Atik 11000 back from repair- M31 test shot

[pyrasanth]

I might have mentioned to some of you that my Atik 11000 camera had a fault with the window heater that appears to be resolved although I've not had a dew evening to confirm 100% since its return.

I tested the camera tonight on M31 using a Baader 2" L filter from the LRGB set. The image consists of 40 120 second subs. I don't have any calibration frames currently but I did find an old HA frame that improved the capture contrast but it is by no means the correct calibration frame.

The moon is bright tonight but the result is most encouraging so I should get good results when I have a nice dark night & a new set of calibration frames. The capture of M31 is a crop from the center of the frame which is massive. M31 was running like a stake North South down the middle of the CCD but when I re-shoot the project I will try & frame the galaxy so it is running East West.

Let me know what you think as always. Since the image is big best to enlarge. I was surprised the moon light did not have as bad an effect as I was expecting.

The Atik 11000 is a fabulous camera when you consider that the Atik 460 on the RASA only gives the center area of the galaxy- the difference in area is immense!

Can't wait for nicer skies & no moon to start this project in earnest!

[Davey-T]

Lot's of nice dusty detail, curiously about the same FOV as I get with QSI683 and WO Star71.

Dave

[pyrasanth]

Lot's of nice dusty detail, curiously about the same FOV as I get with QSI683 and WO Star71.

Dave

As the image you see is a massive crop it is not reflective of the image scale. The sub frame is massive. I reckon the image I've posted is about 1/3rd of the total frame size. The field of view captured is massive. most objects I capture look really small surrounded by a massive ocean of stars!

I mostly use the Atik 460 as this gives a field requiring less cropping.

Edit- you wet my appetite for frame dimensions. I plate solved one of the subs & the dimensions are angular Size: 3° 19' 01" x 2° 12' 40" which is quite large for an 11" telescope!

[Davey-T]

Be interesting to see what targets it would be suited to on the Star 71, I've got an Atik 4000 but that's much the same FOV as the QSI683, just a different shape.

Dave

[Knighty2112]

Great image, even with the moon out. Had a quick look at M31 after I put my scope away after viewing the moon. Surprisingly it was very clear and visible in my 15 X 70 binos even with the moon about 15 or so degrees away.

[pyrasanth]

I'm capturing the HA tonight as moon is too bright for anything else!

I've re-positioned the CCD so M31 runs down the diagonal. This will give me some cropping room.

[pyrasanth]

Here is the HA data which I captured. This is 43 5 minute subs using the RASA & Atik 11000 with Baader 2" HA filter.

The frame has a small crop as the edges were a bit naff. Processing in Pixinsight & PS 6.

As usual enlarge the frame as the image likes to be big!

[ollypenrice]

Looking good. I, too, like this camera.

Be aware that, with the moon out of the way, you will not fit the entire galaxy in one frame by any means. It simply gets bigger and bigger the longer you expose! At a rather shorter FL than yours I still needed a two panel approach. https://ollypenrice.smugmug.com/Other/Best-of-Les-Granges/i-xbvjFDF/0/X3/M31%20Outer%20HaloLHE-X3.jpg

I have never, ever had a dewing problem with the heater on and we do get wet nights here.

Olly

[laudropb]

Very nice image. The repair job has worked well.

[pyrasanth]

On ‎23‎/‎11‎/‎2015 at 08:01, ollypenrice said:

Looking good. I, too, like this camera.

Be aware that, with the moon out of the way, you will not fit the entire galaxy in one frame by any means. It simply gets bigger and bigger the longer you expose! At a rather shorter FL than yours I still needed a two panel approach. https://ollypenrice.smugmug.com/Other/Best-of-Les-Granges/i-xbvjFDF/0/X3/M31%20Outer%20HaloLHE-X3.jpg

I have never, ever had a dewing problem with the heater on and we do get wet nights here.

Olly

I noticed this post again & decided to revisit the content. I'm intrigued by your Andromeda image. I've never seen any images with the outer halo as you have presented. Most of the images I have seen just show the centre core which is highly colourful in your presentation. I wondered how much in other objects we miss because of light pollution or not going deep enough with perhaps poor processing contributing to the loss. It certainly has made me think about all the images potentially I could need to revisit.

[ollypenrice]

2 minutes ago, pyrasanth said:

I noticed this post again & decided to revisit the content. I'm intrigued by your Andromeda image. I've never seen any images with the outer halo as you have presented. Most of the images I have seen just show the centre core which is highly colourful in your presentation. I wondered how much in other objects we miss because of light pollution or not going deep enough with perhaps poor processing contributing to the loss. It certainly has made me think about all the images potentially I could need to revisit.

Indeed. I went after this outer glow with the upturned end because I had seen it just once in an image and was never able to find it again afterwards. In fact I think the upturned part had a name but, again, I never found the web page again.

Olly