NGC 2903 Galaxy in Leo - QHY9 Mono/8 Inch Newt

[RobF]

Hi all

The purchase of my QHY9 and very average weather slowed my progress imaging objects listed in Glen Cozen's "All Sky Messier Catalogue". This is one is a reasonably bright barred spiral in Leo (apparent Mag 9.7) that Mssr Messier missed, although certainly brighter than many others he did catalogue.

There don't seem to have been many shots of this one posted, so thought I'd share before whacking on the website. I did start on some RGB frames, but between clouds and the neighbours roof I wasn't able to glean any more. I'm happy this is a nicely representative shot though, albeit pushed fairly hard.

Thanks for looking


3x5mins + 2x10mins mono (Lum) only
QHY9 + MPCC/IDAS on 8 Inch Newt
Cropped to about 30% of Prime Focus field

[peter_4059]

Looks like you are making some good progress with the QHY9 Rob. You are managing to get some nice long subs - how is the guide scope attached?

Peter

[RobF]

Umm - pretty basic - at least to your engineering sensibilities I suspect Peter! The rings had been drilled out and extra adjustment bolts added. I bought the refractor, "rings" and a cheap webcam 2nd hand on IIS late '08.

Refractor is a basic cheap Meade with a dodgey plastic focuser, although the autoguider is usually sitting in a flip mirror assembly with the USB lead coming through clips over the back of the Newt's mirror. Rings screwed straight down onto the Newt's rings with no mounting bar. Both scopes fit in the original box like this, and it save weight + keeps the guidescope centre of gravity a bit closer to the mount. Since upgrading to the Orion autoguider I almost never have to move the guidescope to find a guide star (or even use the flip mirror) but it earns its keep sometimes in very starless fields.

The interesting thing is that all behaves surprisingly well once it settles on an object. I probably don't have the weight capacity to do a proper guidescope assembly either I suspect (or the time/money currently :))

Focus motor is proving very useful - did some fiddling and made a right angle bracket from some angle iron from Bunnings and used your brass? adaptor fitting. OTAs were still drying out in the living room, so snapped off some pics...

[peter_4059]

It seems to be performing quite well. I've battled with flexure with my guide scope for some time - changed to heavier focuser, heavier SBS bar and it has improved but I still see a bit of drift in the long exposures. Good to see the focus motor worked out for you.

[RobF]

D'oh - realise now I really hashed dealing with the gradient in this pic. Should have darkened the room this morning before processing! Sigh. Oh well, was pleased to pull out some of the fainter arm structure.