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View Full Version here: : Eta from Springwood, NSW


skysurfer
07-02-2018, 08:35 AM
Yesterday night it was clear and tried to capture a classic.

Not completely dark as there was a light dome in the east from Sydney, but despite that, I tried with the ED110 prime focus, with reducer f/5.6 (600mm FL).
So I could not get beyond 2 minutes to prevent overexposure.
The flats are not ideal (or I did wrong something else). I made 17 frames (then clouds moved in), stacked with Photoshop CC 2018 and divided it by a master flat. I had to adjust the histogram of the flat towards the center.
On the left there is some defocusing, I don't know why.
The light pollution is not that ugly orange anymore, due to LEDs instead of HPS lamps, which makes it easier to post process. So for me, street LEDpoles have an advantage.

The coming days I want to move further into the darker locations.

Comments welcome.

RugbyRene
07-02-2018, 12:21 PM
Looks nice to me.

xelasnave
07-02-2018, 12:28 PM
Looking good.
I am happy to hear you are getting some astro done.
I hope the weather is kind to you.
Alex

bigjoe
07-02-2018, 01:02 PM
Looks like a good scope that Skysurfer..thought of getting one myself for grab and go...nice images it takes.

Good to see your enjoying, and making full use of the skies here Skysurfer....check out some doubles too e.g. Upsilon Carinae , Gamma Volantis, Gamma Velorem, Acrux , etc...up on the mountains is a great spot to see some of our wonders of land and sky..Enjoy.

bigjoe.

skysurfer
08-02-2018, 08:50 AM
Thenks for the suggestion for the double stars.

Yesterday another try: 47Tuc 21x2 min), but the field was too small (2.2x3.3˚) to fit the SMC into it. On the left you see the outskirts of the SMC. Next time try with the Canon 300mm.
Polar alignment was a piece of cake: centering BQ Oct in the field of the polar scope as I did in earlier times in the southern hemisphere.

Unfurtunately, I have no flats as I rotated the scope and theflats are only valid for one particular rotating position.