Testing Narrow Band: a long focal length M42

[Peter Ward]

This has proved far more challenging that I expected.

To reduce NB halos I fitted some ultra black flocking to the central baffle...worked a treat.

Due the rather large sensor size and even large filter sizes (see link below)
image tilt is still a problem, but I'm converging on a fix using strategicly placed shim stock...

...Hence the stars are still a little eggy, but amazingly tight, the system easily resolved M42's trapezium plus the E & F stars

More data to follow...

Image link is here

[Astroman (Andrew Wall)]

WOW HUGE! Thats a very nice image and love how tight those stars are, beautiful image.... Are you going to be combining other NB images with it?

[renormalised (Carl)]

That's going to be some image!!!!

Can't wait for the rest of the data to be added

[Peter Ward]

Originally Posted by renormalised

That's going to be some image!!!!

Can't wait for the rest of the data to be added

Lets hope the East Coast weather in 2012 is better than 2011

Originally Posted by Astroman

WOW HUGE! Thats a very nice image and love how tight those stars are, beautiful image.... Are you going to be combining other NB images with it?

Huge? You mean the filters? I guess at 5x the area of a 1.25" , I guess they are

I'll probably run with a standard NB set, i.e. SII and OIII. Plus some Luminance...( the extra Lumiance data you can now see at the same URL )

[renormalised (Carl)]

I hope so too, Peter. Last year was pretty poor.

[multiweb (Marc)]

Very cool indeed. Nice image scale.

[Hagar (Doug)]

Very nice Peter. The stars are as tight as. A huge field from such a long focal length. Will be interesting to see some of the large nebulas at this sort of focal length. Detail should be out of this world.

Hubble eat your heart out. It will be interesting to see some comparisons with hubble images.

[Bassnut (Fred)]

Is that a single 35min exposure or....
Whats the BW of the Ha filter?

[Peter Ward]

Originally Posted by Bassnut

Is that a single 35min exposure or....
Whats the BW of the Ha filter?

Just 300 sec subs. 600secs would have been better, but I was tweaking camera tilt. The Baaders are 7nm

Originally Posted by Hagar

Very nice Peter. The stars are as tight as. A huge field from such a long focal length. Will be interesting to see some of the large nebulas at this sort of focal length. Detail should be out of this world.

Hubble eat your heart out. It will be interesting to see some comparisons with hubble images.

Ta... Maybe not Hubble...but the end result should be fun

Originally Posted by multiweb

Very cool indeed. Nice image scale.

Thanks Marc.

[Jeffkop (Jeff)]

I sense a masterpiece in the making here ... The images thus far are outstanding ... Its completion is my first real anticipation for 2012 ... cant wait for the weather to be kind enough allow more data ... That is one very large filter wheel by the way.