Tarantula from glebe

[Zuts]

Hi Guys,

Tarantula under a full moon from Glebe. No filters.

7 by 300 sec lights, 6 by 300 sec darks
SBIG 2000 XCM @ -15c
TV85 with 0.8 reducer
EQ6
DSS average + PS2

First time out of my backyard with an inverter

Thanks for looking

Paul

[leon]

Well Paul, Full Moon, No Filters, Wow, :eyepop: you have done very well indeed with that one, keep em coming.

Leon :thumbsup:

[Matty P]

A great capture considering there was a full Moon! Very well done.

Looking forward for more. :thumbsup:

[skwinty]

Hi Paul
Good looking spider!
How are you finding the inverter performance and stamina?
Which inverter did you eventually get?
Keep posting your shots. They are worth looking at!:thumbsup:

[dugnsuz]

Lots of detail in there Paul, well done
Look forward to a Tarantula under a new moon!
Nice
Doug

[Ric]

Well done Paul, a lovely image.

Cheers

[Zuts]

Thanks Leon, when I said no filters i meant no LP filters. I was still using the SBIG uv/ir filter.



Thanks Matty. I was surprised. Normally with my DSLR i could only go 3 minutes without filters. For some reason with the SBIG i can easily go 5 and maybe more, without filters without the LP and moon washing out everything.



Thanks Steve.

I got the 300 watt pure sine wave inverter. I have only used it for about 1.5 hours but it was still going strong. If it lasts say 2.5 hours then one more battery and the SBIG field unit should see me through the night.



Thanks Doug. A new moon does not make a great deal of difference in Glebe as I am only a few km from the center of Sydney. Eventually I will get out to a dark sky site and see what this camera can actually do :).



Thanks Ric.

[gbeal]

Looking good Paul, focus could still be a touch soft, but the tracking/guiding is great. No flats though? It will help with the vignetting. You will be enjoying the camera now I would think.
Gary

[Zuts]

Thanks Gary,

Focus is always a problem. It was my first night away from the backyard and the clouds were coming so i rushed it. I have some stuff for sale and if it goes then a Feathertouch or TCF-S is on the list.

I am enjoying the camera but am still learning. Once I have the focus sorted then Flats are next and then I will open her up and get the CCD cleaned.

Then i will be away, i hope :)

Paul

[gbeal]

Focus just takes time, and while I use FocusMax, it is no magic bullet. The focus can be obtained just as well with the sub-frame method, so persevere.
Flats are not that hard. In my case, when I had a refractor, I built a light=box. But with the 8" I simply point it at an interior wall, illuminated by a set of fluorescent tubes, and shoot these as I pack up. Try some and see. If you are always using the refractors, then consider building a light-box.
Think twice about opening it up though, learn to live with the dust, unless it is very dirty.
Gary

[EzyStyles]

not bad Paul, tracking seem pretty good however, abit of gradient around the edges. did you apply any flats to the image?

[Zuts]

Thanks Eric,

Man, i see i am going to have to take some flats :)

Actually I cheated a bit and used the healer in CS2 to get rid of them dust bunnies. I read an article on AstroInsight magazine about using the lappie screen to take flats and since it looks like the rain may be back will give it a try.

Paul

[EzyStyles]

definitelyyy got to take flats. personally, i think it is even more important than darks since you are using a cooled CCD. What you can do is use the white T-shirt technique, cover the scope with it and point it to the sky around when the sun sets then shoot roughly 10 frames will be enough. add those 10 frames in DSS then stacking your light frames.