M16 Eagle Nebula Serpens (Cauda)
Date: 5/24/2009
Location: Joshua Tree Lake RV Park
Conditions: 0% moon, seeing 6/10, transparency 8/10, temperature 69 F
Telescope: C8 Celestron 8" scope, prime focus, no diagonal.
Mount: Losmandy G11, Gemini goto, polar scope used to align
Guide Scope: Televue 85mm refractor, 600mm focal length, F7, diagonal, Images Source DMK21AF04 camera 2 sec exposures using PHD guiding software.
Camera: Canon Rebel 40d
Focusing: Used IP 3.75 camera software to focus.
Exposures: (2) 4 min raw, 1600 ISO, (6) bias, (6) dark
Processing: P 3.75 - converted raw to FITS, calibrated with dark & bias, align-rotate 2 pt, combine median, digital development, sharpened using adaptive Richardson Lucy, star size reduction, converted to jpg, Photoshop CS4; levels, color balance, cropped, reduced size for web, unsharp mask,.
Comments: My tracking is way off. I had trouble getting a good polar alignment as can be seen by the oblong stars. There was also intermittent wind. My next attemp will be way better.
Date: 5/24/2009
Location: Joshua Tree Lake RV Park
Conditions: 0% moon, seeing 6/10, transparency 8/10, temperature 69 F
Telescope: C8 Celestron 8" scope, prime focus, no diagonal.
Mount: Losmandy G11, Gemini goto, polar scope used to align
Guide Scope: Televue 85mm refractor, 600mm focal length, F7, diagonal, Images Source DMK21AF04 camera 2 sec exposures using PHD guiding software.
Camera: Canon Rebel 40d
Focusing: Used IP 3.75 camera software to focus.
Exposures: (2) 4 min raw, 1600 ISO, (6) bias, (6) dark
Processing: P 3.75 - converted raw to FITS, calibrated with dark & bias, align-rotate 2 pt, combine median, digital development, sharpened using adaptive Richardson Lucy, star size reduction, converted to jpg, Photoshop CS4; levels, color balance, cropped, reduced size for web, unsharp mask,.
Comments: My tracking is way off. I had trouble getting a good polar alignment as can be seen by the oblong stars. There was also intermittent wind. My next attemp will be way better.