"Eric" wrote in message
news:x3KNb.77352$8H.114874@attbi_s03...
Jack Schmidling wrote:

This week we continue our tour of the Pinwheel Galaxy in Triangulum with
a
high resolution color image taken through the 10" telescope

js

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You took that with a 4 1/2 inch telescope? Thats very impressive! How do
you
get it to come out so good? I've got a 4.5 and most of what i see is not
too great. I spent awhile looking at Mars when it was closest back in

M33 is a large object and that means you need low magnification to get its
full extent in a single image frame, particularly so if your imaging sensor
is smallish.

For visual work you can use different eyepieces to get different fields of
view, but for imaging with a single camera, you usually have to use
different focal length scopes and or focal reducers/barlows to get an
optimum framing of the object you intend to image.

For M33 and the even larger M31, usually the problem is how to get such a
short focal length so that it will all fit in a single field of view. The
solution to that is often using a small diameter refractor, particularly so
if your sensor in the camera is not too big.

Although it may seem odd, the 4" refractor is nearly ideal for many many
large objects. Included in the list is M31, M33, M45, M101, M42/M43,
Flame/Horsehead, IC1396, Rosette, The Veil and a host of other large,
extended objects.

Jack does a great job with his system and I always enjoy seeing his images.

best regards
Richard