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Old 05-11-2013, 12:04 AM
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Peter Ward
Galaxy hitchhiking guide

Peter Ward is offline
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: The Shire
Posts: 8,475
AO-X NGC253 first light

I often marvel at the sophistication of equipment that is available to amateur astronomers, and given today was first light for my AO-X, I'm happy to say that sense of awe continues.

Seeing in Sydney was not great. Convective cloud and blustery conditions prevailed. But, as the postman had delivered a custom adapter from the USA late afternoon, I figured it was time to end a 4 year wait....

Software and calibration routines worked seamlessly, even better there was a suitably bright guide star to allow a 10Hz guide rate with none other than NGC 253 nicely centred in a rather vast Honders + STX 16803 field.

Swiftly passing cumulus allowed only a single 10 minute exposure.

Not flats, they will have to wait until I can get some twilight data...hopefully tomorrow..

I stress this was a *single* 600 second image, from Sydney's light polluted suburbs. No colour, noise as expected....but....I think the system shows much promise

The result is here (apologies for the 3 meg file)
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