Happy no cloud.

[xelasnave]

I have just spent a couple of hours under a clear dark not entirely transparent sky.
Got to use the new, must be 3 mths old now, nikon with its 50 x 200 lens..waiting for deep sky stacker to give me a result...tried a high iso 6400 plus some lower 1600 and 800 ...
All at 200 and I was surprised at the focus ease with the blow up screen...dont know when or if I will post a result cause I am not set up to post a photo...and given it wont be much probably will be too shy...but given the mount has been set up since xmas and I have tp leave tomorrow something was much appreciated.
I had poor framing because of..well no excuses...just happy.
Alex

[xelasnave]

53 lights and 6 darks at 6400 iso but deep sky stacker is taking ages...hang on is says its stacking 1 of 47 now and a minute ago it said only seconds left..the wait is killing me..it has been going for 30 minutes.
Alex

[xelasnave]

Now it says one hour forty minutes...
Damn I think I will just take one long one this is too much.
I hope I get something.
And I cant go back out I flattened the battery driving the mount.
Alex

[LewisM]

GORGEOUS in Canberra, even right next to the airport.

EASILY saw the "eye sockets" of M42 even with a 4" at f/8. No problem at all seeing the E star in the Trapezium, and I convinced myself I saw the F, fleetingly (which isn't bad for a VERY light polluted area!). The Running Man was also quite nebulous for a change. α Crucis was resolved into α Crucis A and α Crucis B. Not even a hint of scintillation on any stars I looked at.

Used my Pentax Zoom EP for nearly all of it - it is truly a wonderful EP through a Tak triplet, and showed volumes of contrasted nebulosity and structure in M42, even without any filter.

[xelasnave]

And I didnt run the auto guide I was rushing cause I thought it would cloud over.
One hour nineteen left.
Alex

[LewisM]

And I so considered imaging, but then I looked west over all the floodlights and said MEH, wait for dark site

[xelasnave]

It will be interesting to see how this lens performs.
I only paid around $200 so...
I have star tools so hopefully I get something to play with.
Alex

[xelasnave]

I could start the car and use its battery but I dont want to upset anyone here. Staying at the x's and we sortta split up because I was obsessed with astronomy.
Plus now I am going to have to stay another day...I dont think I will be up for a 10 hour drive by the time I get to sleep.
One hour nine minutes..
It will be past one and I will have to have a go at proceesing.
Alex

[xelasnave]

I decided to start the car up but its clouded over.
58 minutes.
I could have taken one 25 minute exposure and it would have been all over.
Alex

[xelasnave]

Well it came out.
Not flash but the horse head was clear.
My star tools is only a trial so after all my work I could not save it.
Still happy to get to play.
Up till 2 am and feel terrible now but happy.
Alex