Hi all
Early cloud cleared to a pretty good albeit dewy night.
First I got a rather deep (for Newcastle) Corona Australis, 14x10 mins ISO 200. No filters at all. Large version here
Then I got the Helix Neb, ISO 400 with LPS filter. Large version here
Both images with Meade 6 inch F3.6 "Cometracker" SN, Baader MPCC coma corrector and Hutech modded 350D.
It got VERY damp as the night wore on. Fog soon covered the lower parts of Newcastle, creeping up the street and wafting in patches over my place.
It was the first proper test of my new "high tech" anti dew system, an electric blanket wrapped round the dewshield and end of the scope. It works brilliantly. Water was running off everything except the scope, whose corrector plate was bone dry.
Scott
They are rather well known objects for you to image Scott
Nice job on both as usual, colours nice and yes quite deep for a DSLR and Newcastle city coal mining skies
I love your setup shots, I wasn't sure if it was a scope outfit or just a small pile photographed in your garage? Looking at your setup invokes memories of the 80's, you just need some daggy wallpaper on the Samson pier post and it would be complete ...no seriously it is clearly a nice high tech modern scientific facility
I was out past Kurri last night (and two other cold nights this week) and I could have done with that lecki blanki instead I would set an exposure set going and jump in the car and sleep for an hour, there was a frost on two mornings too so must have reached zero C ...felt like I was back in Canberra on a cold autumn night (would get to -7C on occassions on mid winter nights there, so zero is nutin )
They are rather well known objects for you to image Scott
Nice job on both as usual, colours nice and yes quite deep for a DSLR and Newcastle city coal mining skies
I love your setup shots, I wasn't sure if it was a scope outfit or just a small pile photographed in your garage? Looking at your setup invokes memories of the 80's, you just need some daggy wallpaper on the Samson pier post and it would be complete ...no seriously it is clearly a nice high tech modern scientific facility
I was out past Kurri last night (and two other cold nights this week) and I could have done with that lecki blanki instead I would set an exposure set going and jump in the car and sleep for an hour, there was a frost on two mornings too so must have reached zero C ...felt like I was back in Canberra on a cold autumn night (would get to -7C on occassions on mid winter nights there, so zero is nutin )
Nice job mate
Mike
A bit OT, but not totally, is there a thing about Canberra being cold? i find alot of Canberrans talking of cold winters, but i dont find it cold here at all? i did check, minus -7 has only happened a few times in the last hundred years, and the lowest recorded temp was -10 in 1971.
it was chilly last night, but i had on a t-shirt with a jacket over it, so i wasnt so bad
A bit OT, but not totally, is there a thing about Canberra being cold? i find alot of Canberrans talking of cold winters, but i dont find it cold here at all? i did check, minus -7 has only happened a few times in the last hundred years, and the lowest recorded temp was -10 in 1971.
it was chilly last night, but i had on a t-shirt with a jacket over it, so i wasnt so bad
Don't think Scotty is that precious re highjacking his thread a little bit...look at his set-up
Hmm?..I recorded quite few nights of -6 or -7 over the 25 years I lived in the Canberra region doing astronomy . Since I moved to the Newcastle area, start of 2007, a very cold winter night is around +5C I too was at the scope with shorts, Tshirt and maybe a jumper? I have been here over two year now so the body is de-aclimatising (is that a word?) zero C at Kurri Kurri (it's inland a bit) felt quite cold and required a few layers and IIS beanie
Mike, I bet your camera can get nice and cold when the temperature is already zero or below to start with
Scott
Yes I guess last night it was zero'ish at Kurri Kurri so I could have had the chip at more than -60C if I had wanted but I run at -35C all year (even in mid summer) so I can use the same dark sets
Don't think Scotty is that precious re highjacking his thread a little bit...look at his set-up
Hmm?..I recorded quite few nights of -6 or -7 over the 25 years I lived in the Canberra region doing astronomy . Since I moved to the Newcastle area, start of 2007, a very cold winter night is around +5C I too was at the scope with shorts, Tshirt and maybe a jumper? I have been here over two year now so the body is de-aclimatising (is that a word?) zero C at Kurri Kurri (it's inland a bit) felt quite cold and required a few layers and IIS beanie
Mike
Thanks for the explanation Mike, you want to try coming where i come from, maybe thats why i dont feel it? my cold Northern blood ....
i have been in the Highlands of Scotland when it was -22, the sky was ablaze and it was fabulous, although i have been lucky enough to have once had some contract work on the north coast of Iceland, where it got down to -42 !!
I live on the outskirts of Kurri Kurri and its been a very mild winter so far , but i still keep inside my small observatory. Where were you imaging from Mike?
philip
I think you've just started a new run on electric blankets!
Nice pics! I was actually looking at that globular cluster a couple of nights ago.
For anyone interested, the globular cluster is NGC 6723 and is actually in the neighbouring constellation of Sagittarius. Upwards to right of it is the double star HR 7170, consisting of two blue-white stars of magnitudes 6.4/6.6, separated by 13".
I reworked the Helix Neb shot, now theres a bit less noise and more detail in the bright parts. Its also shown in full size in my original post here I will try Alchemys suggestion too.
I use ISO 200 yes to try and avoid noise but also as my skies are too light for 10 mins at ISO 400 unfiltered.
Scott
Amazing images again Scott. I'm gobbsmacked at the sight of your equipment very intriguing.
and toryglen -42 !! can't even begin to imagine how cold that is. I wear coats in Summer here in Newcastle sometimes....
Two great pictures. Love corona australis. The colors came up real nice. Good tip with the electric blanket too but I reckon I'd have to fight to the death to get my wife's blanket on the scope
I looked up NGC6723 on Starry Night but I don't have the double star. Is the dark shape NGC6727 about 30 arcmin at pa 120° from globular?
And the two outer stars epsilon (left) and gamma (right) CrA ?
cheers, george
Quote:
Originally Posted by Robh
Scott,
I think you've just started a new run on electric blankets!
Nice pics! I was actually looking at that globular cluster a couple of nights ago.
For anyone interested, the globular cluster is NGC 6723 and is actually in the neighbouring constellation of Sagittarius. Upwards to right of it is the double star HR 7170, consisting of two blue-white stars of magnitudes 6.4/6.6, separated by 13".
...no seriously it is clearly a nice high tech modern scientific facility 
instead I would set an exposure set going and jump in the car and sleep for an hour, there was a frost on two mornings too so must have reached zero C ...felt like I was back in Canberra on a cold autumn night 
(would get to -7C on occassions on mid winter nights there, so zero is nutin 
. Since I moved to the Newcastle area, start of 2007, a very cold winter night is around +5C 
