Anyone wanna choose my target

[Vega]

With the clear Easterly wind conditions forcast for the weekend, I'm stumped for what my next victim to my SLR chip should be . Can anyone help me choose? I'll be using an Evostar 120/1000 drift aligned but unguided, Canon 400D & ImagesPlus, wooly hat, gloves, cuppa coffee ! Here's some background as to what I wan't to avoid...

Double Cluster - Photography never seems to do this wonderful object justice

M13 - Already bagged that one

M27 - " "

M45 - Patience.. that one can wait till winter.. I'm not a morning hours person and my E. sky suffers from orange fever!

M57 - Done it and not very impressed (not really a great one for DSLR's IMO)

Veil? - Not sure about this sucker, can my set-up get goods results on this one ?

How should I approach M31 if my exposure time limit is about 2-3 minutes per sub (if I get my darn drift alignment done without wasting 3 hours on it!)

Are there any other DSO's lurking around that would be a good contender for my humble website? Other suggestions warmly welcomed

Cheers!

vega

[SteveL]

Is your 400D modified?

[Vega]

No . I was very tempted but then realised just what kind of major surgery it involved. Plus the fact that I use the camera for daytime snaps as well.

Vega

[russ]

How about trying M33? Should be nicely framed with the Evostar, where as M31 will be too large. And M33 is well placed by 11pm.

I got a reasonable image of M33 using the 300D from the backyard showing the beautiful spiral arms. Appeared quite faint on the RAW images but came out nicely with the post processing.

Regards

Russ

[legion48]

...Are there any other DSO's lurking around that would be a good contender for my humble website? Other suggestions warmly welcomed

Cheers!

vega

Not so much of the "humble" please. I just had a look and it's a cracking site.

[Vega]

Not so much of the "humble" please. I just had a look and it's a cracking site.

Cheers mate :thumbleft:

How about trying M33? ...

Ah.. never thought of the triangulum, I always kind of neglect it cause I have a hard time seeing it in either of my scopes.. seen it once in bins. It sure would be nice to have a go... Of course I will have the problem of guessing when it's in frame. Nothing a few single long exposures and screen reviews cant resolve I guess. (so time consuming this imaging lark eh).

Thanks Russ... it's top of the list so far.

Any other targets ?

Vega

[MartinB]

Pelican still up there. Heart neb would frame up well. Elephant's trunk. I'm after the Iris neb, would be a bit on the small side but would still look good I think

[dogfish]

I'm a huge fan of planetary nebuale. I'm also dying for someone to image the cat's eye nebula (NGC 6543) in Draco. Visually, it's a small but very bright object. The only images I've seen are the Hubble ones. Not being an imager myself, I may be suggesting a completely unsuitable target, so feel free to disregard/ridicule my suggestion.

Cheers, Martin

[themos]

That one (NGC 6543) is smaller than Saturn and pushing mag 9. Certainly a challenge!

[Vega]

I'm a huge fan of planetary nebuale. I'm also dying for someone to image the cat's eye nebula (NGC 6543) in Draco. Visually, it's a small but very bright object. The only images I've seen are the Hubble ones. Not being an imager myself, I may be suggesting a completely unsuitable target, so feel free to disregard/ridicule my suggestion.

Cheers, Martin

I'll do you a deal Martin, buy me an SXV-H9 and I'll get you that Cat's Eye in all it's glory . As for DSLRing it :shock:... forget it

[Edit: Add an EQ6 Skyscan, Dual scope dovetail bar, ED80 and a 2nd CCD of your choice for guiding and spare counterweight to that list] Stuff it, one of these will be good... 20" version please

Vega

[MartinB]

It's not an SXV H9 you need but a 20" RC and New Mexico seeing

[dogfish]

OK - I said I'm not an imager. However, after I made the request and specifically noted that I'd not seen many images of this object apart from the hubble one, I actually went and did a quick search. This revealed that it is captureable (is that a word?) with an 8" scope (I saw one from an 8" SCT and one taken with an 8" Newt), and at least one of these images was taken with a DSLR. I therefore stand by my challenge

Seriously though, I have observed this object on a number of occasions (I am a fan of PN's) and in the West of Scotland (not New Mexico or Arizona - pah, I wish) and it does take magnification very well allowing some structure to be seen.

Is anyone up for the challenge?

Martin

[Kaptain Klevtsov]

What challenge, snapping the cat's eye? Yup, I'll have a bash at it. Can't see it being a big problem.

BTW second the M33 idea.

Kaptain Klevtsov

[dogfish]

Hi KK

Good for you. I can't wait to see the results.

Cheers, Martin

[Vega]

Sorry guys.. I chickened out on M33 and settled for M31... my first effort tis up in the DSO images section. M31 is plenty enough challenge for me :shock:

Vega