Imaging from my study

I managed to destroy a laptop a few months ago; I was using it to run PHD/Cartes du Ciel to guide the telescope and the heavy dew did it in. Since then, I have obtained another laptop (thanks daughter). So, I am determined to have a more robust way of controlling the telescope AND sitting in comfort.

So, welcome to the new setup!



Celestron CG5-GT , set up, aligned, two star, plus two calibration stars (plus polar aligned using the Celestron tool if autoguiding).

Nikon D5300 connected via USB to laptop.

Laptop is up and running, powered by mains, WITH CASE CLOSED , in a plastic box and protected from the weather.

Laptop is running the following software:
1. TeamViewer(Remote desktop software  https://www.teamviewer.com/en/ ): so desktop PC in the study can be used to control the laptop.
2. Digi Cam Control (http://www.digicamcontrol.com/ ): So the camera can be controlled via the laptop (Live View to single shot, control ISO, exposure, etc). The software has a setting specifically for astrophotography.
3. Cartes du Ciel; to control the scope via the laptop
4. (If autoguiding, PHD)

So, the TeamViewer software means I effectively run the laptop from my PC in the study. The Digi Cam Control allows FULL control of my Nikon plus enabling me to save images to both camera and laptop.

So, once the mount  has been set up and the scope aligned and focused, I can target, capture and stack (using DeepSkyStacker Live) from my study. I added a wifi booster/extender to ensure the laptop/desktop have a good connection. 

At last, some new captures

I have been messing around with the Newtonian; it now sits on a Dobsonian mount as a grab and take it out side scope. However, the combination of that plus lousy weather and lack of funds to purchase a better iaging telescope has meant that not a lot has been going on with imaging.

So, desperation set in when I saw that the weather was going to be clear. I mounted the Skywatcher ST80 on the Celestron CG5-GT and had a jolly time. I took bias, darks, flats ( via a ;white; app on the tablet). I imaged the following (but really impatience got the best of me and I could have done with a lot more data, but, I guess this was about principle too - is it worth trying to image with a 'cheap' achromat?

M35 in Gemini


NGC 2683 in Lynx













NGC 2403 in Camelopardis


The Horsehead Nebula in Orion (well, almost if you squint)


The Leo Triplet ( M65, M66 and NGC 3628

In a rush...

Awful weather for three weeks. Had to get a new laptop (thank you daughter number one for porviding an old one that, with Windows 10, works like a dream). then the lead acid battery went flat and I discovered the charger didn't...charge.

Anyway, all working, all software on, rushed outside to set up, with one eye on the showery looking clouds scudding across.

Didn't get on with PHD2 at all, so reverting to PHD1. Then the long USB cable is too long for PHD so had to take the laptop outside to get it to connect to the camera..then gave up with guiding!

What with showers, no guiding, clouds, dew, ended up wih 5 x 60 s subs of NGC 891 in Andromeda.

So much for autoguiding..

It was a fantastically clear night. We were due to go out for dinner with some friends, but I had enough time beforehand to set up the scope, get it tracking and to try out the effect of my mods.

The mods?
1. Clean  mirror - just weak detergent solution and plenty of water, finished off wih deionised, NEVER touching the mirror surface.
2. Removal of the fan assembly at the base of the scope - lighter.
3. Getting the primary and secondary closer so that I can drop the Barlow (needed to focus the DSLR)- I now have an F5 instead of F10!

In all, these changes shaved off just under 600g (it wasn't really that dirty!)

Anyway, got the telescope aligned, calibrated, polar aligned...............to find I had a dead as a doornail laptop!

So, no guiding, but around 85 x 60 s exposure plus some darks got me this:

Messier 33

Now to get another laptop; this time it will stay indoors and I will get longer USB cables - I think the dew from a couple of sessions ago killed it!

A change in approach

Ever since I started reading about 'how to do' astrophotography, I have known that my setup of an 8" reflector on  a Celestron CG5 GT was too heavy for the mount and so I would have problem tracking.
To confirm this, I decided to try a different approach with the same equipment, but dropping the telescope (not literally) and instead using the Nikon 5100 with a DX55-300mm lens on 300mm and F5.6.  The camera was guided by being piggy-backed on to the ST80, with the QHY 5II guiding camera.

The result... yep, much better guiding! Both in RA and dec, the graphs in PHD2 were much more regular. So, I really need to do one of the following if I want to take long exposure images:

1. Lighten the 8" reflector (move the optics so I don't need to use a Barlow, change the steel tube for a lighter one, remove the fan assembly ( I don;t use it anyway).
2. Get another mount (e.g. NEQ6 )
3. Use a smaller telescope (Skywatcher 130PDS seems to be good).

Anyway, here are the results of not using a telescope (but I lost a load of subs through dew and the camera battery dying!). Around 8 x 75s subs; I also used darks and flats.

The Double Cluster in Perseus

The Pleiades

Big Bear Galaxies

Great night last night! Well, for a while until the mist started to form.

For a change, I didn't forget anything or break anything or...anything! The scope has been outside all week, takes a few minutes to get going and we were off!

I used Dubhe in the pan of Ursa Majors plough (think I mentioned everything) as the sync star for polar alignment and then 'headed off' for Messiers 82 and 81. I had to image them separately because the FOV of the 8" reflector with 2 x barlow (needed for the camera) is too small for both together.

Messier 82

Messier 81

Half an owl

It's been clear and dry all week, except for the evenings when there is a thick haze....until last night!

I have had the telescope outside the whole time, just taking in the electronics (cameras, hand controller). The telescope has been set up on the three drilled 'dimples' and then left, having been calibrated, so it didn't take long to get it ready to image. Oh what it must be like to have the mount on a pedestal so its always ready to go!

However, haste waits for the unwary.

Because the moon is just past full and low in the SE, I decided to go for the Owl Cluster,  NGC 457 (also known as ET, for obvious reasons). Scope was calibrated really quickly, focused (uh oh) and after centring the Owl Cluster in the guiding camera screen (uh oh),  I set it to take 30 x 150 s exposures. It was tracking nicely, so I waited expectantly....


When I looked at the first image (reviewing them, an hour or so later), at first I wondered why my vision seemed blurred..... SO THAT'S THE REASON WE TAKE THE BAHTINOV MASK OFF AFTER FOCUSSING.....


Now, this could have been a good time to notice what the FOV actually was, but no,  festina lente ..

An hour or so later, I remembered that when  I had centred NGC 457 so carefully in the guide scope FOV, I hadn't checked the telescope FOV to see how they compared. Anyway, here is my 'half and owl' . At least  I got the eyes! (top left and upside down, the eyes are the two brightest stars).