M31, M45, Lmc, Ngc 6752, M8, M20

[rogerg (Roger)]

G'day all,

Just had a nice weekend away at the ASWA Astro Camp with 2 clear nights. I had early drama's with half the first night taken up with pulling my GM8's RA assembly appart and putting it back togther, but after solving that I managed a few images over the 2 nights.

I was trying the 100-400mm lens again but ended up giving up on that due to the problems of focusing with the zoom/focus lock on.

All the images are here:
http://www.rogergroom.com/rogergroom...y.jsp?Item=654

I'm particularly happy with the M45 and LMC ones. They are both nice and sharp across the field. The M45 shows the most nebulosity I've ever got in a M45 image.

The M8 and M20 image shows quite a bit of distortion around the edges, yet it's using the same lens as the other shots - so not sure if it was just slightly out of focus or something.

The M31 has quite a bit of trailing but the autoguider was performing as accurately as it was for the others that don't have trailing, so I think that might have been due to atmospheric distortions, or the autoguider not performing well enough for that DEC, or balance changes, or something else like that.

There's a galaxy visible in the NGC 6752 shot that I'm not sure on it's designation. I like the wide crisp view of stars in this shot.

It was a great weekend and I had great fun taking the shots (and wandering around the field while I left the camera taking the shots).



Roger.

[iceman (Mike)]

Beautiful images, Roger. I like them all, particularly though the LMC and M45 as you say. But I'd also be happy with an M31 like that!!

Did you take dark frames with any of these?
What were you guiding with?

10 minute exposures! Drool!

[rogerg (Roger)]

Thanks Mike

Originally Posted by iceman

But I'd also be happy with an M31 like that!!

You're right - it's so rare that we even see it, let alone get to photograph it, so I am happy that I managed to snag it - didn't even know it was going to be up until someone on the field yelled out an exclamation about it being up

Originally Posted by iceman

Did you take dark frames with any of these?

Yeap, all had dark frames. Not many dark frames though, only one for each exposure length - not as many as I should have done. So i had to 'fade' the dark frames a little to simulate early/late evening (warmer/cooler). A bit dodgy, but it worked

Originally Posted by iceman

What were you guiding with?

I was guiding through my Megrez 80 prime focus (480mm) using my QuickCam Pro 4000. The software used was GuideDog.

I have previously found it an absolute pain guiding through my guidescope in the 6 point ring systems, and framing the subject, so I took the easy option this time - guide through the megrez and point the camera easily on it's ball-join tripod head. No fuss, easy to find a guide star, much more enjoyable.

I'm considering mounting the 70x700 guidescope on a ball-joint tripod head as a result, after all, it's significantly lighter than my L lenses so shouldn't be a problem. Medium duty tripod head.

Originally Posted by iceman

10 minute exposures! Drool!

It's nice to be able to do the long exposures, that's for sure. Once it's working, it's working, and 10 minutes isn't a problem. 20 minutes allows a little too much margin for error - someone pointing their laser pointer at the FOV or something like that, so I stick to 10 mins out in the field. Of course the problem is usually getting it all going in the first place

[h0ughy (David)]

they are very nice, be good to see same from other local

[[1ponders] (Paul)]

Lovely shots Roger, great effort. I struggle to get M31 looking good at times but you've really done a neat job on it.

[Garyh]

I agree..very nice Roger I like the ngc-6752 and M45 shots and M31...ahh heck they are all very nice!!
cheers

[Ric]

What a wonderful set Roger, well done. They are all sharp and detailed and show a lovely natural colour.

Top stuff

[rogerg (Roger)]

Thanks all

hOughy - I think I am the only one at our Astro Camp's taking pictures, so you're unlikely to see any more from the event There's about 40 people at them, but all but maybe one other do visual astronomy.

The club has other astrophotographer's, but for some reason they don't turn up to Astro Camp

[jase (Jason)]

Very enjoyable images Roger. Don't let the ST7 sit on a shelf for too long.

[EzyStyles (Eric)]

you went on an imaging spree roger. fantastic images. fav were m45 and LMC .

[Tamtarn]

That's a great collection of images Roger. The lens is sure capturing plenty of detail. Very natural colours and subtle processing.

[RB (Andrew)]

They're all very nice Roger, good work !!!
My fav is LMC, very nice image scale.