Hi All,
Haven't posted for a while since between weather, work and being determined to get my tracking/guiding/polar alignment sorted out I didn't get a chance to image anything worth sharing... until a week ago when I had a breakthrough with the guidiing and long exposure... in 2 words "cracked it".
Now I'm able to do (i think) indefinite time exposures.. on the test I did a 30 minute sub and the stars were perfectly round.
The Horsehead nebula consists of 15 minute subs through a baader 7nm HAlpha filter but the subs didn't drift at all in the 5 images captured, so I could have a sub of at least 75 minutes.
While waiting for the Horsehead to move into prime photographic position I tried to image M31 Andromeda Galaxy.. but the subs are short, only 3 minutes since I didn't guide those exposures... I had a guide star already framed up in the guider from previous nights Horsehead tests and didn't want to have to locate one again, so I didn't change the setup.
Can't wait to do more exposures on the horsehead, perhaps lower ISO 200-400.. but expose for about 30 minute subs to try to take down the amount of noise...
Horsehead
5 x 15minute ISO800 Canon 40D (Astromodded)
Andromeda
20 x 180s ISO800 (unguided)
Thanks for looking...
Mariusz