Triplet then and now

[MartinB]

Managed to get 18x5min Leo Triplet subs on Saturday night. Would like to get another 18 and then some colour. Taken with a QSI 532 and a 190MN. Anyway, I had this luminence data and thought I'd compare with an image from about 3 years ago (my first image to make S@N mag). This image was taken with an ED80 using a GPDX mount and an SX H9 camera. I added the colour data from this old image to the latest luminence. The old image had about 4 hours of luminence.

I've attached the result along with the old LRGB (the new one is the upper pic!). I'm going to use an SX M26 to get the colour for the final image in due course but think the luminence is looking ok.

[Whippy]

That's looking a rather good amigo , the extra depth on the new version is already coming though.

Tony..

[Catanonia]

Beat me to it, my next target with the MN190 once I get it colimated

Lovely image and something for me to aspire to

[MartinB]

Thanks Cat and Tony. Just messing around really, 1 1/2 hours of luminence from the MN190 has delivered a lot more than 4 hours with the ED80 but I guess that's no surprise really. The colour data for the old image was never that great so surprised that it has done a reasonable job. Looking forward to adding to it now and setting the trio against a larger star field.

[Catanonia]

Martin,

It amazes me how much more light the MN190 gathers over the ED80 and ED120.

Especially if you add in binning with a large chip CCD.

To think not long ago I was doing 4 hours unbinned with ED120 when I didn't really need to.

Nowadays playing with 1 hour 2xbinned on QHY9 large chip on MN190 to give the equivalent.

1/4 the imaging time

I spose it is worth the colimation woes

[russ]

hmm that is very nice looking Martin. Seems a great success adding the 3yr old data with the new luminence data from the MN.

[adamsp123]

A very nice image Martin

[ollypenrice]

Some serious resolution in the new L data as well as some excellent depth. The tidal tail from the NGC galaxy is just showing. Would it be worth really getting after it with a set of longer subs just for that? The MN is the weapon of choice for that purpose...

Olly

[MartinB]

Some serious resolution in the new L data as well as some excellent depth. The tidal tail from the NGC galaxy is just showing. Would it be worth really getting after it with a set of longer subs just for that? The MN is the weapon of choice for that purpose...

Olly

I noticed the tidal tail Olly. It shows up when you stretch the luminence. I'm planning on another 90 mins luminence which will really bring it out. The QSI 530 has the chip to bring it out trouble is it will only show a part of it. If I really wanted to get after it I would probably need to use my FSQ to show it properly. I'm going to add some colour data using an SX M26 which has the field necessary but I doubt this will be sensitive enough to show it. At some point I might just concentrate on the NGC. A spring time trip to Les Granges maybe!

[Doug]

Hi Martin

what a lovely Picture this makes, well done

Doug

Essex

[Rossco72]

Some good processing work there Martin

[MikeD]

Nice clean luminence Martin, big improvement over the 4 hours with the 80ed. I'm looking forward to the finnished image.

Mike.

[Tim]

Nice Martin, but you forgot to add the spikes

The MN190 and QSI should be a formidable combination, and great for chasing down the detail and faint stuff, already looking good

[rich_t]

Lovely detail in all of the galaxies, certainly looks like the scope/camera are working very nicely together.

Cheers,

Rich.

[MartinB]

Thanks guys. The QSI 532 and MN190 combination certainly does make a sensitive combination although I'm itching to put my SX M26C in the drawer tube to collect wider field colour data

[LunarLight]

beautiful picture! each time I see a picture from the mn190 it becomes more tempting as a scope :-D

[MartinB]

beautiful picture! each time I see a picture from the mn190 it becomes more tempting as a scope :-D

It's certainly a nice fast scope with good optics. It is big and heavy though. I have it in my dome observatory which is very sheltered from the wind. It was quite a breezy night and I think I would have been struggling if it had been more exposed to the elements.

[Tim]

Yep, a scope for a sheltered area, definitely. With such a large size and especially with a dew shield in place, it is easy for even a relatively light breeze to catch it and make it act as a lever. No problem in my ROR obsy either though.

On breezy nights Martin do you try to image with the dome open on the leeward side?

My roof rolls back over the warm room, and is so angled as to deflect the prevailing wind over the top of the imaging rig. Wind from the opposite direction is negated by a copse and boundary fence. This happy situation was quite by accident, but would be worth considering for future obsy builders

[MartinB]

Tim, my garden is reasonably well sheltered but a prevailing westerly, coming off the moors can funnel between our house and our neighbours onto the obsy however it's very rare for me to be imaging with the dome open to this direction. Even then the wind doesn't really blow into the dome. From an imaging point of view it's nice to be so isolated from the elements but you don't get any sense of being out under the sky.