M42 using Dwarf II Robotic Telescope

[The Thing]

Dwarf II Result

This is 60x15s (15mins) at Gain 80 (the 'normal' setting) unbinned. This is amazing as most people reckon you need 500+ subs to get a good result. I must try it if the clouds stay away long enough. 15 seconds is the longest exposure it'll do.

The scope is 24mm aperture and 100mm focal length. The imaging chip is a Sony Starvis IMX415 with 1.45um pixels. It suffers from field rotation if used in its default altazimuth mode but its easy to tilt it on the tripod and roughly polar align it to minimize the effect. Its controlled via an app but all the work is done on the scope, it stacks as it goes as well!

Stacked in DSS5, then PI (NoiseX, SpectrophotometricColorCalibration, BlurX, SCNR, HistogramTransformation stretch, BlurX again, then Affinity Photo masked Clarity, masked Curves twice, once for the core and once for the rest. I am surprised I need shorter subs to avoid burning out the Trapezium and the colour went off somewhere along the line.


Click for full size.

[Carole]

When you say robotic telescope, do you mean it is yours but works like a robot, or that you accessed it remotely. 

It is certainly impressive for 15sec subs. 

These are certainly clever imaging scopes and would be useful for travel. 

[The Thing]

It's a little device like a large hardback size which connects via Bluetooth and WiFi to a tablet or phone for control. Very portable.

It's robotic because if you disconnect it keeps imaging. Also very good for daytime e.g. panoramas, object tracking, time lapse.

[Carole]

A few of the OAS people who are not regular imagers have bought one.  But thus far they are only doing very short subs with them. 

I will put this on the next members images and show what longer subs can achieve. 

In particular l will mention this:

It suffers from field rotation if used in its default altazimuth mode but its easy to tilt it on the tripod and roughly polar align it to minimize the effect

[Dave A]

Nice image Duncan