What to image ?

[smr]

Hi all

I'm on holiday at the moment and have a bortle 4 sky, 21.69mag.

I'm wondering what to image. If my DSLR was Ha modified I'd pick whatever I want to image, and probably the Veil Nebula but I dont want to waste time on a target like that if the result isnt going to be great... or would it be ok under such skies?

As a safe target I am thinking Andromeda where it should be easier to image with an unmodified DSLR and it would fill the frame nicely at 70mm.

Or are there any relatively bright Ha / Nebulae targets or other which should be be ok to image?

Gear is in sig. Thanks for any advice.

 

[geordie85]

Have you considered attempting a dark Nebula as your under darker skies? Maybe try to capture the IFN around m81? 

[smr]

3 minutes ago, geordie85 said:

Have you considered attempting a dark Nebula as your under darker skies? Maybe try to capture the IFN around m81? 

No i havent.. would that be feasible with an unmodded dslr?

[smr]

Ah Bodes Galaxy. Its a nice galaxy and I probably could get a nice result but its quite small in the frame of my camera and scope. Hoping to image something a bit more frame filling but it is potentially a target. Could do M82 at the same time.

[Davey-T]

Unmodded doesn't mean it won't capture any red at all, you could try the Heart and Soul nebulas.

Dave

[geordie85]

31 minutes ago, smr said:

No i havent.. would that be feasible with an unmodded dslr?

I'm sure it would be. 

 

[smr]

32 minutes ago, geordie85 said:

I'm sure it would be. 

 

Very nice image but im not sure I will get 15 hours on it.

[david_taurus83]

Where are you on holiday and what gear are you using?

[smr]

59 minutes ago, david_taurus83 said:

Where are you on holiday and what gear are you using?

Wells Next the Sea. Camera is Canon 80D unmodded. Z73 scope on HEQ5 Pro guided.

[smr]

It looks like it will be clear skies but its a little breezy. Not too bad next to the caravan though which offers some shelter. 

[david_taurus83]

I was going to suggest a nice wide field shot of Antares region but prob a bit too low in the sky here.

[smr]

Thanks guys I will bear in mind those targets for another time. I decided to image Andromeda. I havent imaged since April so it was probably a good idea not to try and image something more difficult.

My guiding was going haywire to begin with. Not sure if it was the wind or what not but I began as soon as it started getting dark and M31 was only about 25 deg up.

I lost my guide star a few times and nearly packed it in for the night as I was feeling the breeze tiring me out a bit and getting frustrated with phd2.

Everything else had gone fine.

Then as soon as M31 started ascending towards the Zenith the guiding started getting better and better oddly enough. I dont know why that is... maybe lack of turbulence / atmospheric pressures?

It stabilised so much that I went from 3 minute to 5 minute exposures for the last hour. All at ISO 200.  I can make out the outline of the Milky Way ahead and the skies here just look so much cleaner and darker, like black velvet. 

 

At ISO 200 and 3 minute exposures the histogram is juuust about seperated from the lhs of the graph. At 5 minutes it barely shifts much more but the peak is wider so its obviously gathering more data... in the 5 min subs I am sure I can see bits of Ha as well on the outer dust lanes.

It would be nice to get more 5 min subs and as many as I can.

Another thing is I think the seeing and transparency was good last night. The best I have ever imaged. The stars werent twinkling at all.. i read somewhere that sometimes the best seeing is when it has rained during the day and it did shower yesterday.

 

Edited August 7, 2019 by smr

[Starwiz]

9 hours ago, smr said:

The stars werent twinkling at all

This usually means it's very good for planetary imaging where you want stillness in the atmosphere.

For DSOs. transparency is what you want.  Not necessarily a non-turbulent atmosphere, but less haze and better contrast. etc.

John