I remember trying to image this when I first modified my Toucam (before I put the B&W chip in) and I got nothing. Last night I wanted to try out my guiding again just to make sure everything was OK - I decided on M33 although, it was still quite low. I am really pleased with this & how easy it was to process etc. Technical details are as follows:
Imaging: MN56 + SC3 + Astronomik CLS & Atik 0.5X FR. Gain was 80% - image sum of 80 X 45 secs (total 60 mins) - Amp Off + air cooling - 20 X darks subtracted.
Guiding: SC1.5 - WO ZS66 Piggbacked
This really is a great galaxy.. and I definitely want to try and add RGB.
Cheers, John
(http://homepage.ntlworld.com/john.punnett/graphics/oas/m33.jpg)
Annotated version....
(http://homepage.ntlworld.com/john.punnett/graphics/oas/m33_annotated.jpg)
Well done john, thats much better than my SAC8 version and again is brilliant for the £ to Picture price.
I on the other hand last night was mainly debugging my filter wheel, more details to come later.....
But great image, get it in the gallery.
John,
i can see why you are pleased, it is excellent. Could you see M33 on the screen?
Another one I would love to try.
Fay
Cheers Chris - It's great to be able to do long guided exposures at last... gives me more options when using the SC3.
Fay - Yes you could see in the preview - I think every object I image you can see in preview although you do need to use your imagination a bit sometimes.. I imaged this using 45 secs at 80% gain with a CLS filter - I definitely had to guide for this length of exposure - If you used full gain & no CLS I guess you might be able to cut exposure by 1/2 or so, so tracking might not be needed if you want to give it a try.. I'll send you a raw so you can see what it was like..
John
John,
looked long & hard for The Bubble, M33 & NGC891. I could not find any of them.
Fay
John,
apart from the last couple of evenings which have been clear, I was wondering if you had a private plane which carrys you to a high altitude
observatory of your own to take some great photos, or do you have some sort of freak of nature, where there is a swirling funnel system above your garden which fends off all clouds and other weather systems which may interrupt your imaging sessions because again you have some great images when all I can see is clouds :cry:
Keep it up.
(I gotta get one of those cameras soon)
Tony G
PS your not downloading those images off the Net????? :lol:
No didn't think so. :wink:
Tony - Thks for your comments - Wednesday night was actually crystal clear all through... Being able to guide now with another modified camera has opened up lots of new options for me with the SC3- hopefully more images to come.. :-) The downside to it all now is that it literally takes me about an hour to get 2 scopes out & aligned then two cameras out & aligned & focused & all the interconnecting guide leads etc... I'm knackered before I even start imaging... Maybe it's time to start looking at a permanent setup......
Thks agin for your comments - John
Hi Fay,
You can definitely see all those objects in preview. I have sent you raws for the M33. Below is a single 20sec raw for the bubble... I suspect either your GOTO wasn't going correctly or your camera was playing up again....
Cheers, John
(http://homepage.ntlworld.com/john.punnett/graphics/oas/bubble_raw0000.jpg)
John,
have you looked at the garden shed observatories on the Web, as down on the Sidcup by-pass next to the world of golf they have a wide range of sheds and mini detatched house on display, but if I remember rightly there is also a place with sheds made up near Knockholt whether its the same people or not I don't know.
Tony G
I don't think the shed is the problem, the steel one I used was £250, its all the other bits.
Chris
if needs be, I could help out with a few of the bits and pieces (construction materials and a tube to use for the mount maybe) its when the electronics and soldering and fine intregate bits start thats when I start to pack up,
but later on if I decide to do the same then maybe someone could help me with the fiddlely bits after I get the daughters to build the observatory, under my supervision that is. :)
John if you do need anything to get you started let me know and i'll see what I can do
Tony G