North America Nebula Attempt - help?

Wise words there gents, I'll try for a longer focal length when I save enough up for a decent lens, as for the moon, it's moving well out of the way now, so I'll hopefully capture another image to compare against this, this week. The 85mm f1.8 USM lens used here is a very sharp astro-lens!

As for removing the IR filter...hmmm, i've looked at that, but I need a lot of tutoring 1st

H-alpha filters are expensive, I suppose it depends on one's own willingnes to decide on how far they want to go, I'll just save for that lens for now

Keith how long can you track without errors ??

About 10mins max if all is really tight, polar alignment, scope alignment, new battery for the motor....

You know what, bring back film! I'd have that nebula for dead

Keith..

Keith,

I'm really looking forward to seeing a Moon free version of that image. I have a feeling I'm gonna have a new wallpaper for my desktop:)

I also hope you dont take any of my previous comments as detracting from a really great image in the first place.

As for the tracking thing. Ever consider an autoguider? I dont know if you read my posts about building a home brew autoguider which would give you virtually unlimited trail free tracking. I was just saying to the missus tonight that mine is the best investment I've ever made in astro equipment.

As for removing the IR filter, I advise caution. A couple of times I've been tempted. A few reads through some tutorials on it and the mood leaves me very quickly. It's not the procedure that scares me, its the difficulty in using the camera for normal photography afterwards that worries me!

Keith,
I took a go at processing the image. let me know what you think. FWIW, I have a tendency to overprocess images sometimes, so if I've done it here, le tme know.

You know, I think its down to what was used to be abe to see the North American Nebula. I have never been able to spot it with instruments at my disposal. And last night after the TAS meeting, Leo and I were trying to spot it in the ETX-70. Then I thought, whats the point. The problem is filters. I think between Keith and Mikes images here, thats as good as its going to get - otherwise, you got to start using H-alpha filters to bring up the red.
A basis for this oservation is that, unless you know the shape of the nebula you are looking for here, its hard to spot with the untrained/unknowing eye.

Seanie.

Thanks for your interest in the post guys

Dave, I've never used an autoguider, I know the basics about their operation, but do you know if one is compatible with just an ordinary C8 mount? There is no automatic control for declination in this mount. As for removing the IR Filter, as I've said, I think i'll leave that one alone

Michael, The nebula looks better in your processed shot, it's alot darker, Ihope i can get something like this for real soon with the moon out of the way!

Seanie, I've only ever once - ever - made out the north america nebula with the naked eye, some years ago under superb dark skies, and just a handful of times with binoculars under excellent transp[arency. This is really hard visually, unless your skies are super clear and transparent, you probably won't make it out at all

Keith.

Michael,
thats about pretty much all I got out of it also.