Lagoon Nebula in Ha

[DJScotty (Scott)]

Hi everyone.

M8 in Ha. Coloured red.

These are 30 minute exposures, but only three of them. Dew claimed my guide scope after I went to bed last night and ruined about 6 shots. Oh well.

But, my very grateful and sincere thanks to Paul Haese for his advice which allowed me to get the 30 minute subs.

Using an ED80 with an Atik 314L. Guiding with a 50mm refractor and a Logitech C920 webcam. ll mounted on a HEQ5 Pro.

Cheers everyone and thanks for looking.
DJ Scotty

[cometcatcher (Kevin)]

Nice detail there Scotty. Maybe a bit of black clipping?

[Bassnut (Fred)]

Gee thats pretty good with an ED80 and EQ5. 30min subs !!!!!. Your a brave man!. You must have spent some time in set up to get a result that good Scott, bodes well.

[multiweb (Marc)]

As Fred said great result.

[DJScotty (Scott)]

Dear Fred,

, Firstly, thanks for the kind words.

been fiddling and experimenting for the last 9 months and was able to pull 10 minute subs with my 8 inch newtonian with 1000mm fl.

After talking to Paul, I have now learnt a few rules...

1: No flexure
2: Accurate polar alignment
3: No flexure
4: Aim the guide and imaging scopes at the same thing
5: No flexure;
6: Uneven mount balance;
7: No flexure; and finally...
8: No flexure

PHD settings are important, but not as much as rules 1, 3, 5, 7 & 8

Dear Marc,

Thanks to you as well for the kind words.

Dear Kevin,

thanks for the kind words. May I ask what this clipping is? How do you avoid it?

[cometcatcher (Kevin)]

Hi Scott, it's when the background sky is made so dark that it hides the faint detail in darker parts of the nebula. Aim for a dark but not black sky background across the frame.