M17 - swan

[jenchris]

Had a hit on this while I was waiting for the trees to clear.
4 x133 sec
2 x 211 sec
iso800

Surprised I got enough to get an image - I was going to get some more last night,but the wind was whipping the OTA about

[peeb61]

Really nice start Jennifer, detail starting to show. If you up the exposures you will be on your way for a nice image.
Is this a cropped image?

Paul

[renormalised]

Jen, have you got your guiding going??. If you've got it sorted out, try for some 5 min subs, say 10 or so, and stack those.

It's a good shot, though:)

Still don't think the silly thing looks like a swan. Looks more like a can opener!!!:):P

[jjjnettie]

It's a dying swan!
Nice one Jen. Coming along in leaps and bounds.

[multiweb]

As Carl said now you're guiding you have to start increasing those subs time dramatically. 300s and over then stack loads of them. Nice pic. :thumbsup:

[jenchris]

Thanks guys (and girl) - my guiding is working but I'm trying to get my rig to answer the call - being a Meade, it has severe jags in the graph and it loses control!!
I'm wondering what the problem is because when I set up, the thing sits on the SCP like it was glued and it goes to Octans and Rigil like a homing torpedo - within .25 degree in the eyepiece so it should be able to hold onto the star in the OAG - but it tends to wander off even if the graph stays centred - got me baffled, but I will overcome!!

Even with the seismograph lookalike it gives me round stars so it IS working but sort of loses concentration after 5 minutes and goes slewabout

[renormalised]

Sounds like something is slipping. When it goes haywire, is there any weird sounds coming from the drives...like ticking noises or ratcheting sounds??

[Greg Bock]

Hi Jen

You can have it well polar aligned, but it may not guide as smoothly as you expect. Your sub exposure approach is the best way to go where you combine as many as you can get, particularly for an LX90, and it looks like you have started that.
Try getting as many exposures as long as possible when the sky allows (yes, weather has been a real problem here in SE Qld for the last year or so) and combine them, and be prepared to throw away those that aren't round.

The key is to build up as many good quality sub images as possible but only use the good ones. I know, it takes time, but it will be worth it. If they were taken on the Gold Coast, you will have the background affected by local light pollution. One way to improve this is to get up to Leyburn sometime for better quality skies.

[jenchris]

I live in Ormeau which is actually pretty dark Greg- not far from Bannockburn (other side of Riverlea Acres in real terms) on acreage - I can see the milky way most nights - and the galactic centre is quite bright.
I'm not expecting great things from an LX90 since it isn't a wondrously accurate machine - so I try to balance it as well as possible and wait for favourable conditions.

I'm excited to get what I get and it's nice to sit quietly in my garden and tease the possums which come right up to me sometimes.

Thanks for the tips

[sjastro]

Jen,

Have you tried putting the mount slightly out of balance so that a load is being applied to the gears and provides resistance to the direction of movement of the mount in RA?

Regards

Steven

[Ross G]

Hi Jennifer,

Nice close up photo with good deatil.

Thanks.

Ross.

[Greg Bock]

Hi Jen,
Yes I know what you mean about sitting quietly and teasing the possums, when I had Bannockburn Observatory up to end 2007, there were endless nights when it felt like I had the sky to myself, while I shared it with the local wildlife calling distantly in the background such as the curlews, plovers, and possums. It all added to the whole experience. Rolling the roof back to close up at 1am was always done reluctantly on those nights, and I can clearly remember thinking I was so lucky to experience them!
Now that I am a little further north at Windaroo Lakes, I don't have the bush sounds as often, but I still count myself lucky that we have reasonably dark skies halfway between Brisbane and the Gold Coast. Keep up the good work.
Clear skies, and keep looking up.