Bode's Nebula - Messier 81

Almost 3 hours of data! 167 x 60 s subs, plus flats , bias and darks. Still using the ST80 though, unfortunately, plus the murky night  with a half moon meant I also used the UHC filter. I NEED to get a better imaging telescope, the purple fringed stars are NOT pretty!

Beside Messier 81, there is M82 (Cigar Galaxy) and NGC 3077

Messier 101

More from the ST80. I am toying with the idea of getting a Skywatcher 150 dps, which would give me a bit more magnification than the 130 but still be fine for the CG GT5 mount. I could then go back to guiding and longer exposures. This image of Messier 101 is based on 150 45 second subs, but during the session, the image travelled about a third of the field of view... I think this is the reason the flats have appeared to 'not have worked' - the FOV  of the flats is not the same as the stacked images.

There was quite a lot of light pollution, a moon plus somewhat hazy skies..all things considered not a bad image for an £80 telescope!

Horsehead

Still persevering with the ST80.  I took around two hour worth of 60 second subs and made do with the old darks, flats and bias, to capture this version of the Horsehead Nebula in Orion:

I need to start using filters, the head is very muzzy!

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