NGC7023 - did I miss it completely?

[Alveprinsen]

Ok, so last night I was attempting to image NGC 7023. Since it was impossible to see any details from any single exposure, I had to just aim the camera a patch of sky I assumed was the right area. Now I am thinking perhaps I have missed the entire thing by a lightyear...

Am I even remotely in the vicinity here? This is the stacked image of approx. 15x 150 sec, 24x 300 sec and 18x 600 sec exposures through a 200mm lens at ISO 1600 with a astro modded and cooled Canon EOS 600D.

I have stretched and stretched this image, without seeing the slightest hint of nebulosity.

So, tell me... Did I miss completely?

Alveprinsen.

[PhotoGav]

Have you tried uploading a sub to http://nova.astrometry.net/upload and see what it comes up with?

How do you go about finding your targets anyway?

[toxic]

looking at other pictures of this target it looks like you are on target but is'nt that object rather small for a 200mm F/L i no when i have tried in the past with a 200 pds it looks like a blue ball and no i did'nt get them mixed up lol

[Alveprinsen]

Have you tried uploading a sub to http://nova.astrometry.net/upload and see what it comes up with?

How do you go about finding your targets anyway?

Thanks for the link!

It seems I missed completely...

I used Stellarium.

Before going to the target, I aligned using about 9 stars... My polar alignment was spot on too.

I dont know how difficult it is to image this object... The moon was at about 26% last night.

Alveprinsen

[Alveprinsen]

looking at other pictures of this target it looks like you are on target but is'nt that object rather small for a 200mm F/L i no when i have tried in the past with a 200 pds it looks like a blue ball and no i did'nt get them mixed up lol

I used the FOV calculator at http://www.12dstring.me.uk/fov.htm to check out how it would look on my chip with a 200mm. It should have looked just fine.

I googled alot of 200mm attempts of the nebula beforehand too. Seems to me, 200mm i perfect for capturing the entire thing.

What is confusing me is when looking at the screen when trying to FIND the image... Its just stars... freaking white dots, not a single one distinguishable from the other. I have to rely on my alignment being of such a good quality, it hits the target right on. Whether or not I actually hit it wont be known until like.... 5-6 hours later. Like today. I've learned that I've missed the object by approximately an entire chip size.....

[Alveprinsen]

Looking up that bright Star (Alfirk) in Stellarium, I now see clearly where the scope was positioned relative to NGC7023.

Close, but no cigar....

Anyhow, the moon was up so the images wouldnt have been that spectacular anyways. (Hey, I have to rationalize this failure some how in order to live with it... using the moon as an excuse is as legit as anything... )

Now that the moon is finally on its way down... we've got clouds incoming... After a couple of weeks with clear skies... Oh, the irony...

[PhotoGav]

Hah, yes, the moon is a very legit excuse for anything! It is a typical weather pattern - Full Moon and clear skies, New Moon and thick cloud... Just tedious!

As for finding the pesky target.... I would never actually get anything if it wasn't for Astrotortilla or similar plate solving software. I presume that you have a laptop connected to the camera and mount? If so, you really really must get AT up and running. The best tutorial for getting it set up is here: http://lightvortexastronomy.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/tutorial-imaging-setting-up-and-using.html - Warning - The download can take ages, like overnight depending on the index files that you select to download (and your connection speed of course), so give yourself plenty of time to get it working. It really is the best bit of software to improve and speed up getting on target. Best of all, it's free! I use it for centering alignment stars too - I repeat, basically I wouldn't manage to do anything with the stars if it wasn't for the laptop and all the saving software on it! It's not cheating, is it?!!?

Good luck.

[Astrosurf]

I always push up my ISO to max and take test shots. I use Stellarium or Sky Safari to see where the object should be. I also use a red dot finder to position myself accurately. I find all this helps get to the spot.

Alexxx

[Alveprinsen]

...you really really must get AT up and running. The best tutorial for getting it set up is here: http://lightvortexastronomy.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/tutorial-imaging-setting-up-and-using.html...

I just checked the link, and I must say... this is ingenious!

Does it need a CCD camera, or does it work with a modified DSLR as well? I naturally assume it does since it does not work with a live image, but a single frame of a given duration?

Why havent I used this before?! Going to download and install this as soon as I get back from work... This is going to turn my laptop into the astrometrics lab on Voyager... excuse my nerdyness...

Alveprinsen

[Alveprinsen]

I always push up my ISO to max and take test shots. I use Stellarium or Sky Safari to see where the object should be. I also use a red dot finder to position myself accurately. I find all this helps get to the spot.

Alexxx

I did a 60 sec test-shot on 12600 ISO... Didnt show anything but stars. I assumed the nebulosity was so faint it wouldnt show except for in a stacked image, so I proceeded.

Actually, when I used the go-to function, the star that I DID image was quite a bit offset. Probably because the camera WAS centered on NGC7023. I actually manually slewed it and centered it on that damn star, thinking it and the surrounding stars "kinda looked like" the pattern I'd seen on googled images of the nebula.

This is a reflection nebula as well, and unlike emission nebulae I guess this one requires a bit more darkness to be properly captured as well. The moon was making an awful mess of the sky last night.

[Astrosurf]

Darn that star! Yep, I always test shot where I am first, just to get my bearings. It's tricky stuff!

[Thalestris24]

I just checked the link, and I must say... this is ingenious!

Does it need a CCD camera, or does it work with a modified DSLR as well? I naturally assume it does since it does not work with a live image, but a single frame of a given duration?

Why havent I used this before?! Going to download and install this as soon as I get back from work... This is going to turn my laptop into the astrometrics lab on Voyager... excuse my nerdyness...

Alveprinsen

Hi

Astrotortilla  works fine with dslrs. You just have to set it up right -  there is a  tutorial for doing that and threads on here if you care to search. It will get you centred on the target once  it's up and running. It's based on star  patterns so doesn't have to have  images of nebulas.

Hth

Louise

[PhotoGav]

I just checked the link, and I must say... this is ingenious!

Does it need a CCD camera, or does it work with a modified DSLR as well? I naturally assume it does since it does not work with a live image, but a single frame of a given duration?

Why havent I used this before?! Going to download and install this as soon as I get back from work... This is going to turn my laptop into the astrometrics lab on Voyager... excuse my nerdyness...

Alveprinsen

Everything has its moment!

As Louise says, it works perfectly with a DSLR.

It's great, my garden looks like ESA Mission Control on a clear night! Nerdyness is good!

Good luck.