some images

Well, for me, last night started off superb with stunning Milky way. Unfortunately it then rapidly deteriorated to very high haze, viewing became difficult, and imaging extremely so, but here is what I managed to get by pushing things.
I started off with a closer look at the Ring Nebula, using a 2X Barlow, It required a few goes to get a half decent image between the haze, I saved all images so will do a better, I hope, process with them later.
www.irishastronomy.org/user_resources/files/1123498531-M57.jpg

Next I tried a galaxy, unfortunately the only one I could find, see or focus on the imager was C30, probably not the easiest of Galaxies to view and image, but the only one that would play the game, again, processing required with all saved images and hopefully improve.
www.irishastronomy.org/user_resources/files/1123498336-C30.jpg

Finally, not to make a great image, but simply because the time was now 4 am and I realised the Pleides had reapeared in my skies after not seeing them for a very long time. This is just one of 15 uncombined images, I shall stack them later and see what it's like. Obviously this was all I could get on the chip, but it was just nice to see them again in te sky, plus it was now getting very light.
www.irishastronomy.org/user_resources/files/1123498562-M45.jpg

Lot of work to do on them, but my tired brain is better to be rested before I process.
Bill H.

Good stuff Bill!! Definitely some 'keepers' there!

What scope do you use for these Bill, I cant quite remember. If I may be so bold as to suggest what I see as the limiting factor for you, and that is your alt/az mounting. I'm pretty sure you would get far more pleasing results with an EQ mount or by using a wedge with your current setup.

Keep up the good work, its all progress!

hi Dave,
It's the 8" LX90. I'm always thankful for feedback. I desperately want to buy a wedge for the scope, your right, my alt/az is very limiting. unfortunately I have no employment at the moment so funds are non-existant. I had a scout around for photographs of C30 on the internet, and most pictures I saw were ten minute exposures stacked, so, I think I will have to forget some of these galaxies for the time being, I don't think I would manage 10 min exposures with my alt/az mount. My exposures of C30 are 40 seconds, only a fraction of what is needed for the detail. I did try up to one minute, but for some reason I keep getting flare at the top of the image over 40 seconds. I checked the house for lights, but everyone was in bed and the house lights off, so I can only think it's coming from the laptop, I need to make some sort of shield I think.
cheers, and keep the feedback coming.
Bill.

Bill, Lovely work, I was tired too this morning :roll:

Can you tell me, what galaxy is C30? Is this caldwell 30?

Keith..

Bill, you just keep on progressing in the right direction!

The ring and C30 seem to have some artifacts - it might be rotation but they seem to be a little close to the center of the image. Could be an internal reflection?

I'm not familiar with C30 but why don't you try for something a little brighter? M51 or M64 are OK (mag 9 and 8 respectively). But don't use a Barlow. Your native system should manage to get most if not all of both of them in.

Also, try shooting in just monochrome and take out the IR filter.

As for a wedge, there might be some mileage in making one...

Keep it up and get some sleep!

Cheers

Dave McD

Hi Keith, Yes, Caldwell 30.
Dave, I really couldn't see M51 or 64, that was why I went to C30. we actually had a horrendous haze appear here after about 11 pm. C30 was in a position just out of the haze then was covered after about 20 images, I think it was. The haze then started clearing about 3.45 so I just grabbed that Pleides shot as the sky was lightning. Thee is a light sort of motteling on the ring especially which is what seems to usually happen when shooting through haze. The artifacts on the ring and C30 both suddenly appeared around image 13 in both cases, but wasn't present in the pleides shot, perhaps a blast of canned air to clean the chip.
Bill.