M31

[Milliways]

Just got my new data sorted out... here it is.. 31min so far and counting

All at ISO 800 with a mixture of 30s / 60s / 120s exposure with my Nikon D60 and my 10" Skywatcher 250px with my HEQ5 Syntrek.

Only the brightness tweaked as its only a preview

[Doc]

Looking good Dave.

It's amazing the size of this thing.

[Psychobilly]

Looking good Dave... A fellow out of season masochist...will be a lot better to image in a few months time but then everyone will be doing it

Flats needed next I think... These days I use skyflats normally taken the morning after the night before... provided the skies co-operating that is... just set the camera to A-Mode and shoot away at a blank area of sky facing away from the Sunrise... move the scope about between shots to help even out any variations...

Some people use a white t-shirt diffuser...

Peter...

[PH-R]

Looking very good, I think the 120 exposures make all the difference. My image to date has 34mins worth of data but only with 60sec subs (+F9). This means my image has not got the finer details showing, like yours.

All the best,

PAul

[Beyond_Vision]

A good start Milliways this is one object to return to again for more data

Regards

Kevin

[Milliways]

Cheers guys! Yeah i will do some darks and flats when i have enough data.. this is just a preview

Lets hope there is some clear skies again soon so i get collect some more! i am aiming for at least 2hrs worth

[Psychobilly]

Dont leave it till you "have enough" data not for the flats anyway... for them to be their most useful then they need to be taken trough exzctly the same optical train configuration as their correspondign lights... no change to focus, camera orientation etc... if you optics are spotless then you can get away with library flats if all your really tryign to do is copensate for the vignetting...

You's probbaly be better off spending some time on some of the "summer" targets and leave M31 for later on in the year...

Peter...

[George]

...will be a lot better to image in a few months time but then everyone will be doing it

Peter...

Yeah I need more data to add to last years 9+ hours

[Psychobilly]

Yeah I need more data to add to last years 9+ hours

Is that all

With your setup Millways i'd be grabbing M57, M27 data at the moment... and some of the more intersting bits of NGC7000 and IC5070...

[Milliways]

Yeah i see what you mean... even with my camera (bearing in mind that it is unmodded lol) do u recon i will still be able to pick up some decent amount of detail??

Cheers.

Dave.

[Psychobilly]

yes...(ish)

[Milliways]

yes...(ish)

#

Haha i'll give it ago then!

I will still keep on goin with the M31 as i am really enjoying it plus am learning as i go, but will try out the onse that you sugested and see how i get on

[Psychobilly]

Go for M57 and M27 early on then NGC7000 and IC5070... and Then M31 once its a bit higher...

What I used to do is grab an hour or so per target per night as they were best placed...

For some interseting close up bits try (2000 co-ords)

NAN RA 20 59 60 DEC +43 57 03

Pelican RA 50 50 52 DEC +44 26 37

Peter....

[Milliways]

Cheers mate

Yeah i'll give it ago.. really need to find away of getting a 2" skyglow filter to fit on my scope and still allow me to focus.. otherwise i am seriously limited to a MAX of 120s exposure before everything goes red

[minimalist]

Nice start Dave, good detail in the dust lanes coming through. I agree with Peter, try some of those others, you should be able to get something decent on them, especially near the zenith, where the lp would be lowest.

Daniel