Deep Sky - An Update

This is a bit shorter than the Moon update...

All these were shot with the Canon 450d attached to the C80ED, mounted on a guided HEQ5, guided with a QHY5v attached to the Konus Vista 80s with PHD.

After M3, I decided to attempt a project on M101, my aim to get over 12 hours of capture. I decided to use ISO400 as a balance between the exposure time, doubling that used for my Orion widefield, and doubling the ISO also, to make up for the change in focal ratio. This took place over three nights, the guiding worked flawlessly...

Night 1 31 subs of 10 minutes


Night 2 added - 55 subs of 10 minutes


and the final result, Night 3 added - 76 subs of 10 minutes


I had intended to go for even more time at the outset, but I think the problem I'm facing is not having enough focal length to get the image large enough on the sensor to pull the details out. Not quite sure what I'm going to do about that at the moment... I think I'll probably get my webcam modded for long exposure.

I thought after this, I'd got for some widefield and easier targets, which my current setup is far better suited to...

Mars and The Beehive (M44)


M67


I also decided to try an experiment on M3, this time adding in my Kenko 2x teleconverter



That brings the Deepsky up to date.

Lunar - An Update

I've done so much Lunar stuff over the past few weeks, I can't really remember much of the details, but I'll do my best... All the images, except the one with the plane in were shot with the Celestron 80ED

A single shot at 600mm as I was setting up for some deep sky


The Moon and Mercury in Volcanic Sunset


The Moon, Mercury and Venus in the Volcanic Sunset


The Moon and Venus


A few shots of the first few days of this cycle, all shot with the 450d, Kenko 2xTC and the C80ED on my redsnapper tripod

Day 2


Day 3
In blue


And a bit later


Day 4


Then I thought I'd got the Lunar X, but it's not quite in the right place... nearly there..



I also did a mosaic of the disk, using a pair of x2 barlows (for x4), 69 panes, 350 frames per pane at about 20 fps, stacked and wavelets in Registax and tweaked.


I had some and games with my 5x Barlow as well...

A 7 pane mosaic


And some Craters
Walter


Stofler


Archimedes


Vallis Alpes


Triesnecker


and a 2 pane mosaic of the Theopholis region


Another single shot in a clear blue sky, from the next day


Another mosaic, just a single x2 barlow for this one, so less panes 19 I think, 300 of 350 frames at 30 fps, stacked and wavelets in Registax and tweaked



And a few closeups with the x5 Barlow

Clavius in shadow


And the Straight Wall


A mosaic of the Mountains


Then another day... Another blue moon at 1200mm


The Moon and a plane


A final Mosaic with a 2x barlow, this one is 22 panes, 250 of 1000 frames at about 25 fps, stacked and wavelets in Registax and tweaked


And a couple more closeups with the 5x, 300 of 1500 frames
Copernicus


Clavius