NGC457 (Owl Cluster)

[blinky]

Did not think I would be doing any imaging tonight, after the rain this afternoon, but it all cleared away around 6pm! Set up the mount legs pointing roughly North (I have been out and marked in the grass with wooden blocks where to stick the legs!). When it was dark around 8pm I went back outside with a PolarFinder image and got as good a polar alignment as I could.

Now I was ready......

Got the weights on and next the 8"Newt. Piggybacked the ZS66 and fiddled around for a few minutes getting it and the Newt pointing at Altair. Stuck in the webcam and swung down to focus on a streetlight a couple of miles away (They ARE useful for some things!) and then swung back up to Cassiopeia with the RDF and hunted down the Owl Cluster with my 2" 30mm EP.

Found it and dived round to look at the laptop screen.......

Remember the first time you saw Saturn through a telescope...... you saw the rings, the moons. Amazing wasn't it? Well thats the same feeling I got tonight when I finally saw my first real DSO image appearing on screen

23 frames captured in K3CCD 15@10sec 5@15sec 3@20sec AND I even remembered to take a Dark frame and subtract it :shock:

Stacked and Dark Frame subtracted in K3CCD (Is Deep Sky Stacker any better?) and post processed (Levels&Curves) in Photoshop.

To say I am delighted is like saying the Tartan Army were 'pleased' with last weeks result

Oh I have the 16bit TIFF if anybody thinks they can squeeze a bit more out of it?

Anyway have a look!

[Albireo380]

Well ....you cracked it Craig. A nice crisp image - lots of colour in the stars and no trailing.

I thought a better description of the Tartan Army last week was "moderately happy"

Drove half way to Drymen at 8.30pm tonight - dratted big bank of clouds ahead, so turned back, watched Michael Palin on TV and had a cold beer - could be worse. It may be clear tomorrow - I need to try out a Canon timer - remote controller that I got modded to fit my 350D - so I can now set it to take a series of identical exposures, with short intervals between each exposure. Then go and have a coffee, look theough another scope etc. Can't wait to try it, so it will probably rain all the coming week.

Tom

[dogfish]

Hi Craig

Nice one! Love the star colours. Now you've got it sussed, we can expect loads more images from you.

I tried to get out last night, like Tom, but the clouds were rolling in and everything was dewing up very quickly. I nearly gave you a ring Tom. Glad I didn't as we'd have had a wasted trip. I don't suppose you got any solar observing done?

May go up to Drymen tonight.

Cheers, Martin

[anthony]

That is cool Craig - good focus by the looks of it, no trailing either.

I wonder if you have clipped the black end a little and if there might be a few more stars lurking in there. Try processing it again and compare subsequent efforts - it is worth it.

Anthony