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).