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M82


Rodd

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This one is not completed.  I collected about 6 hours of Ha with the C11Edge then the weather turned.  With nothing else to do I decided to see if my TOA 130 data could be used in combination with the C11Edge data.  Since I binned the c11 data the pixel scales were almost the same (.77 arcsec/pix TOA and .8 arcsec/pix C11).  Processing was straight forward-HaLRGB, with 15 hours Ha and  about 12 hours of RGB (about 4 each).  I never liked my processing of the TOA data--cartoonish--hypersaturated.  Adding the Ha from the C11Edge made it easier to keep the saturation levels of the Ha reasonable (but I need much more data as most was collected during bright Moon and very poor conditions).  So I am not sure if the improvements to the image are due to better processing alone, or processing and adding Ha data.  What I am coming to realize is unless conditions are very good--the C11Edge does not produce any better images than the TOA 130.  In fact--inferior, because the C11 is much more affected by seeing.  When the seeing is good, it definitely does beat the TOA, but  I so rarely get decent seeing, I am tempted to switch OTAs and forget about the C11.  For deep sky there doesn't seem to be much point in my sky.  I guess the final test will be seeing what a full C11Edge data set looks like for this target

AB-298d.thumb.jpg.55707c296de123b351e2563148e59557.jpg

 

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6 hours ago, gorann said:

Nice Rodd, a lot of detail in the galaxy! When you are seeing limited large aperture combined with short FL is worth considering, so a RASA or a Tak Epsilon.

Yes… but my scope buying days are over. A 5” refractor at f5.38 will have to do.  Might be getting an asi2600 soon.  If I can swing it that camera will use more photons and it should be an improvement 

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2 hours ago, alan potts said:

As good as any I have seen, lovely detail in there. C11 not easy to work with I am told, I keep looking at my Meade 12 inch which I even bought mounting rails for but so far have resisted

Alan

Thanks Alan.  Actually, the scope is pretty easy. Collocation holds well and if you put in a focuser and lock down the mirror, it’s very refractor like.  Seeing is the issue.  When it is 3/5 or better it’s awesome.  The problem is it’s usually bad.  I would give the Meade a try

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2 hours ago, Rodd said:

Thanks Alan.  Actually, the scope is pretty easy. Collocation holds well and if you put in a focuser and lock down the mirror, it’s very refractor like.  Seeing is the issue.  When it is 3/5 or better it’s awesome.  The problem is it’s usually bad.  I would give the Meade a try

Been think about it Rodd, I even have the reducer to take it down to1980mm and F6.3 which I imagine would help as I only have a CEM 60, the weight would be a tad over the limit, maybe a big tad. I started out doing 15 sec subs on the normal LX200 mount ans actually got a result at 3048mm, the Ring was the target and someone commented wow what a shot in the competitions some time back, then I realised I was breaking the rules having shot it some year before the limits of time.

Seeing here though will always better the UK I would think, I'm lucky with that, though it is a bit dull and damp lately.

Alan

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39 minutes ago, alan potts said:

1980mm and F6.3 which I imagine would help

That definitely will help.  One option is to get decent polar alignment and shoot unguided, provided you use a CMOS camera that is designed for shot subs.  20-30 sec is all you need, especially on brighter targets.  I produced 5-6 images like this before I got an OAG--and I was shooting at F10 (2800 mm).  Drift was my problem.  If I corrected for drift (obly a small slew--like 1/2 the diameter of the ring nebula) ervery 30-45 min, all was well, especially shooting a galaxy that could accomodate a small crop.  It was a lot of work though.  Guiding is much less toilsome.  The results were pretty good when seeing was good, as there were no guide errors.  Like you, I was very hesitant.  Now, I love it.  When seeing is good it is amazing.

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