On Thursday night I experimented by piggybacking a modded Canon 550d using a Tamron 500mm f8 Mirror lens, on a Saxon 500mm f5 achromatic refractor with an unmodded Canon 550d.
The outfit was mounted on an EQ5 with a RA motor. Exposures were:
Tamron lens - 15 x 30 secs @3200 iso, unguided.
Saxon Refractor - 18 x 30 secs @1600 iso, unguided.
Flats and Darks applied.
I forgot to change the unmodded camera to Raw format and shot in Jpg mode but DSS can stack Jpgs, so it was no real issue.
The picture is the result of the two optical configurations combined in Photoshop.
M31 can be a real challenge, especially from 80km north of Melbourne. High cloud spoilt the transparency but seeing was good.
I nearly had a heart attack at one stage when a deer made a close approach and 'barked' only metres from me. I cursed the elusive animal and shone my torch into the darkness but it was nowhere to be seen.
Oh deer, that's a bit of a fright :-)
It's a pleasing image in a 'naked singularity' kind of way, and I hope you try this set-up on a few other targets; results could be rewarding.
Well done.
I am just amazed anyone can shoot it from this far south. Maybe I'll have to give it a go from Heathcote one night when it's at it's peak, I have very good views to the north so at least I won't have any trees in the way!
Thanks for the comments and interest guys, yes you can capture this northern wonder from Victoria. I thought it was beyond the reach of Southerners but I remember seeing it many years ago from an outer north eastern suburb of Melbourne and thought I would give it a go this year.
You just need a good view of the northern horizon. At least for most of us in Southern Victoria that means you don't have a great deal of light pollution to the north. I could see it quite clearly with the unaided eye through passing high thin cloud.
Take a look at a shot of M31 captured from Nhill in Victoria in the Deep Space section of the Images forum by one of our members. With the right equipment and expertise, you can achieve quite an amazing result. We've still got a month or so to collect some data, so next New Moon, if you get an opportunity, give it a go. You might be surprised.
