NGC 362 Globular Cluster

[Startrek (Martin)]

Last night captured NGC 362 a small 6.5 magnitude globular cluster located in the constellation of Tucanae next to the SMC
Used the PPEC algorithm in PHD2 for the first time and had my guiding on the HEQ5 at sub arc sec error for the first time ever, although dithering was still shaking the guiding around a lot
40 x 2 minute dither guided subs
20 x darks
Canon 600D with Baader coma corrector
ISO 800
6” f6 newt on a HEQ5 mount
PHD2 guiding using PPEC algorithm in lieu of Hysteresis 0.90 to 1.20 arc sec error
Stacked in DSS
Processed in Startools

Thanks for looking , comments welcome

[Kev11 (Kevin)]

Always glad to see Globulars on the forum. Yours, Martin, set a standard to aim for.
I am still coming to grips with the adding colour idea. Aesthetically your tinge of blue is appealing, but then I have read elsewhere a detailed argument that if anything the majority of astronomical objects tend to the red end of the visual spectrum!
I am particularly impressed with your images given your location. I am lucky enough to be able, on a good night, to get a single image of a bright object just as good as stacked subs.
Cheers

[Sunfish (Ray)]

Very nice little cluster. Like Tuc they all seem to be a great mixture of blue and yellow stars and somehow very hard to get tight. I think the blue ones are Blue Strugglers and are very old. I am not sure why we notice these unless they tend to be very old and distant and one normally would not focus on a bunch of stars and their colour mix.

[Startrek (Martin)]

Thanks Kevin and Ray
In Sydney I’m limited to maximum 2 minute subs and even then it’s a battle to clean up all the noise and gradient.The sensor on my Canon 600D is probably picking up 90% garbage and 10% good signal
So globular clusters and the brighter Nebula are the only objects worth imaging and Im getting some good results
Im fortunate to have a dark site ( our weekender ) near Ulladulla which has Bortle 3 skies and my 8” f5 newt and EQ6-R is stored there
I can chase after anything down there, especially the dimmer galaxies
Heading down next week for 2 weeks so hope to get a few good nights with the bigger rig if the weather is kind
Cheers