Keyhole in IR

[multiweb]

Got the CN-212 out to play Saturday and Sunday. Beaute night Sunday, Saturday very very windy until 2:00am but it was good to set up, balance everything and star guiding, etc... Sunday was a breeze in comparison. :lol:

So I managed a bit over 2.5h, 35x300s of the best subs. Seeing was alright on Sunday as well. Got better as the night progressed. Guiding was ok. The G11 behaved. I just need to find a system so I can focus the lodestar easily, maybe a threaded ring to move it up and down. At the moment it's a bit of a pita.

I attached a couple of 1:1 crops of the good bits. Too little data yet to do any meaningful sharpening so this is straight off the stack.

1:1 here [3336x2496 - 2.5MB] (http://www.astropic.net/astro/NGC3372_CN-212_IR_121.jpg)

HD here [1920x1437 - 846KB] (http://www.astropic.net/astro/NGC3372_CN-212_IR_HD.jpg)

Left the scope setup and want to get more data tomorrow night. Might also do a groovy blend with a Ha channel I have with the same scope later on. :evil:

Enjoy the views. :thumbsup:

Added Ha IR color blend

1:1 here [3336x2496 - 2.5MB] (http://www.astropic.net/astro/NGC3372_CN-212_IRHa_121.jpg)

HD here [1920x1437 - 846KB] (http://www.astropic.net/astro/NGC3372_CN-212_IRHa_HD.jpg)

[Dennis]

Loved the full sized version Marc, you seem to have that CN-212 dialed in very nicely.:)

Cheers

Dennis

[multiweb]

Thanks Dennis. :thumbsup: I have sorted out some flex I had in the focuser at the back so that's stiff now. There's still some collimation issues but I'm pretty close now. It's sharp alright when the conditions are great.

My guiding is stil not up to it though at that FL. It's hit and miss with balance, etc... . If I had a permanent setup I could fine tune but with packing and unpacking from the pier repeatability is not straight forward (saying it politely). :)

[peter_4059]

Hey Marc,

Have you seen this focuser design for the loadstar?

https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/537533-kiss-focuser/

[multiweb]

Thanks Peter, yeah I'm aware of that one. I considered it at some stage but it's a bit bulky and wouldn't fit on my starlight xpress OAG with the back spacing to come into focus. I was thinking of a setup where I could have a threaded ring on the OAG prism rod to adjust up and down under the lodestar.

[multiweb]

Managed another 6h on it last night until 2:30am when I lost the guide star in the M7 :cool:

Here's a couple of pics of the scope while imaging. In order South Horizon, Southern cross, Milky way (somewhere) and West horizon. Moon wasn't up yet.

[Atmos]

That’s one super shiny Mewlon!

[FlashDrive]

Nice open sky there ....:thumbsup:

[multiweb]

Silver foil bubble wrap. Great for bling. And imaging in IR. :)


Yeah it's open alright but it's full of unwanted light. As the sun goes down it gets brighter than during daylight. :lol:

[Dennis]

Nice rig Marc :) and I can really sympathise with your frustration at the nightly set up and tear down operations.:sadeyes:

Cheers

Dennis

[multiweb]

I've had a pier for a number of years which sooths the pain a little but the longer the FL the harder it gets. Hard to do incremental changes from one night to the other. :shrug:

[multiweb]

Some pseudo 3D fun with the latest startools.

http://www.astropic.net/astro/NGC3372_CN-212_IRHa_HD_stereo.html

[Peter Ward]

The 3D thingy is cool :thumbsup: