Whirlpool Galaxy, my 2nd night and 2nd target

[topgearuk]

Got my 1st telescope and mount last week, 1st night I tried M42 and tonight I thought I'd give it a whirl

Ordered a guide scope that's turning up soon, this was unguided about 10 x 200 sec subs, 10 x Flats and 10 x Bias, lacks a bit of colour that I have seen in other photo's.

This is so addictive!

HEQ5 Pro, ED80, Reducer and Canon 450d

[hobsey]

For unguided, that is spot on.

[maxheadroom]

Nice image. I love the whirlpool

[topgearuk]

Thanks, I was very surprised with what came out.. Can't wait to try this guided.

Would their be any benefit in trying this without the 0.85 reducer? On my ED80, would I gain any extra benefit from a slightly longer focal length, or would having an increased F number be to counter productive?, Seeing that I’m only going to be interested in the centre part of the image. Sorry to ask a newbie question.

I know I could just try, but I would have to buy a T-Mount adaptor for my camera first, but if there’s no benefit I won’t bother buying one.

[sooot]

Looks promising for a guided run. Id have star trails and all sorts going on if I didnt guide

[Alien 13]

Nice image it could be worthwhile using it without the reducer i do it often with my scope and of course it would benifit lunar and planets too.

Alan

[malc-c]

this was unguided about 10 x 200 sec subs, 10 x Flats and 10 x Bias, lacks a bit of colour that I have seen in other photo's.

This is so addictive!

HEQ5 Pro, ED80, Reducer and Canon 450d

If you take some darks that should darken the background a bit and improve contrast

[Pete Presland]

nice start, especially for an un-guided image well done! 

[topgearuk]

@ Alien13, Thanks, I have ordered a T-Mount for my Canon. Will give it a try

@ Malc-c, Sorry my post was meant to say Darks and not Flats, but couldn't edit after I posted it, so annoying this editing only after 250 posts.

Thanks everyone for the comment's.

I am now using my own polar alignment method, which I have no idea if what I was doing would work, I understand the princeable, but after many hours trying to read guides on the internet, which had me stumped at the date circle. I gave up and now use my own crude method.

Please don’t laugh…. My method involves placing Polaris at the bottom of the guide scope, looking up on an App what time it was in transit for the day i’m using it on, move the time ring round to coincide, then moving the RA round to the time it is when I start observing and place Polaris in the right place, in the guide scope.. Then I slew the scope round to M42 (only as I know where to find it easily.. Lol) line the image in the centre of the camera, that’s it. Seems to have worked on the couple of occasions I have tried, although do really need to find out the correct way as I will be knackered when M42 is no longer up… Lol

[starman1969]

It looks pretty good. Nicely done.

[Alien 13]

@ Alien13, Thanks, I have ordered a T-Mount for my Canon. Will give it a try

@ Malc-c, Sorry my post was meant to say Darks and not Flats, but couldn't edit after I posted it, so annoying this editing only after 250 posts.

Thanks everyone for the comment's.

I am now using my own polar alignment method, which I have no idea if what I was doing would work, I understand the princeable, but after many hours trying to read guides on the internet, which had me stumped at the date circle. I gave up and now use my own crude method.

Please don’t laugh…. My method involves placing Polaris at the bottom of the guide scope, looking up on an App what time it was in transit for the day i’m using it on, move the time ring round to coincide, then moving the RA round to the time it is when I start observing and place Polaris in the right place, in the guide scope.. Then I slew the scope round to M42 (only as I know where to find it easily.. Lol) line the image in the centre of the camera, that’s it. Seems to have worked on the couple of occasions I have tried, although do really need to find out the correct way as I will be knackered when M42 is no longer up… Lol

I think your PA method is similar to mine i also use the polar finder software as a quick refrence to make sure im right.

You might find that the back focus is longer when not using the reducer so it might be worth getting a 2" extension piece if you think the drawtube extension is too much.

Alan

[sologuitarist61]

Great image - well done!

[topgearuk]

You might find that the back focus is longer when not using the reducer so it might be worth getting a 2" extension piece if you think the drawtube extension is too much.

Alan

Thanks, this makes sense.. Will order one of these tomorrow.. Contemplating ordering the Baader click lock for my scope at the same time..

This maybe a dumb question, if I order a 2" 2 x Barlow and use this, it would effectively double my focal length but will also double the F stop.. So taking my image above as an example I used 200 sec subs, I would then need to do 400 sec subs to get the same amount of light, but my image would be larger/twice as large?? Or am I totally going off on a wrong tangent? And only use this type of setup for planetary work.

@ sologuitarist Thanks.

[Alien 13]

Thanks, this makes sense.. Will order one of these tomorrow.. Contemplating ordering the Baader click lock for my scope at the same time..

This maybe a dumb question, if I order a 2" 2 x Barlow and use this, it would effectively double my focal length but will also double the F stop.. So taking my image above as an example I used 200 sec subs, I would then need to do 400 sec subs to get the same amount of light, but my image would be larger/twice as large?? Or am I totally going off on a wrong tangent? And only use this type of setup for planetary work.

@ sologuitarist Thanks.

I could be wrong but using a barlow increases the effective focal length by 2 but changes the illuminated surface area by 2x2 so the exposure will need to be 4 times as long.

Alan