My first M57 with Explorer 200

[Parallax]

Now don't laugh. This is the first time I have imaged ANYTHING using the Explorer. The scope was (roughly) polar aligned and tracking was with an RA clock drive. Nowhere near as good as others have posted but hey, I'm over the moon so to speak.

Explorer 200, prime focus, 20 x 15s, captured with Connectix B/W webcam using Vega DA software, "fiddled with" in Registax4.

Plenty of room for improvement.

Steve

(click to enlarge)

[Kaptain Klevtsov]

A very nice result Steve. Might I suggest shooting some globular clusters as they are much brighter than the ring, so you can see what you are doing more easily. Focusing and framing on something that takes an age to show isn't a lot of fun.

Kaptain Klevtsov

[GazOC]

Great first image Steve.

[AndyM]

Now don't laugh.

No laughing here Steve - looks very similar to the result I got using my DSLR at prime focus on the Explorer 200.

Good start.

Andy.

[Albireo380]

Now don't laugh.

No laughing here Steve - looks very similar to the result I got using my DSLR at prime focus on the Explorer 200.

Good start.

Andy.

Yup .... nothing to laugh at with that image Steve.

Nice one.

Tom

[barkis]

You are far too modest Steve. That is a fine image of this popular planetary.

Ron.

[CELESCOPE]

good start Steve, nice one of the fav ring neb mate

Rog

[blinky]

Well done, it's a fantastic feeling when you get your first image

[steppenwolf]

Not laughing, just applauding - you did fine.

[centroid]

As others have said already Steve, there's nothing to laugh at, and you should be quite 'chuffed' to get the 'ring' like that, on your very first attempt.

As KK, says its is a very small target, and getting your 'feet wet' on something a bit bigger, would be a good choice. As KK says, a globular, or perhaps even M27 (The Dumbbell Nebula), which is bigger and brighter than M57.

Keep at it, as there only one way to move up the 'learning curve', and that's practice and experimentation.

Keep them coming.

Dave

[MartinB]

That's a great first bash. If there wasn't room for improvement the hobby wouldn't be anything like as much fun!