A couple of clusters

cometcatcher (Kevin) · #1 26-10-2012, 01:57 PM

A couple of quick and easy clusters taken in near full moonlight.

M41 in Canis Major and M93 just below it in Puppis. Very basic single frames only, no stacking, no dark subtract, no filters with minimal levels/colour processing. M41 is 2 minutes at ISO 800, M93 was 3 minutes at ISO 400. Both using a stock Pentax K-x through a Kson ED80 at F5.5. Manual guiding with a Mizar 68mm guidescope and eyeball.

Kind of similar to eyepiece views I think.

There's a hoard of little clusters like this through this region of sky. If I can shoot them even in moonlight it will keep me busy for ages.

Larryp (Laurie) · #2 26-10-2012, 03:26 PM

Nice images, Kevin!

stardust steve (Steve) · #3 26-10-2012, 06:40 PM

always love a cluster image. The FOV does look like what i see through the EP. Great colours too. Imagine a few of those stacked with darks

cometcatcher (Kevin) · #4 26-10-2012, 07:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stardust steve

Imagine a few of those stacked with darks

If the cloud stays away I will try a few stacks tonight. Won't be deep with the nearly full moon but I should be able to stretch out a bit more detail compared to single frames.

cometcatcher (Kevin) · #5 27-10-2012, 01:37 PM

Got a couple pf pix last night as an experiment in full moonlight. M41 this time with 22x2 minutes at ISO 400 for a total of 44 minutes. Doesn't seem that much deeper, yet I can plot stars to magnitude 16, which is surprising for a full Moon. And a complimentary M42 also in moonlight, taken through a CLS filter, which didn't help much under these conditions. 11x2 minutes at ISO 800 for M42. All through the ED80.

Larryp (Laurie) · #6 27-10-2012, 04:12 PM

Good stuff, Kevin

stardust steve (Steve) · #7 27-10-2012, 04:48 PM

Hi. Love that stacked image of m41. Not much deeper as you say but boy look at that star field. Huge difference. Looks great especially under the current moon conditions.
It is looking ok so far tonight for some AP so I might be inspired to go after a cluster myself. I have no guiding and no filters but still keen to give it a go.

lepton3 (Ivan) · #8 27-10-2012, 05:08 PM

Kevin, those are great results for relatively low stress deep sky imaging. Very nice colours.

-Ivan

cometcatcher (Kevin) · #9 27-10-2012, 05:28 PM

Thanks all. Cloud coming in from the west in QLD so I don't think it will be clear again tonight.

I must shoot M41 again when there's no Moon to compare the difference.