On the edge...

Dodgy mount Phil... Just can't get the quality these days :roll:

:lol:

Actually, the reason is partly the lack of an IR filter (the CCD comes with one but I choose not to use it - it adds too many uncontrollable motes to the image) and I think partly to exposure times.

Since a lot of the images are deep sky objects, they need a good exposure time. If there's a bright star there, you'll overexpose it - a la trapezium - if you want the detail. Of course, I could mask the areas but that would take forever.

The lack of the IR filter *does* bloat the stars - and you can really see it in the colour images where the red bloat is very noticeable (20%?) above the green and blue.

At the end of the day, my path is headed towards photometry. I'm gonna sink my savings into that rather than buying stuff to improve the pretty pictures. That said, until I get the kit, its half-pretty pictures for now though I *have* managed a few sets of SN search images.

How you getting on with the Stevick-Paul?

Cheers!

Dave McD

A wonderful image of a gorgeous galaxy Dave!

I am so impressed with all your latest images..please keep sharing them with us!

Clear skies

Thanks Martin - will keep posting images as long as the supply lasts, but I fear that its coming to an end...

There's two beauties on the way in the next few days though

Cheers
Dave

Look forward to it!

What do you mean by supplies last? Did i miss something?

All best and great work again

Just going through all the images I took over the the end of 2005 and either processing them for the first time or reprocessing them. But its coming to an end. I'm into December now....

Actually, the reason is partly the lack of an IR filter (the CCD comes with one but I choose not to use it - it adds too many uncontrollable motes to the image) and I think partly to exposure times.

How you getting on with the Stevick-Paul?

IR, not UV? Drat, wrong end of the spectrum again... I'm always getting the wrong end of the stick! I loved your Eskimo Nebula - great detail and colour - waaaay better than I've ever observed it in the eyepiece!

Work on the Stevick-Paul is back on track after an extended hiatus when my Dad passed away at the end of October. Then Christmas (my original goal) got in the way! All is well now, and I finished the 14" primary mirror last week (to the best of my testing ability) and have just started work on polishing out the three 10" flats which I will 'interference test' against eachother to select the best surface. Six hours polishing has the first of the three almost fully polished out. I'm getting about two hours (useful) work done each night, so things are beginning to motor!

More reports as I progress...

Cheers,

Phil.