Sculptor Galaxy from ludicrously bright skies...

[Peter Ward]

While it would be nice to have a dark sky at my observatory site...unfortunately 5 million other people in my neighborhood keep buggering it up....

This is not say sub-urban imaging is not possible. You just need to maximize
the signal to noise ratio....which, somewhat counter-intuitively, is what a larger aperture does.

Well, as per another thread, I've finally maxed-out the scope that will physically fit in the dome. The required tweaks are substantially done. The colour data will follow....but here is a lazy 90 minutes with the new 'scope.

The image link is here (http://www.atscope.com.au/BRO/AllunaRC16/AllunaTest2.html)

[topheart]

Wow! What a first light!

Sharp with beautiful contrast and definition.

Was that AOX guiding?

Anyway, the optics look half decent!;)

All the best with the new scope -- looking forward to the images you will produce with it.

Tim

[Joshua Bunn]

Absolutely love it Peter! Some fine detail and the contrast is like night and day. A few minor tweets needed as you say to fix up those stars... but it's looking superb! I look forward to what you will produce with it and congratulations on a beautiful setup!

[Slawomir]

Awesome result Peter, now looking forward to more images from Shire :thumbsup:

P.S. I know what you mean about light pollution - I used to shoot from a balcony in Rockdale, and that was pitch black comparing to what we have here in Paddy near Brisbane's CBD...

[gregbradley]

Superb Peter. You must be happy with that.

Greg.

[AlexN]

As I said with your recent test on NGC-1365 Peter, This is amazing for what is essentially a very quick image.

You must be very pleased.

What ever became of the 14" RCOS that has clearly been kicked out of its home?

[LewisM]

Hang on, surely you need 6 months to collimate it? :P

Yup, that be some fine imagery right there.

[Atmos]

I'd be more than happy with a shot like that :P I am definitely looking forward to seeing what this telescope can do!

[Peter Ward]

Let's see.. happy? Yes :) Clapping hands? Yes:

Thanks.. all that was required was the Taka collimation scope, then minor tweak during a star test. So, yes, just 176 days short of 6 months :)




Sold it a while ago now...a little too cheaply given the $AUD...but it's gone
to a good home.

Indeed. It's an absolute ripper of a scope. Set-up has been a breeze.:thumbsup:

I share your pain :)



Thanks Josh....Naturally the clouds are now rolling...but I'm very happy with the early results. 4 hours and an hour each of RGB should bring out some very faint structures.



Ta..Yes I used the AOX...but only a 2 Hz

[Placidus]

One's eyes rush to the sharpness and contrast. That is absolutely faultless. Close unequal doubles resolved. The detail and contrast in the dust lanes anywhere at all in the main galaxy. You must be delighted! Congratulations. Can't wait to see more.

Best,
Mike n Trish

[Bassnut]

Stunning detail and sharpness!. Given the mega months some have sorting issues, even with relatively premium gear, the speed you got to this stage is very impressive indeed. Have been watching your other thread on the Alluna with interest, its always interesting how things progress with new gear.

[Paul Haese]

Hmmm, not so easily impressed myself. :scared3: Have you got an image of similar scale to my image? I would have thought a scope of that value and being 4" bigger than my scope it would produce a more detailed image, especially given both images were taken with an AOX and at similar Hz values.

Don't get me wrong, it is sharp, but it did not elicit a wow from me, and I had expected it would.

[LewisM]

90 MINUTES vs 14 HOURS is not exactly a worthy comparison, and Peter does note it's not final tuned yet.

Personally, I MUCH prefer the AP Honders images to even the Alluna, but that is just a personal opinion. The AP just WOWS me - John's, Greg's and Peters (old) images with the Honders really impressed me.

[topheart]

My 2 cents.....unless you are comparing the two images taken at the same time and from the same place....apples isn't with apples:

Don't forget....different seeing can occur even at the same site from night to night.....Sydney versus country .....so many variables.....I would say from the preliminary data gathered - Peter can sleep easy knowing that the scope is awesome and will be an amazing tool for him to apply his incredible skills towards.

:D

Tim

[clive milne]

Really, I don't know when, if ever, Peter will be able to demonstrate the potential of this telescope given the limitations imposed by its location. (so forgive me if I don't join in the fan boi accolades at this point in time)

As much respect as I have for Peter as one of the most skilled practitioners of the art of imagining (in the world), and that the instrument he is using is world class, let's be real.... that image proves nothing.

fwiw) here is 253 under better skies and a functionally equivalent telescope (all be it with processing that I find jarring to my sensibilities) :

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/0911/NGC253_SSRO.jpg

I would take that as a bench mark and not a particularly hard one to match (given good seeing)

Peter can do better.

[codemonkey]

Well, I for one think it's a pretty damned good effort. Nice pic, and nice gear, Peter.... if one day I can afford such gear I'll be a very happy camper indeed.

[strongmanmike]

This thread is gold :rofl:

[DJT]

Hell yeah..:thumbsup:

[RobF]

Stunning first'ish light. Thanks for sharing.

And glad to see you've reached ludicrous speed (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygE01sOhzz0) with little fuss so far :D

[alpal]

Hi Peter,
that's amazing - but then again you have an almost 50 grand scope!

Well done.

cheers
Allan


PS - I'd like to see NGC 300 now.

[Peter Ward]

Rather than address the recent run of individual comments, for which I thank one and all :thumbsup:

...including Paul's frank and fearless view (we'll have to agree to disagree :) )

Here's what I've discovered so far about the new scope:

It's big. With nearly double the light collecting area of a 12", data comes in remarkably quickly.

The optics are superbly figured and quantified (26th wave RMS and a Strehl of 95% ).....but I didn't need the interferogram (supplied with the manual) to tell me this was the case.....The star test shows bright intra and extra focal rings it that are so identical it's hard to tell them apart.

The Zerodur mirrors show absolutely no focal drift from the optics as the temperature changes. Collimation is rock-solid regardless of the 'scopes orientation.

At the instrument end the system is also super stable. The 100m diameter fixed instrument couplings don't even creep a pixel with the AOX-FW5-STX16803 attached.

The Alluna 90mm field corrector and focal reducer ensure stars are perfect to the edge of a 16803 sensor field......I'll post some images to illustrate this soon. (Off-axis stars are needle-points out to 65mm odd...i.e. way beyond my 16803 sensor)

There is zero focus shift in the secondary focuser. Starlight stays on the same pixels when you reverse focus direction. Sure an Atlas focuser is great too...but this 'scope doesn't compel you to buy one.

The control software is slick, robust and Ascom compatible. SkyX picked up the focuser without a hitch, and worked flawlessly.

Back to the NGC253 data... I agree 6 subs in 2-3 arc second seeing does not make for a Hubble-esque image.

But...the rub for me was I did not have to spend months failing to get a result, then toss the entire OTA and install the optics in a more functional OTA version. Same with the focuser, then still have nagging issues with flexure.

Instead, after two nights of tinkering, I managed to pop out this image, in a bit over an hour.

As best as I can tell, it is seeing limited.

Yeah...I'm very comfortable with that.

[AlexN]

Two very enthusiastic thumbs up from me.

[gregbradley]

There's no doubt that it is a very fine instrument and will provide years of excellent imaging.

Greg.

[Paul Haese]

Nothing intended to piss anyone off, just observations. I am not getting all weak at the knees, just looking at things as they are and I am sure you know what I am saying Peter. You often are frank with my images and I think you would expect that from me.

Yes you did not have to change the OTA. I did and I had to spend a great deal of time tweaking this system. I would expect if you paid that sort of cabbage you would get fairly instant results.

In better seeing you are going to produce better results and I am going to reserve my first wow for when I see an image with a fair bit of integration and good seeing. Please don't leave that scope in Sydney, it deserves better.