This has taken me a couple of nights to get 40 minutes of each colour and Lum. Both nights I have been troubled with what initially appeared as a shift in focus.
With Helix being almost overhead focus was achieved quickly but with the first move of the mount I have discovered the focuser draw tube was moving in a sideways direction. A couple of small wooden wedges clamped the side of the focuser to the draw tube and made imaging possible.
My Feathertouch arrived today and seems as solid as a rock. I intend capturing quite a bit more data on this target includind some Ha and OIII that I hope to blend into the final image for a bit more detail and depth.
Weather permitting this should happen in the next couple of days but it won't be tonight, I'm sure.
Image info:
Camera: Atik 11002M mono CCD with Baader LRGB filters.
Scope: GSO 10" RC with the stock focuser.
Guiding: QHY5 in a William Optics 70mm refractor
Mount: Everything sitting on a Losmandy G11 with Gemini.
Frames: 40 inutes of each LRGB in 10 min exposures.
Cropped to remove the corners.
Ahhhh wooden wedges, essential imaging equipment, that's where ive been going wrong all this time..........
Solid detail for such a limited amount..... Isn't it funny only a few years ago we would have thought this was a long exposure. The knots are starting to show up in the inner ring. Add to it and see what shows up.
Thanks for the comments everyone. Very happy with the result so far. Now all I need is some sky to finish it off.
Martin, not jumping ship, just changing tack.
Greg, it's a thing of real beauty but boy is the 3" FT big and heavy. I will be up for a re balance for sure but as smooth as a babies bum with no lateral movement at all.
