Wizard Nebula NGC7380 First Light with Esprit100

[Carole]

I received the Esprit100 back in June, but then had to wait for the focal reducer to come into stock, I didn't want to simply use the recommended flattener as one of the reasons I bought this scope was because I wanted faster optics as I have been thoroughly spoilt with the Samyang lens. 

The Esprit is f5.5 and with the TS Optics TS PHOTOLINE 2 79x reducer, this brings it down to f 4.34.

I then had to mess around for a while trying to get the spacing right as I had 2 vendors telling me different backfocus @ 55mm and 58mm and the imager who recommended this focal reducer to me (who has an Esprit100) telling me it should be 57mm, I have lost the plot now exactly what it is but I think it is now 57.64mm which is the best I could get, especially with stuck spacers and what I had available.   I have screw fit to eliminate tilt, and I have posted the full frame (apart from cropping stacking artifacts).

Anyway, the image:
Atik460EX and Esprit100 +  TS Optics TS PHOTOLINE 2 79x reducer
HEQ5
POD dome had to be taken off the walls onto the dome table as the target was at the Zenith, so also had to wait for the wind to die down.

Ha 28 x 600  4h 40m
Oiii & Sii 18 x 300 binned (each) 3h
RGB for stars 3 x 150 each (binned)

Total imaging time 8 hours during bright waning gibbous Moon (3 nights past Full Moon).

The last time I attempted this target from Bortle 8 it was awful (a number of years ago now).

[NoelC]

Excellent!
A laughing wizard no less.
Colouring is really good Carole.

Noel

[Roberto]

Beautiful Carole.  And your efforts to square the CCD with the new scope definitely paid off.

Roberto

[Carole]

Thank Roberto, still not 100% sure of the spacing, but I'll leave it as is until I take the scope down trouble is the only thinner spacer I have it stuck on a wider spacer and can't get them apart even with wrench straps.

Whatever, it's still better than anything I have achieved previously from the corner star point of view.

Carole