NGC2264 - Cone Nebula and Christmas Tree Cluster

Hi All

Was out Imaging with the crew from Cork Astronomy Club last night and here's the result, I only managed to be able to use 4 of the 11 images taken for the stack, so the image consists of 4x 900S ISO 800, 19 Darks and 53 Flats (Think I might need to re-do the flats)

Imaging Scope: Astro-Tech AT8RC 8" Ritchey Chritien
Guide Scope: Celestron C80ED
Imaging Camera: Canon 500D Modified, Cooled to -19 Degrees C
Mount: Skywatcher NEQ6Pro mount
Guide Cam: QHY5
Guide Software: PHD Guiding ( www.stark-labs.com )
Image Acquisition: BackyardEOS ( www.backyardeos.com )
Stacked and Pre-Processed with Nebulosity 2
Post Processed with Photoshop CS5

www.flickr.com/photos/30345959@N08/6851629006/in/photostream

Regards
Simon

Gorgeous image Simon. Keep them coming. Mike

Nice image!
Every time I look at your work I am tempted to modify my camera aswell...but the enemy (second half) wouldn't let me it makes such a difference.
If you wouldn't mind me asking how much all the modifications set you back?and how did you done your flats?

Nerro wrote: Nice image!
Every time I look at your work I am tempted to modify my camera aswell...but the enemy (second half) wouldn't let me it makes such a difference.
If you wouldn't mind me asking how much all the modifications set you back?and how did you done your flats?

Now there's two versions of how much the modifications cost me, how much my Mrs knows I spent, and the actual amount I spent

I reckon all in all with the testing of different methods of cooling I've probably spent €150

The cooling box as it is cost me less than €50 to build including the Peltier and Heatsink/Fan (Which was the most expensive part)

I did the camera mod myself, one of the guys in the US who modifies camera for astro photography sent me over a couple of pieces of clear glass allowing me to do the mod myself

Simon

Wow that's not bad at all!for some reason I thought it costs a lot more, I saw the " cooling box" going for 200e from telescope express alone.so left it at that stage.
Was it difficult to do it yourself?maybe you have made a tutorial on the whole modification process?as it is well worth the effort.
Now I am really tempted to do it aswell...

I don't have a tutorial as such, as I messed with three different designs for the cooler, one of which was based on Gary Honis' "Metal" cooling box which is designed to cool the air inside the box as opposed to the camera itself, I found that particular design did not achieve the results I wanted it to get, so I experimented some more

Destroyed two Peltiers in the process, destroyed two plastic project boxes (As there was so many holes in them by the time I was finished, I still have some work to do on my existing box, I want to put all the wiring inside the box to make it look a lot neater on the outside, that will be done one night this week.

Once I had finalised the design, the box took me a couple of hours to build