M44 from Riberac

[MarkS]

I'm now home from my Easter break in France.

Here is the first image I took whilst down there.
Modified Canon 350D on Tak Epsilon 180ED (F2.8 with 500mm focal length) with 2" Baader IR/UV filter.
36 x 90sec exposures at ISO 800
Stacked, asinh range compression, then scaled by 2/3 in IRIS (to help disguise the elongated stars on the right hand side caused by the CCD misalignment)
Date taken: 5 April 2010



Non-cropped version is here:
http://www.markshelley.co.uk/webdisk/takm44_05042010.jpg

We had 6 clear nights out of 9 and I did some imaging on 4 of them.  

Mark

[Mike]

Very nice. But there are those strange rectangular stars again.

[MarkS]

I'm not quite sure what you mean Mike.

Do you mean that the bright stars (with the diffraction spikes) look rectangular?

Or something else?

Mark

[Rocket Pooch]

Very nice. But there are those strange rectangular stars again.

They are the thickness of the spiders, you get it on a VC200L as well.

Mark, I really like this picture, fantastic colours, little noise and nice little galaxies as well.....

Chris

[Mike]

Do you mean that the bright stars (with the diffraction spikes) look rectangular?

Yes they look rectangular to me. It was the same on your other image.

[RobertM]

Have to agree with SD, the colours are really good and it's a lovely image.

Robert

[MarkS]

Thanks for the comments and thanks, Chris, for the explanation of the "rectangular" stars - the Tak spider is certainly very substantial.

Mark

[Mike]

I might expect a square look,  but why rectangular?

[Mac]

I might expect a square look,  but why rectangular?

Oval stars?

[Fay]

I agree, lovely colours & no noise, very nice Mark.

[mickw]

strange rectangular stars 

Widescreen monitor settings ?

[MarkS]

Oval stars?

Yes, the rectangular stars are oval stars with diffraction spikes.  My guiding was not as good as it should have been for one reason or another.

I think I'm going to have to invest in a decent guide camera now ...

Mark

[MarkS]

I think I'm going to have to invest in a decent guide camera now ...

QHY5 has been dispatched.  It's on its way ...