4 Months of Astrophotography

[@chridignan9178]

Fabulous images! Yep, loving a bit of green too! Seems to add more depth.

[@DSOImager]

@@chridignan9178 Thanks Chri!

[@petesastrophotography]

Nice to see you back James, great images as always. I hadn't really seen NGC 1333 before, that's a lovely looking target and will be going on my list!

[@DSOImager]

@@petesastrophotography Thanks Pete! Ngc 1333 is also known as the embryo nebula. It's a very cool target. Ill have to revisit if i make it to a dark site.

[@nikaxstrophotography]

Some great images James Good to see you back

[@DSOImager]

Thanks Nik!

[@jlecomte0719]

Good to see you’re back! My work schedule has also been crazy ever since the AI race started 😅 Nice images! Take care - Julien

[@DSOImager]

Thanks Julien! Yes.. the AI race is culprit for me, felt like it hit out of nowhere this year, lol.

[@dumpydalekobservatory]

Good to see you back James the Southern pinwheel looked to be a challenge it's barely above the horizon here, The differences between both of those Thor images were outstanding to. Clear skies

[@DSOImager]

Thanks Tich! Clear skies!

[@Si-fp2ij]

I’m glad you’re back James, I’ve missed your content! .2 guiding what the heck? Awesome 👏🏻 Makes me think I should get away from the ASI air 😂 Cheers Simon

[@DSOImager]

@@Si-fp2ij Thanks Simon! That .2 is certainly not the norm. Just had really good seeing that night. :)

[@Si-fp2ij]

@@DSOImager Superb when that happens! Glad to see your content again mate 👍🏻

[@OlliesSpace]

Really liked your NGC1333, that was phenomenal for broadband, also that Trifid was looking awesome, really nice and sharp. I need to try that just RGB 👍👍

[@DSOImager]

Thanks Ollie! I couple of very talented imagers with remote rigs shoot RGB only. I think you need really dark skies or a bight target to pull it off. It's worth experimentation.. would love to see your results if you give it a go.

[@LogansAstro]

Great to see you back on the Tube James. What a beautiful collection of images. Loved the look of NGC1333 and the detail in Thor's Helmet was spectacular. And a great steal of M83 given how low it is in your night sky ( it gets just a tad higher down here at 78 degrees 😁). With regards to the so called 'bow shock' shock from Cygnus X-1, I'm with you and was wondering if it was a bubble too as I felt that I picked up the base of the possible bubble in my 20hrs of OIII but this 'base of the bubble' sits forward of the black hole that's supposed to be making this 'bow shock so... who knows. CS

[@DSOImager]

Thanks Logan! 78 degrees, huh? lol. Maybe we should combine our data on Cyngnus X-1... just to see if there's something more there. :)

[@LogansAstro]

@@DSOImager Sounds like a plan 👍

[@JonnyBravo0311]

Glad you've been able to get some imaging in, James! Not much luck around here this year, unfortunately. The difference in Thor between 2021 and this year is astounding. My own version of NGC3718 was about 17.25 hours. I definitely pushed it hard to try and get the details. Looking back on it, I really should have gotten another 20 hours of data.

[@DSOImager]

Thanks Jonny! Good to hear from you. Sucks about the weather. What scope/camera did you use on NGC 3718?

[@JonnyBravo0311]

@@DSOImager 8” EdgeHD at f/10 with the 294MM. Forecast is calling for clear skies this week… and no moon. Going to keep gathering data on SH-2 86… going for HaRGB rather than SHO for a different take on it.

[@DSOImager]

@@JonnyBravo0311 Nice! I've only shot sh2-86 once, in NB.

[@met4791]

I would really like a video with the shooting workflow; setting up and creating calibration files

[@DSOImager]

Thanks Met! I could do such a video but haven't because there's a bunch out there. If that is something you'd like to see, I have no problem putting one together. That said.. I only shoot calibration files during down time. Darks, flats and Bias are usually taken indoors when the weather is bad. I reuse the same darks.. depending on the camera for 6-12 months. For flats, I use them until they no longer work (i.e. a new spot has formed and new flats are needed to subtract it out). Typically a set of flats is good for a few months before needing more.

[@wooddogg8]

Nice work! looking good.

[@DSOImager]

@@wooddogg8 Thanks!

[@SDNoel73]

I like the one with less green

[@DSOImager]

Thanks!

[@georgiberle1227]

Hi James, great photos, really excellent! I saw that you are using the AM3 with 0.2 s interval, I have the AM5 and actually getting much worse RMS than I have seen in your guiding. Did you make the experience that such a low number improves the RMS? I tried several from 1s to 3 seconds but I was alway above 1 arc seconds in RMS, more or less 1,5 arc seconds. Plan to buy also an Edge HD 8'', but with the RMS I get I can forget making photos with the long focal length. Best regards Georg

[@DSOImager]

Thanks Georg! Everything I have read about harmonic drive mounts point to very short guiding exposures, much less than what we are used to with traditional EQ mounts. So yea.. experiment with sub 1" exposures. Increase the gain on your guide camera if you have to. I have also found that adding the counter weight bar, but with no counter weight helps too. Good Luck!

[@georgiberle1227]

@@DSOImager Hi James, thank you for your quick response! I will try next time when I will have clear sky what is unfortunately not expected the next days 😞Sounds funny having the counter weight bar added without no weight attached!

[@georgiberle1227]

Hi James, i am actually doing some photos with 0.5 seconds guiding and it is working much better; thank you for your advice! I will try also 0.2 but need to make a dark library first.

[@DSOImager]

@@georgiberle1227 Nice!