M51 via static scope - old pic

[nytecam]

During a "M51" computer search came across this old experimental shot of M51

taken with the scope drive off eg a static telescope!  The exposure was [as header] 3.6s [=0.3s x12] auto-stacked via SX s/ware - the vertical streak on left is dead column on the mono SX Lodestar cam binned 2x2 - no darks or flats.  The width of the 'streak' indicates the westward drift of M51 during the 3.6s exposure!  A normal [driven] Image right via SX MXV_9 camera in 4m exp [2x 12x10s] auto-stacked via SX s/ware.  

Perhaps those with undriven Dobs etc could get some fair DSO images via very brief exposure auto-stacked too - especially as future version of LodestarLive will have auto-stack options   

[Martin Meredith]

This was my initial thinking going into sensor-assisted viewing and I did have a go with the Lodestar recently with my 2054mm FL dob but the main issue was finding objects and keeping them on the screen for long enough. Perhaps these problems could be solved with an e-finder and an equatorial platform. One could then in principle extend to quite long stacks -- planetary imaging techniques on DSOs! 

I'll give it another go at some point. Building a platform is still on the agenda...

Martin