M31 core

[Rodd]

This is a project that I definitely will be continuing when M31 comes round again.  I am not sure what system parameters I should use, however.  This image is a master luminance created with 352 10 sec red subs and 101 10 sec lum subs using the C11Edge native (F10) and ASI 1600 (1.25 hours).  The data was binned 2x2, so the pixel scale is .56.  Due to the very short subs, I went unguided, which seemed to work well.  Now I have the reducer and an OAG on the scope.  I guess I could still go unguided, but the drift is a pain to deal with--correcting for it every 30 minutes makes for a long night.  On a good night I guess guiding 10 sec subs is possible--I use 4 sec guide subs (or 3-3.5), so there would only be 2-3 corrections/sub.  Or I could go longer--30 sec for lum and 60 sec for red, and use shorter subs in a HDR composition (more work though).

So--not sure how I will proceed, but I will try and get a good 20 hour HaLRGB composition (with the reducer the FOV will be wider, perhaps picking up some of the Ha regions.  If not, then I won't use Ha.  If I use the reducer without binning the scale will be .4 arcsec/pix and .8 if I bin.  Not sure what would be better to include this data - I don't want to lose it.