The Moon - 22-10-2018

[PhotoGav]

Earlier this week I set about my third attempt at a Moon Mosaic with the Cooke 10" refractor housed in the Marlborough College Blackett Observatory and my Point Grey Chameleon3. The mount is a complete pillock to use and has so much backlash in the declination axis that I have almost hung myself several times trying to make a successful mosaic. However, in true Victorian fashion, I carried on regardless and managed to make a pretty successful image out of the 93 separate videos (so many videos in a bid to avoid any missing bits thanks to the vaguaries of the wandering mount). I had to resort to using a slither from an earlier attempt to fill in the one missing slim slice. I think I got away with it though! I only shot 500 frames per video and stacked the best 15% in Autostakkert. Writing this I realise that I forgot to add a red filter to the imaging chain... damn, it did make a positive difference last time - must try and remember it next time! The top half is definitely more successful than the bottom half - the seeing was good at the start of the session, but deteriorated about half way through and there was a siginificant halo about the Moon by the end. Shame. Well, there's always next time!

[xtreemchaos]

great shot Gav, lovely detail mate.  charl.