My first galaxy. This was almost impossible to see. It was a fluke to find it unless i need glasses . Struggling with the 8". The powerpack ran out of power in the middle. Hopefully i can get a better shot at it tonight if the rain god doesnt come.
tho like the elongated stars in the star cluster picture you posted with the stars which had a stretched appearence becuase of poor alignment causeing said elongated appearence this picture too shows an elonagated or stretched look to the stars which would normally have a round rather than oval look to them and not stretched or elongated.... so better alignment will reduce the said elongatedness to create a more elongatedless star look.... man do i have a headache....
I'm impressed you managed to point the scope at it at all. No mean feat! Indeed it is invisible from our light polluted back yards, and filters won't help with galaxies.
Thanks guys. I think it is your encouragments to keep me going!!. I started all these alittle over a month ago and now im really addicted to it. my brain is overcramp with astro information. have to get that accurate polar aligment stop my laziness. ill give it ago at it tonight. Was quite hard for me to find the octan's.
Will do Adam, next time ill start stacking the images. i think i rush into things.
Thanks Steve. it was more a trial and error just to point my tele to it and a fluke! i keep taking long expo's images around the place (heaps) until i saw abit of fuzz from the galaxy swirls. arhh the satisfy feeling
Tony, reason why i take 21 sec exposures is because my darks are set to 21 sec exposures. I can increase this to a few minutes but i have to take my darks again which i can't be stuff waiting
Tony, reason why i take 21 sec exposures is because my darks are set to 21 sec exposures. I can increase this to a few minutes but i have to take my darks again which i can't be stuff waiting
Hi Ezy,
Your enthusiasm to get images done is commendable. However, if there is one thing I have learned about Astro Imaging is that patience is a key ingredient. The extra effort and time taken to do a set of darks (and to do every other little thing, like polar alignment, focus ,framing, flats, bias etc etc) can be the difference between an Ok image and a great one.
I've not been game to try my hand at DSOs... so kudos to you, my friend.
I'm still very early in my planetary imaging education. That's enough for me to worry about before the need to master critical polar alignment sends me stark raving mad.
I honestly, truly, tips me lid to some of the DSO imagers at this website who capture the images they so regularly post.
Awesome work lads, admired by all us planetary folk
. Struggling with the 8". The powerpack ran out of power in the middle. Hopefully i can get a better shot at it tonight if the rain god doesnt come. 
