Ohhhhhhhhhhh baby!!!

[LewisM]

Man, I LOVE this Baby Q!!! (Takahashi FSQ85ED)

Last night started cloudy, but by 2300, the sky was clear, FRIGID, and seeing was easily 9.5/10 - best seeing I have EVER seen in QLD (I was able to observe M42 EASILY unaided from suburbia - the nebulosity was that distinct!). The temperature dropped to 10.2° by 4am (or so my Synscan told me - I never even knew it had a temp sensor).

I imaged the Helix Nebula, NGC55 and my absolute favourite, M78. Helix I only got an hour on before our high roof line blocked the view. I got 2 hours on NGC55, and am processing it a little now.

I managed just 2 x 10 minute subs on M78 before I got too cold soaked and dawn was rapidly approaching (the waking Kookaburras were laughing at me and telling me to go to bed!). I cannot believe the below is a mere 20 minutes on M78! It's almost as good as the 2 hours I did with the FL102S last year (though of course not as deep as the FL102S image).

The colour rendition by this OSC (yes, One Shot Colour) FLI Microline ML8300C is astounding - I have had to do VERY few tweaks to bring out the OIII that is so evident. The H-a is JUST starting to peek out a bit, but will shoot it with the H-a filter in place next time (doing NB with OSC is REALLY easy - don't let anyone tell you otherwise!). The FLI sat at -30° all night, seemingly begging to go colder. No need - the subs are VERY clean, and I just used MaxIM auto-dark subtraction - no flats or bias yet. Yes, naturally, the SNR is not up yet, so it is lack-lustre and a touch noisy.

So, as Spring advances and summer comes, M78 will get higher earlier, making my life easier in my grand plan to continue my legacy to get a minimum of 24 hours on this lovely nebula. Using the current rig is going to make life SO easy!

Criticism please, but remember, this is a scaled down version of a total of 20 minutes Be considerate

Better version: http://www.astrobin.com/118609/

Big version: http://www.astrobin.com/full/118609/0/

Damned satellite trail... and I forgot to dither

[SimmoW (SIMON)]

needs more stretching? Can't see it!

[LewisM]

Suitably stretched

[LewisM]

Here's the best I can do with only 1 hour on the NGC 7293 Helix nebula:

Large: http://www.astrobin.com/full/118612/0/

JPEG below

[multiweb (Marc)]

Very good field.

[johnnyt123 (John)]

Good captures for the short exposure times...

however i see some very straight lines running obliquely down the shot of M78 and another more horizontally in the Helix capture...

camera issue or shooting star?

[LewisM]

Satellites. Mentioned it at very bottom of first post.

[atalas]

Looks very promising Lewis...hope you get some good weather for more exposure time soon dude!

[LewisM]

Thanks Louie.

The vignetting bugs me, but that is not due to the scope or the camera, it's due to needing to use a 2" tube that extends INTO my extension tube too far, clipping the light path - the custom made tube coming will resolve this issue, as it will step down from M72 to 2" AT the camera, not some distance in front.

Tonight looks average, but may try again after 11pm and see. Just about given up on Helix and NGC55 - I am totally M78 obsessed. I need to get me to a dark site, PRONTO.

[Octane (Humayun)]

Nice one.

It's not bad up this way tonight. Doing more hydrogen alpha until 3 AM.

H

[LewisM]

Cloudy most of the night here. From 11 on it was OK, but I was too bone tired from the night before

Maybe tonight if this wind abates (not that it's a problem really with such a short scope and rigid mount)

[Octane (Humayun)]

I got data all night, once the cloud cleared after 11.

I'm now in Sydney visiting the folks. Thank goodness the missus booked appropriate flights (around full Moon)!

H