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Horse Head region



 
 
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  #1  
Old January 21st 09, 07:32 PM posted to alt.binaries.pictures.astro
J McBride
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Posts: 274
Default Horse Head region

I finally got to take my new (to Me) 8" f/4 Newtonian out under some clear dark skies. Here in MI we get perpetual cloudiness through out the colder seasons because of lake MI, so this was a treat. It came with a price, and that was -5F temperatures. It was so cold that the dec clutch on my CG11 mount would not hold very firmly and thus I had no dec control for guiding. Anyway here is 14 minutes of data through the new scope using a MPCC and a modified Canon XTi.

Joe


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  #2  
Old January 21st 09, 10:18 PM posted to alt.binaries.pictures.astro
Rick Johnson[_2_]
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Posts: 3,085
Default Horse Head region

Joe,

Even without the lake on the wrong side we have nothing but clouds here
too. Clear by day when the sun burns them off by by evening fog rolls
in. Last night it was crystal clear at 6:30, by 7 nothing but fog.
When we clear it is more like -30 not -5. For some reason my filter
wheel is freezing up at those temps when it never has in the past. Warm
the camera and the filters fog over but the filter turns. No win
situation. An hour later the filters clear, the wheel turns and the fog
has rolled in. These long winter nights are going to waste!

Anyway that shot looks a lot like my long ago attempt at a 15 minute
shot using my 6" f/4 and High Speed Ektachrome (ASA 160). But with less
coma. Of course your chip is smaller than the 35mm frame so that might
explain it. See some at the upper left corner but its minor. Tracking
looks good for the balky clutch. Paramount has no clutches. A pain
visually but sure makes photo work a breeze. Do you use a Baader or
Lumicon coma corrector with that?

Rick

J McBride wrote:
I finally got to take my new (to Me) 8" f/4 Newtonian out under some
clear dark skies. Here in MI we get perpetual cloudiness through out
the colder seasons because of lake MI, so this was a treat. It came
with a price, and that was -5F temperatures. It was so cold that the
dec clutch on my CG11 mount would not hold very firmly and thus I had no
dec control for guiding. Anyway here is 14 minutes of data through the
new scope using a MPCC and a modified Canon XTi.

Joe



------------------------------------------------------------------------


--
Correct domain name is arvig and it is net not com. Prefix is correct.
Third character is a zero rather than a capital "Oh".

  #3  
Old January 22nd 09, 06:05 AM posted to alt.binaries.pictures.astro
J McBride
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 274
Default Horse Head region

I use a baader. I don't know if the Lumicon is better or the TeleVue or the
Baader. Any thoughts? The alignment might be off just a tad to make the
elongated star in the corner. The sensitivity of the alignment made me buy
a laser and it is hard to keep it nailed down with a portable setup and
quickly falling temps.

Joe





"Rick Johnson" wrote in message
ster.com...
Joe,

Even without the lake on the wrong side we have nothing but clouds here
too. Clear by day when the sun burns them off by by evening fog rolls
in. Last night it was crystal clear at 6:30, by 7 nothing but fog.
When we clear it is more like -30 not -5. For some reason my filter
wheel is freezing up at those temps when it never has in the past. Warm
the camera and the filters fog over but the filter turns. No win
situation. An hour later the filters clear, the wheel turns and the fog
has rolled in. These long winter nights are going to waste!

Anyway that shot looks a lot like my long ago attempt at a 15 minute
shot using my 6" f/4 and High Speed Ektachrome (ASA 160). But with less
coma. Of course your chip is smaller than the 35mm frame so that might
explain it. See some at the upper left corner but its minor. Tracking
looks good for the balky clutch. Paramount has no clutches. A pain
visually but sure makes photo work a breeze. Do you use a Baader or
Lumicon coma corrector with that?

Rick

J McBride wrote:
I finally got to take my new (to Me) 8" f/4 Newtonian out under some
clear dark skies. Here in MI we get perpetual cloudiness through out
the colder seasons because of lake MI, so this was a treat. It came
with a price, and that was -5F temperatures. It was so cold that the
dec clutch on my CG11 mount would not hold very firmly and thus I had no
dec control for guiding. Anyway here is 14 minutes of data through the
new scope using a MPCC and a modified Canon XTi.

Joe



------------------------------------------------------------------------


--
Correct domain name is arvig and it is net not com. Prefix is correct.
Third character is a zero rather than a capital "Oh".



  #4  
Old January 22nd 09, 06:46 AM posted to alt.binaries.pictures.astro
Rick Johnson[_2_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 3,085
Default Horse Head region

I meant to say TeleVue. Not sure if Lumicon makes one or not. I've
heard a lot of good things about the Baader. Seems to have a good
reputation. Your stars do look better than I used to get even
considering the smaller FOV. I know what you mean about keeping
alignment. My 6" f/4 would lose it just slewing from one side of the
sky to the other. Spider was (still is) the problem. I need to replace
it. Have been thinking of reviving it with a corrector for wide field
work. 600mm would make a nice FOV for the 11K. Your results look
promising but not sure how it would hold up with the higher demands of a
full 35mm frame. Wouldn't be hard to piggyback on the current scope as
I have the rings already drilled and threaded for another mounting
plate. Would need more counterweight but I have two 20 lb weights from
my old Cave mount I'm not using that have the right 1.5" shaft size.
Don't look nice like the factory ones but cost those cost $10 a pound.
Rather ridiculous price. Mine came with the mount but extras I'd need
cost that. So I cheated and already am using a 10 lb Cave weight.

Hope the weather allows more shots. We got lucky tonight and the temp
isn't dropping so the no fog. First imaging this year.

Rick


J McBride wrote:

I use a baader. I don't know if the Lumicon is better or the TeleVue or the
Baader. Any thoughts? The alignment might be off just a tad to make the
elongated star in the corner. The sensitivity of the alignment made me buy
a laser and it is hard to keep it nailed down with a portable setup and
quickly falling temps.

Joe





"Rick Johnson" wrote in message
ster.com...

Joe,

Even without the lake on the wrong side we have nothing but clouds here
too. Clear by day when the sun burns them off by by evening fog rolls
in. Last night it was crystal clear at 6:30, by 7 nothing but fog.
When we clear it is more like -30 not -5. For some reason my filter
wheel is freezing up at those temps when it never has in the past. Warm
the camera and the filters fog over but the filter turns. No win
situation. An hour later the filters clear, the wheel turns and the fog
has rolled in. These long winter nights are going to waste!

Anyway that shot looks a lot like my long ago attempt at a 15 minute
shot using my 6" f/4 and High Speed Ektachrome (ASA 160). But with less
coma. Of course your chip is smaller than the 35mm frame so that might
explain it. See some at the upper left corner but its minor. Tracking
looks good for the balky clutch. Paramount has no clutches. A pain
visually but sure makes photo work a breeze. Do you use a Baader or
Lumicon coma corrector with that?

Rick

J McBride wrote:

I finally got to take my new (to Me) 8" f/4 Newtonian out under some
clear dark skies. Here in MI we get perpetual cloudiness through out
the colder seasons because of lake MI, so this was a treat. It came
with a price, and that was -5F temperatures. It was so cold that the
dec clutch on my CG11 mount would not hold very firmly and thus I had no
dec control for guiding. Anyway here is 14 minutes of data through the
new scope using a MPCC and a modified Canon XTi.

Joe



------------------------------------------------------------------------


--
Correct domain name is arvig and it is net not com. Prefix is correct.
Third character is a zero rather than a capital "Oh".





--
Correct domain name is arvig and it is net not com. Prefix is correct.
Third character is a zero rather than a capital "Oh".

  #5  
Old January 24th 09, 07:22 PM posted to alt.binaries.pictures.astro
Stefan Lilge
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Posts: 2,269
Default Horse Head region

Nice result Joe.
I had similar problems with temperature at the beginning of January when we
had record-setting low temperatures in Germany. Now it's back to the usual
"slightly above freezing point at daytime and slightly below freezing at
night".

Stefan


"J McBride" schrieb im Newsbeitrag
. ..
I finally got to take my new (to Me) 8" f/4 Newtonian out under some clear
dark skies. Here in MI we get perpetual cloudiness through out the colder
seasons because of lake MI, so this was a treat. It came with a price, and
that was -5F temperatures. It was so cold that the dec clutch on my CG11
mount would not hold very firmly and thus I had no dec control for guiding.
Anyway here is 14 minutes of data through the new scope using a MPCC and a
modified Canon XTi.

Joe


 




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