Tarantula neb in infra-red light only

[tornado33]

Hi
Here is a single 5 minute ISO 800 exposure, using my Hutech modded 350D (clear AR coated glass option to allow IR imaging). cloud stopped further imaging. I used the IR filter mainly to test the guiding of my q guider as the sky was too bright for unfiltered imaging.
10 inch f5.6 newtonian. Infra red pass filter (blocks all visible light). As we can see theres not much IR light given off by the nebula itself.
I hand guided the scope using the off axis guider but used my new q guider camera to put the guidestar on the laptop screen. Taking 0.4 sec images made the star bright enough to see. Being strongly comatic it appeared as a long streak not a point of light.
Scott

[theodog (Jeff)]

Scott,
I'm actually suprised how much IR has been captured. Given your low elevation and coastal rel. humidity, there must have been some extinction in the atmosphere?

Do you use manual RA & dec for your Video Guide?

Bite the bullet -go a dual axis driven mount. You've done your time with manual guide.

Oh, by the way, Nice image.

[Ric]

Quite an interesting image Scott, to me the IR light really brings up the shape and definition of the spider it is named after.

Cheers

[duncan]

Scott,
Very nice image. One wonders how the neb in the cluster to lower left would show if given longer exposure?
Top Shot!
Cheers,
Duncan

[tornado33]

Thanks all
Yes I was keen to go longer but for the cloud, though I will try this again soon and will go longer
Id love to see what an hours worth will bring up, also Id like to try IR imaging of CG4 and other dark nebulae and see what I get

I was using the fast/slow buttons on the drive corrector for RA, for dec the manual slow motion.

Id love an autoguide mount but a Losmandy G11 is well beyond my budget, and an EQ6 would struggle with the heavy 10 inch.

If I can guide by sitting back watching a star on the notebook rather then squinting down the off axis guider, that will do me
Scott

[ballaratdragons (Ken)]

An IR filter that doesn't let visible light through????

I must be missing something here, Scott.

I have an IR/UV filter that lets everything except IR & UV through.