Okay, so I've got myself a decent setup to start with I think. I'm working on all the software and I'm getting polar alignment down. So now I want to know just how far I can take things with the equipment I have, plus what the recommended approach is. I think the Eta Carinae nebula is a good practice target, since it's bright and easily photographed through the light pollution, everyone has shot it, and it has lots of nice little details in it.
So a crop of my latest attempt is here:
http://astrob.in/172435/0/
and I've also included a close up of the finger of god below.
Setup is:
- Skywatcher 8" f/5 reflector
- AZ EQ6 mount
- QHY5L-II mono on a Orion 50mm mini guidescope guided with PHD2
- Canon 700D DSLR at prime focus
- All controlled with EQMOD from a laptop
Settings for the photos were 12 x 5 minute exposures, stacked in deep sky stacker with some tweaks to colours and curves in photoshop. Polar alignment using PHD2 drift alignment tool.
Given my setup, how can I improve on the examples I've provided? How much better can it get given the equipment I have? Clearly lots of people on here have taken exquisitely detailed shots of this nebula, but with different setups and much more experience.
I want to get the most out of what I've got, but aren't sure which way to go. More exposures? Shorter exposures? Longer exposures? Better polar alignment? Coma corrector (one is on the way)? Light pollution filter (also on the way)? Better processing? Darker site? ....
Any suggestions or even examples of what others have achieved with similar equipment on NGC 3372 would be greatly appreciated.