So noob it's not funny!

[azkaz]

Hi all, so had my first crack ever at deep space ap. Ed80 on HEq5pro with ASI294MC-Pro, recorded with basic ZWO software, auto processed with Registax and touched up with PhotoscapeX.
Super happy to see anything to be honest!Especially after leaving the scope lense cap on for 15 minutes and wondering why I couldn't see anything.
I would welcome and and all feedback on the photo. It seems a bit blurred and there's some sort of purple distortion in the photo. Not really sure what it is.
It's NGC 1975 in Orion.
Thanks
Aaron

[carlstronomy]

You have stars, my first was not much different to yours :)

Guess what you are hooked now, welcome to the world of sleepless nights!!!

[multiweb]

Nicely done. :thumbsup: All fun now onwards.

[RyanJones]

Welcome to the addiction Aaron.

Don't worry about leaving you lense cap on, I've played around d with my ISO and sub length wondering why I couldn't get much in my camera only to realise I'd left my bahtinov mask on.

It's a great start. Keep cracking on, it's not an easy game to play but it's incredibly rewarding :thumbsup:

[Karlzburg]

Round stars is a great start 👍🏼 my first was a crappy 40 sec sub with star tails, all it did was give me the AP bug more.
I've done the same Ryan, left the mask on and wondered why I couldn't see many stars until I zoomed and and realised lol

Have a look around and see what free software is good for the ZWO cameras. I think astrophotography tool ( APT ) and Sharpcap will handle it, both are free to use. APT can control your heq5 too. I could keep going lol

Keep at is all I can say. As Carl said welcome to sleepless nights.

Cheers
Karl

[azkaz]

Thanks for the encouragement!
Another member said that the purple "stain" on the photo is actually chromatic aberration related to my scope, an ED80. How does one remove that?

[multiweb]

https://www.baader-planetarium.com/en/baader-fringe-killer-filter.html

[RyanJones]

As Marc linked to, with a filter. In the mean time though, star reduction in post processing helps and also a bit of a cheeky way is to back down the blue channel in the high lights.

[azkaz]

Thanks, appreciate that, I will look into one. Can multiple filters be used as once?
Ie I have a 2"nebula filter already. Can 2 filters be threaded in simultaneously?
Another basic question, how do you focus your camera for DSO?
Is it just by using short exposures and adjusting till everything seems sharp?
Is there a particular star or DSO that is commonly used to set the focus for infinite?

Thanks.:)

[RyanJones]

Bahtinov mask is your answer here. You can buy them or make them totally up to you but I and I'd say most people that don't have software doing it for them would swear by them. Basically you take photos of a bright star in the centre of your frame and the bahtinov mask creates defraction lines. When all the lines are evenly spaced, you're at infinite focus. It's dead easy and if you have live veiw you don't even have to take test shots, just zoom in to the star and adjust till the lines are right. Google it and you'll see what I'm talking about. Any bight star will do.

[azkaz]

Bahtinov mask is a go! :2thumbs:
Another problem I'm having is balancing the scope on the mount.
With the .85 reducer/flatener, 55 mm spacer between the reducer and the camera and the largish 294mc camera, then wind the focuser out a bit for focus, the balance is always biased towards the camera. I have pushed the OTA as far forward as I can in the rings and have slid the dovetail as far forward as I can till it hits the allen key bolts and I have run out of adjustment.
Is this normal or something to be concerned about? I understand that an unbalanced scope will add extra strain and wear on the gears etc and can also throw out tracking.
Thanks again.:thumbsup:

[Karlzburg]

You may need a longer dovetail to get around that problem. I read somewhere of people doing that so they can balance better. The dovetail hung out the back more by 70+ mm. I found that problem when I had the ED72 it was very back heavy and I was using a flattener and DSLR.

Did you get out last night to image?

[RyanJones]

The problem with using a longer dovetail as Katl has suggested it that you can get flex in the dovetail and to where it joins. You'd be effectively canterlevering the scope. Although it will solve one problem, it may introduce another. I'm not sure what the weight of your entire setup is but if you have room for extra weight, you could mount a weight on the front tube ring. Again not knowing your exact setup, I can't say where but on my tube rings I have dovetail fixings on both sides of the rings. You could add a weight on the opposite side that your dovetail mounts to on the front ring.

[azkaz]

No I didn't get out last night unfortunately, going to make my own mask first.:thumbsup:

Thanks for the suggestions there. The total weight of the ED80, plus camera and attachments is 4.7 Kgs, so well below the stated payload of 13.7 Kgs. Do you have a link to the longer dovetail or the weights on Bintel or the like?

My scope has done a weird thing twice now. I was looking at the Pleiades and thought I would slew to the Andromeda galaxy. Instead of just heading from a NE to North bearing, it basically did a 360 turn to get to Andromeda. From NE to E, to S to W and then to Andromeda. It found it no worries but is it normal for it go the long way around, I had to watch the leads etc. I'm controlling by the handset at the moment.

Thanks.