What to Image?

[Herzy]

What should I image that would be pretty easy to do (I'de like to do some galaxies). I've already imaged M36, M37, M38, M42, M45, Double cluster and beehive cluster. 

Any suggestions? It has to be up tonight.

[ollypenrice]

We'd need to know your focal length and chip size. (Pretty personal stuff, eh?)  Most galaxies are very small so a long focal length is needed to give a reasonable size on the chip.

Olly

[Herzy]

Focal length is 750mm and I'm not sure what you mean by chip size but I have a Nikon D3200.

[nucdoc]

To give you an idea, here is what M51 will look like on a similar camera using 750mm FL, couresty of astronomy.tools

[ollypenrice]

You can model your camera's field of view at your focal length in many planetarium software programmes as nucdoc has done. This is always my starting point for planning a project.

Olly

[Herzy]

What are some objects though that would be easy-ish targets?

[wimvb]

I found the pair M81 M82 pretty convenient for a DSLR. You may have to crop, but with a DSLR that is not much of a problem. And if you manage long enough exposures, you may even be able to catch some faint stuff in the background.

M 101 and M 51 are also ok for a DSLR. The more important issue is, how long single exposures can you get out of your equipment? If you only use tracking and don't have guiding, maximum single frame exposure time may be more of an issue than target size.

All these targets are near the big dipper

[mikeyscope]

How about 'The Leo Triplet', three beautiful galaxies that should fit nicely on your Nikon D3200 sensor at 750mm. 

The trio of galaxies being M65, M66 & NGC3628 in Leo.

ALSO

Consider galaxies M81 & M82 in Ursa Major should make a nice couple on your camera sensor.

ALSO

Galaxy M101 in Ursa Major should take up about 1/6th of your sensor area on it's own.

Mike

[Scott]

maybe the Markarians Chain? loads of galaxies all in one place

Look around  M88 in your stellarium software 

maybe leo triplet also

[Herzy]

Well I only got the mount yesterday so I haven't mastered it, but last night I continuously took about 30 60-second exposures and only one went wrong. The next clear night i get I'll push it and try some of these galaxies and I'll also try some stacking! Thanks for the suggestions!

EDIT:

My camera has a built-in noise reduction where it takes a dark frame automatically and combines the two. Should I use this? I only ask because I remember reading something about not using this but I don't remember. (This significantly lowers my light pollution problem btw)

[Scott]

don't use it. the problem is when we get these rare clear nights, you don't want to waste half ofit taking darks. do that when it's cloudy or during the day

 

[ollypenrice]

9 hours ago, Herzy said:

Well I only got the mount yesterday so I haven't mastered it, but last night I continuously took about 30 60-second exposures and only one went wrong. The next clear night i get I'll push it and try some of these galaxies and I'll also try some stacking! Thanks for the suggestions!

EDIT:

My camera has a built-in noise reduction where it takes a dark frame automatically and combines the two. Should I use this? I only ask because I remember reading something about not using this but I don't remember. (This significantly lowers my light pollution problem btw)

The built in NR just wastes imaging time. It needs as long to take and apply a dark (which is what it's doing) as to take another sub. You'd be better with more subs.

I doubt that the NR is improving your LP situation. It may be helping your noise but it can't, so far as I can see, diminish your LP gradients. They are quite different issues, normally. (Unless your particular NR is also programmed to look for gradients. This would be new to me.)

Olly