[dylan_odonnell (Dylan)]

Hi guys,

First post to non-beginner deep space section. I hope I'm not being presumptuous!

This 1.2 hrs of integration from last night is actually taken on a one shot colour CCD, so it would have only taken 30m with a mono camera, and with better detail. I'm experimenting with baaders f2 highspeed narrowband for hyperstar.

An issue I'm having is that the field isn't focussed from edge to edge. If I focus on a star in the middle , one side is slightly off. It's focus, not alignment or field rotation because I can see the hollow stars in high res. Out of focus is left hand side on this image.

I believe this is because of the camera sag as the cables / weight of cam pull down so the chip isn't totally parallel to the optics. I have the adjustment ring between the QHY12 and the hyperstar lens to adjust for this but it has 3 screws so I'm not sure how to do this apart from twiddling for hours and checking on my imaging software the focus on one side, and then the other, and then back again. Surely this would take *forever* ! And then I'd lose the lot once I pack up for the night. Does anyone have any tips for this? If I can get it right, I'd probably leave the hyperstar / ccd / ota all connected for as long as I can before changing the filter so as not to throw it all out again.

Thanks in advance!

d