger scope if you want to get closer.... Or use a CCD (even more expensive!)

Ah I see - thank you for the advice I'll stick with the present setup then.