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View Full Version here: : SMC in 3nm N[II] with Turnbuckles

avandonk
22-06-2013, 07:42 AM
The whole optic train now only moves about one pixel of the PL16803 camera (9 micron) over a two hour mount movement even near the SCP where the lateral gravitational forces change at a far faster rate. The 187mm FL Tal finder mounted on the RH200 used as a guider tracks the PMX mount better than one second of arc RMS.

SMC exposures in 3nm NII, 16x16 minutes at -40C. Even with 3nm filters when the Moon is near full gradients get very noticeable with exposures longer than 15 minutes.

Full res image 10MB

http://d1355990.i49.quadrahosting.com.au/2013_06/SMC_NII_T.jpg

Full res inverted image 10MB

http://d1355990.i49.quadrahosting.com.au/2013_06/SMC_NII_TI.jpg


This is about as good as I can get the whole system to perform. If the Moon is not present I can do one hour exposures or more. Will do a very deep narrow band of the SMC.


I do have some one hour exposures of the Helix Neb. Still in the process of getting enough darks at -40C.


Bert
multiweb
24-06-2013, 06:01 PM
Lot of fluff in there. Pretty cool field. :thumbsup:
strongmanmike
24-06-2013, 09:23 PM
The turn buckles look to be doing their thang!

Amazing amount of gas in the SMC there :eyepop:

Mike
Ross G
24-06-2013, 10:48 PM
Amazing detail Bert.....you are so close to perfection!

Good luck.

Ross.
avandonk
26-06-2013, 08:42 AM
Managed to get two more panels. Need at least another two.

Large image here 11MB

http://d1355990.i49.quadrahosting.com.au/2013_06/SMC_NII_3P.jpg


I also modified the ITS by drilling and tapping the top plate to take bolts to hold the camera hard against the bottom adjustable plate. They are the ones with the levers. This makes vertical adjustment easy in the dark.

Bert
multiweb
26-06-2013, 04:21 PM
Awesome.
Nico13
26-06-2013, 05:18 PM
Awesome to say the least there Bert, that's a serious bit of construction work you've got going there, not only turnbuckles but "G" clamps and the bathroom towel, :P but paying big dividends by those images :thumbsup:
The finished article should be pretty good.
avandonk
27-06-2013, 08:00 AM
Here is a version of a full mosaic 7MB. The FoV is 5.5 X 6.3 degrees.

http://d1355990.i49.quadrahosting.com.au/2013_06/SMC_NII_MOS.jpg

Gradients were a problem as the top part was collected with the SMC low in the sky.


Bert
avandonk
27-06-2013, 05:01 PM
You just cannot hitchhike around the Universe without a towel! Douglas Adams.