Eta Carina (6x600sec)

[dugnsuz]

Hello...

Attached is my first attempt at Eta Carina this season using the much improved EQ5 mount. Tracking/Autoguiding is now so much better than before and the mount isn't stiff or jerky in both axes of motion.
Very happy with the improvement.

Astrophotography is a very strange hobby in that as one problem is fixed, another pops its head up calling out for attention!
Now that my tracking/guiding is performing well, I can push exposure times - but this significantly increases the coma at the edges of the ED80 field of view. So I'm having to crop a bit more - a WO flattener/reducer is needed!

Scope: Skywatcher ED80 Pro on (improved) Skywatcher SynScan EQ5 mount, autoguided using PHD, an 80mm AOE Achromatic refractor and Phillips Toucam.

Camera: Unmodded Canon 40D

Exposures: Lights - 6x600 seconds, Darks 7x600 seconds

All at iso400, No noise reduction

Processed/Stacked in ImagesPlus, then touched-up in Photoshop CS.

Tried the "No in camera noise reduction" method with this one and took some darks to experiment. I'm quite happy with the way it turned out, and it allowed me to image more objects in the one session.

Cheers for looking
Doug:thumbsup:

[theodog]

Looks Good.
Yes, a bit like knitting -fix one, create one -drop sub.
Well done

[iceman]

Excellent work, Doug! How dark are your skies, to be able to go 10 minutes?

Definitely get the WO 0.8x type II flattener/reducer - I've got one (on Paul Russell's recommendation) and I love it. Flattens the field nicely, and turns the f/7.5 600mm scope into an f/6 480mm scope.

[dugnsuz]

Cheers Mike
Skies are pretty dark! Eta was lower in the horizon than I would have liked too!!!!!
See this map for my location in comparison to the "bright Lights" of Adelaide.
http://maps.google.com.au/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&time=&date=&ttype=&q=hahndorf,+SA&ie=UTF8&ll=-35.029434,138.810196&spn=0.39246,0.917358&z=11&iwloc=addr&om=1

[beren]

:thumbsup: congrats Doug, fine image

[RB]

Well done Doug, beautiful result !!

:thumbsup:

[Stephen65]

Really nice image

[leon]

Nice one Doug, now that you have that mount in tip top shape there will be no stopping you, well done.

I wish I could get 10 mins subs at 400 Iso, sky fog is very apparent at 3-4 mins from where I'm imaging.

Leon

[Hagar]

Great image Doug. Must try with on camera NR off. I like the detail and wispyness(don't think it is a real word but hope you understand) in the nebula.
Great shot

[dugnsuz]

"wispness" is good
I'm the man that described leon's LMC as "fizzy" after all!!!:lol:
Thanks for the comments
Doug:thumbsup:

[dugnsuz]

You've seen my skies down here leon - they're not too shabby eh?
Cheers
Doug:thumbsup:

[Ric]

Very nice image Doug, you've brought out some nice details especialy in the dark dust lanes.

Cheers

[jase]

Corker of an image Doug. Well done. Those 10min subs really worked to your advantage. Keep up the good work.

[leon]

Hey Doug, what happened to the pic of Eta, seems to have vanished from the post.

Leon

[Geoff45]

Yep, I can't see it either.
Geoff

[dugnsuz]

Oops sorry chaps - tried to modify it and removed it by mistake!
It's back now
Doug

[astroAJ]

Cool image

:eyepop:

astroAJ

[Tamtarn]

Now that's a super image Doug :thumbsup:
10mins with the good old EQ5 :eyepop:

The 40D is certainly performing well. So well in fact your causing us to spend a bit more money sooner than we had planned :lol:

Thinking of a 350D or a 400D but in reading reviews and seeing some super images being produced now we'll go for the 40D. May have to wait a bit longer but we're sure the extra dollars will be worth it:D

[dugnsuz]

You won't regret it Barb and David.:D
Go the whole hog and get it modded too!!!:P (...or mod the Pentax!?)

LiveFocus is a lifesaver for accurate focusing too.

Thanks for the comments on the pic.
All the best
Doug:thumbsup:

[dugnsuz]

Thanks astroAJ:)
Cheers
Doug:thumbsup:

[EzyStyles]

hey doug nicely done ETA. colours looks superb. !

[dugnsuz]

Thanks a lot Eric
All the best to all for 2008
Cheers
Doug:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

[2020BC]

This is a great image, Doug. Great tracking on an EQ5. Look forward to more of these from you. You are going great guns.:thumbsup:

[dugnsuz]

Thanks Bill,
The EQ5 is surprising me too - I didn't expect it to perform as well as it has with the autoguiding.
Cheers
Doug:thumbsup:

[dannat]

nice photo - a great job:thumbsup:

[dugnsuz]

Cheers Daniel
Doug:thumbsup:

[h0ughy]

wow what a fantastic result