So it has been years since I have captured any photons. So I returned to my favourite test subject to calibrate my gear.
This was a combination of 17 x 2 minute frames on a Willams Optics 115FLT into a ZWO 071MC-c Pro camera last night - with Gain 240, Offset 65 and temperature 0 C uning a Moonlight Instruments focuser.
The second shot is 42 mins Luminance, 20 min Rec, 20 mins Green and 6 min Blue on a Williams Optics 132mmFLT into a ZWO 1600MM-m via ZWO 7 slot filter wheel and ZWO EAF focuser.
Mount is an old Vixen Atlux controlled by a SkySensor2000-PC - the latest TSX with a 300 star model. Guiding using OpenPHD with multi star selected cia a QHY 5II-L attached to a Williams Optics 88MM doublet
Image acquisition via SGP, stacked in DSS with Flats, BIAS and Darks final light processing in Photoshop - levels and curves and slight adjustment of Saturation - for the colour shots and APT for the mono ones (just to vary around my two main imaging programs and gain familarity with their functions)!
Happy with the end result - guiding was sub pixel all night with about 0.4 pixel drift per minute to account for.
My Mono shots on Williams Optics 132FLT need tighter focus on the Green and Blue filters and improvement in focus control as the temperature drops during the evening. I included one just to record how I am progressing with improving my data acquisition - data processing re-learning comes in a few weeks time once I have all the gear set up down pat!
But its nice to be back - practicising on easy targets!
