NGC 6188 Tak FSQ106ED & QHY8

[Hagar]

This was a problematic image for me, but it was all my own fault!!

The image was to be a ripper consisting of 15 X 20 minute images but alas I didn't check my focus during the imaging session and with the temprature dropping from around 13 degrees to 3 degrees in a couple of hours my focus drift was quite large.
Anyone who knows these scopes will be aware of the small critical focus position and how a small change can totally stuff an image.

I ended up with 5 X 20 minute exposures I could use.

The image was cropped a little to get rid of some Ice which formed on tthe bottom of the CCD due to the low tempratures. Camera was somewhere around -40 degrees C.

Hi res image: http://www.darkskyau.com/cm/displayimage.php?pid=215&fullsize=1

Thanks for looking, I Know its not my best but it has been a while.

[strongmanmike]

Aw it's not that bad Doug, an image is an image and we've all seen much worse.

Funnily enough I have only imaged 6188 once and I had some trouble with it too :thumbsup:

Mike

[renormalised]

Nice piccie Doug, considering the trouble you had:D:thumbsup:

[TheDecepticon]

Looks ok, Hagar.:D I can never get anything decent on that one either!:sadeyes:

On a side note, did you know you were in Astronomy Magazine a month or so ago, Mike? Do you really lift boulders??:eyepop:

[Lester]

Very nice image Doug.

[strongmanmike]

Which issue (month) was that? - PM me. I've had a few images published in US Astronomy but I assume you are refering to a bit of a Bio on me...? Err yes, I "used" to lift boulders :screwy: :lol:

Mike

[gregbradley]

I agree, not too bad Doug. That must have been annoying though 5 hours of exposures not to your liking.

FSQ needs refocusing as you say about every 2C change in temp.

So if a cold change comes through then it'll be off. You can get a temperature compensating robofocus. You train the robofocus software to the scope and its temperature changes and it will adjust automatically.

Greg.

[multiweb]

Doug, you might want to chat to Monte Wilson. He got that sorted out by heating and insulating the OTA tube to keep both ends within a very small temperature differential. Some kind of regulated dew heater system. I think it's working great for him.

Opps. Picture's great by the way. :thumbsup: Nice colors and tracking. Stars a bit overwhelming and soft though due to your focus.

[toryglen-boy]

Hi Doug, thats still a very nice image regardless, even more so inlight of the problems you faced.

thanks for sharin'


:thumbsup:

[Paul Haese]

It looks pretty good for only 5 subs. Not much noise (mostly introduced from the resample for the forum no doubt) and colours look great too. I did this myself last year and managed to get 6 x 12 on it, but it was from light polluted Adelaide. On list for another shot at it from Clayton.

[RB]

Oh boy, loosing 200 minutes due to focus shift, I feel for you Doug, that would drive me crazy.
At least you got some data to use and it's turned out nicely for 100 minutes mate.

I stuffed up in a similar way one night because I hadn't tightened the clam shell onto the mount all the way down, it was just ever so slightly loose giving it a bit of play and half the data was ruined.

:(

[Hagar]

Thanks for the comments everyone.
Paul, Would be good from your dark site. It is fairly dim and takes a bit of teasing.
Andrew, Not as bad as the night I setup to shoot 5 hrs of 30 min exposures and forgot to start guiding. You can imagine 5 hrs of star trails, not nice.

[strongmanmike]

Doug, one would hope you either had a carbon fibre tube or temp compensating focuser? 5 hours of not checking and adjusting focus makes you a bad boy :mad2: :P

Mike

[Hagar]

:confused2::confused2::confused2:Te mperature was already down to -2 degrees and had been there for quite a while. Went to bed and left everything running overnight. Except my guider of course.:confused2::confused2::confu sed2:

[Octane]

Doug,

This area seems like the one region everyone has issues with!

I've had one attempt at it through a 10" SN and it came out crap. Admittedly, it was low on the horizon at the time and the mirror had dewed up.

Well done on a valiant effort, though. :)

Regards,
Humayun