First Galaxies with new ZWOASI2600MC
Currently down at our weekender in the South Coast NSW ( Bortle 3 skies) for 2 weeks or so and took the opportunity whilst clear ( but windy ) on Tuesday and Wednesday nights to image some Galaxies with my new ZWOASI2600MC cooled OSC camera
25% and 30% lit setting moon
8” f5 Bintel GSO newt on an EQ6-R mount
ZWOASI2600MC with Baader coma corrector ( no filters )
Ascom control set to Highest Dynamic Range ( Gain 0 Offset 10 )
Camera cooled to -15C
Goto and tracking EQMOD StellariumScope and Stellarium
Frame focus and capture APT
PHD2 Guiding Tuesday night 1.00 to 1.20 arc sec error total rms
PHD2 Guiding Wednesday night 0.75 to 0.90 arc sec error total rms
NGC 253 Sculptor Galaxy
45 x 4 minute dithered guided subs
20 x darks
No flats
Included a meridian flip
NGC 55 String of Pearls or Whale Galaxy
42 x 4 minute dithered guided subs
20 x darks
No flats
Stacked in DSS
Processed in Startools V 1.6 OSC linear data set
During the NGC 253 capture I was being hit by wind gusts of 15 to 20 km /hr for the first hour with Ra spikes on PHD2 but the mount hung in there and didn’t lose to many subs
During the NGC 55 capture I didn’t realise that I was slightly out of focus until late in the evening. Biggest mistake was using a star too far away from the imaging object to test focus.I usually use a 2.0 to 2.5 mag star as close as possible to the imaging object to test focus.This was the only blemish on the capture
Very satisfied with the performance of the new 2600MC camera under windy and moon lit conditions
Comments most welcome
Thanks
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