Well done Bert. I like the reasoning as you probably have heard it all before on what can go wrong with an imaging train. But as you say f3 with 3.5 degrees square is right at the edge and it all has to be right. The only way to get to the bottom of it is one step at a time and with care. M42 is my favourite.
Allan
Quote:
Originally Posted by avandonk
These are basically test images and are a sort of record as I eliminate or suppress all the bogeys of sensor alignment and focus, flexure, polar alignment and tracking.
I did decide a while ago to ignore current wisdom as it was full of misconceptions and fairy tales.
Imaging at F3 and with a field of 3.5 X 3.5 degrees is a very big ask for star image perfection. Just look at the central part of any image of this system and that is what most others attain albeit at F5 or F10, with nowhere near the speed!
I always show down to the noise because if it is not there you are throwing away data. It is a alot like airbrushing magazine models as it is not real!
This new system has tested my expertise and knowledge. One thing I have found it is difficult to differentiate rotation/drift from sensor alignment from one image. I have followed strict scientific procedure to change one variable at a time to establish the problem and then minimise it.
One solution to the star elongation problem is to only publish low resolution images where all the stars are blocky. That way the perfection of the image is affirmed by all!
Bert
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