M51 (Whirlpool Galaxy) at Kelling Heath

[MarkS]

This won't win any prizes but it's the only deep sky image I did at Kelling.  It was to test out a new equipment combination:  H-alpha modified Canon 550D (18 Mpixels) on Celestron C11 with Teleskop Service TSSCKorr2 0.8x Reducer Flattener.  I was also using the brand new Hutech IDAS D1 light pollution filter instead of the usual P2 filter.  The D1 is supposed to give improved colour balance.  The Canon 550D also has a copper cold finger installed but the Peltier cooler is not yet attached.  Nevertheless the copper alone conducts away the senor heat build-up.



This is a 2x2 binned crop of a stack of 15 5min subs at ISO 800.  The stars have a large FWHM because the gusty wind compromised my guiding down to 3arcsec RMS.  The transparency was terrible.  So the few subs I took were very variable in quality.

I'm quite hopeful that under ideal conditions (good transparency and guiding at 0.5arcsec RMS) this combination has potential.

Mark

[Fay]

Looking good Mark, love the size of the galaxy, with the C11

[mickw]

That does look promising.

Tonight is threatening to be clear 

[MarkS]

Tonight is threatening to be clear 

Clear but moonlit.

[The Thing]

Tonight is threatening to be clear 

Clear but moonlit.

Mars doesn't care

[MarkS]

Mars doesn't care

Yes - I'm already planning to head for Mars tonight - 1 day after opposition.  Not sure what the seeing will be like because Sirius is performing its multicoloured dance at the moment.  Defocus it in the scope and it's like a kiddie's kaleidoscope - colours everywhere!

Mark