Triffid from Torquay QLD

[wayne anderson (Wayne)]

We have just moved from the dark sky of Ellalong NSW to the light polluted, humid and hot sky of Torquay QLD, a step backward in astrophotography but forward in other ways.
This is my 1st astrophoto from the Esplanade Torquay QLD, just checking if everything still works after the big move.

M20 Triffid Nebula
10 x 3min subs iso1600 + 20 darks
10 x 2min subs iso1600 + 20 darks
10 x 1min subs iso1600 + 20 darks
1hr total intergration

Scope: 12inch Meade LX200 at f6.3 (alt/az setup with Meade #1220 derotator)
Guider: Orion Off axis Autoguilder
Camera: Sony Nex-5n DSLR full spectrum modified
Software: PHD, DeepSkyStacker, Startools, Gimp

[rustigsmed (Russell)]

Really nice work Wayne, lovely colour well done from the new location. Have you got a light pollution filter? Also out of curiousity how long can you go on subs with the rotator?

Russ

[wayne anderson (Wayne)]

Thanks Russ, I don't have a light pollution filter at the moment but i think i might need one, i use the gradient wipe feature in the startools software when processing to reduce the effects of light pollution giving unwanted gradients in the image.

If the autoguiding is working well the derotator can handle 5min subs very well the max i have used is 10mins and results were still ok, most of the time light pollution limits me to 3 to 5min subs.

Wayne.

[rustigsmed (Russell)]

i found it so much easier to process and get more out of data once i got one. i'd definitely recommend looking into it
for example on a regular dslr image my max sub would be 70 seconds (at f4) after getting an astronomik cls ccd i could go to 3 mins. thats a fair difference of good signal vs bad signal. of course you need to get spacing to work.

nice, interesting stuff with the derotator, i was considering it once for my dob,
but it was getting complex with the changes in speed at varying altitudes.

although now a few years later with the new cmos cameras they are probably fine in alt az with the low read noise / high gain.

however all in all its a great result as is so there is definitely no rush for the filter just yet!

[rcheshire (Rowland)]

Very nice Wayne.

[cometcatcher (Kevin)]

Extremely nice image!