With the weather I have decided to set up a light rig for wide fields. 80x400ar with illuminated reticle for alignment and guiding on eq5 mount. I added a camera tripod top which has a quick release unit to make the process easier.
Here are some shots from 1st time out
alex
Bert these were taken in Tabulam at my wifes residence, but I live 30klms out where it is the darkest clearest etc sky around. Tabulam is severly light poluted with as many as 14 street lights and some folk (five of them) leave their lights on until 9 pm whereas at home I have one neighbour 2 klms away but he only uses candles, as do I, (no grid power) on a good night you can read the head lines of a newspaper by star light. I did not use any filters just the standard 300d lens zoomed out in the Orion and Cloud shots and zoomed in on the static polar shot. The trees were lite up cause of a street light 200 metres away. I didnt guide the Large Cloud shot (as I did the Orion) so it was getting close to the pole align being on. Next time I am going to lower the camera on the static polar shot so I can mark a point on the fence. Next door is a football field (at the wifes) and I think they have the goal posts and the cricket pitch North South by celestial reference not magnetic so that will be handy. I set up this unit because I can carry it in and out without growing the hernia, whereas the 6inch set up takes ages to set up (and put away)
Thanks all for your kind and encouraging words I really appreciate them
alex
Thanks Narayan, I was playing with another longer exposure from the night and after blowing it up and tweeking I could just make out the Horse Head with a little imagination. It blows me away that you can get this detail with a camera and no scope.
alex
Sorry Mike for leaving that out.
300d camera standard lens, the camera shown on the rig is a 35mm pentax which when I get my lpi and computer sorted will be used for wide field.
alex
