First light image 36.8cm (14.5") RCOS Ritchey Chretien

Stevec35 (Steve) · #1 11-05-2013, 11:29 PM

Here's the first light image from my 36.8cm (14.5") F9 RCOS Ritchey Chretien recently purchased from Don Goldman. I picked IC4406, the Retina nebula, always a favourite object of mine. Still a bit of tweaking to do but the scope seems to be performing okay. I had some concern as to whether my now fairly antiquated mount would be up to the job but it seems to be coping.

Cheers

Steve

http://members.pcug.org.au/~stevec/i...L6303_RC14.htm

leon · #2 12-05-2013, 12:22 AM

Wow Steve, excellent result, seems nicer in colour than the Hubble shot, well done indeed.

Leon

Logieberra (Logan) · #3 12-05-2013, 01:01 AM

Great news Steve! Glad to hear it's all A-OK

Very interesting object.

alpal · #4 12-05-2013, 01:58 AM

Nice pic & you are showing more stars than the Hubble -
they must have clipped their background.

Ross G · #5 12-05-2013, 07:25 AM

An amazing looking photo Steve.

Detailed and nice colours.

Ross.

Stevec35 (Steve) · #6 12-05-2013, 07:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ross G

An amazing looking photo Steve.

Detailed and nice colours.

Ross.

Thanks Ross

Quote:

Originally Posted by alpal

Nice pic & you are showing more stars than the Hubble -
they must have clipped their background.

Thanks. Of course the Hubble images aren't straight RGB but more like narrowband so comparisons are a bit hard

Quote:

Originally Posted by Logieberra

Great news Steve! Glad to hear it's all A-OK

Very interesting object.

Thanks Logan. It's one of my favourite planetaries

Quote:

Originally Posted by leon

Wow Steve, excellent result, seems nicer in colour than the Hubble shot, well done indeed.

Leon

Thanks very much Leon. Hubble images aren't LRGB but a combination of NB filters so the colour is often not the same

gregbradley · #7 12-05-2013, 09:11 AM

A great first light and congrats on the new scope. Its produced some amazing images in the past.

Greg.

sjastro · #8 12-05-2013, 10:25 AM

Congratulations Steve on the scope and image.

Are the seeing conditions in Canberra up to scratch for a large FL scope?

Regards

Steven

Stevec35 (Steve) · #9 12-05-2013, 10:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sjastro

Congratulations Steve on the scope and image.

Are the seeing conditions in Canberra up to scratch for a large FL scope?

Regards

Steven

Thanks Steven. The short answer is "yes and or no with a definite possible maybe". I guess I'll just have to wait and see. Of course binning 2x2 gives about 1 arc second per pixel so that might be an option if necessary. Seeing conditions in Canberra are generally okay in Autumn and Winter but often terrible in spring.

Quote:

Originally Posted by gregbradley

A great first light and congrats on the new scope. Its produced some amazing images in the past.

Greg.

Thanks Greg. Just hope I can live up to this scope's pedigree.

RickS (Rick) · #10 12-05-2013, 12:54 PM

Congrats, Steve. Looks like a keeper

multiweb (Marc) · #11 12-05-2013, 01:37 PM

Very nice. looking forward to more with this rig.

Stevec35 (Steve) · #12 12-05-2013, 02:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by multiweb

Very nice. looking forward to more with this rig.

Quote:

Originally Posted by RickS

Congrats, Steve. Looks like a keeper

Thanks Marc and Rick

Paul Haese · #13 13-05-2013, 10:47 AM

Heaps of detail Steve. Great colour too.

Stevec35 (Steve) · #14 13-05-2013, 03:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul Haese

Heaps of detail Steve. Great colour too.

Thanks Paul. Hopefully there's more where that came from.

jase (Jason) · #15 13-05-2013, 07:04 PM

What a ripper image, Steve! Clearly shows what aperture and quality optics can deliver on such a small angular size target. A visual feast to see such detail. The HGM200 must be clobbered by the 14.5" RC, yet by the looks of the stars is handling the load exceptionally well. Balance must be spot on. Looking forward to seeing more from your new set up. Congratulations!

Stevec35 (Steve) · #16 13-05-2013, 08:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jase

What a ripper image, Steve! Clearly shows what aperture and quality optics can deliver on such a small angular size target. A visual feast to see such detail. The HGM200 must be clobbered by the 14.5" RC, yet by the looks of the stars is handling the load exceptionally well. Balance must be spot on. Looking forward to seeing more from your new set up. Congratulations!

Thanks Jase. I was certainly pleasantly surprised. I just hope it's not beginners luck.

marc4darkskies (Marcus) · #17 13-05-2013, 09:42 PM

Congrats on the acquisition Steve and that's one heck of a first light image - wonderful colour and detail! Well done!

I saw Don's scope advertised on Astromart too and it looked like a very good deal!!

Cheers Marcus

strongmanmike (Michael) · #18 13-05-2013, 10:40 PM

Congratulations on the new scope Steve

A fine first light too, intriguing little bugger

Mike

Ric · #19 14-05-2013, 02:09 AM

Lovely capture Steve.

A great planetary neb.

Stevec35 (Steve) · #20 14-05-2013, 09:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ric

Lovely capture Steve.

A great planetary neb.

Thanks Ric

Quote:

Originally Posted by strongmanmike

Congratulations on the new scope Steve

A fine first light too, intriguing little bugger

Mike

Thanks Mike. I hope it continues to perform well. IC4406 is certainly a rare form of planetary. I can't think of any others like it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by marc4darkskies

Congrats on the acquisition Steve and that's one heck of a first light image - wonderful colour and detail! Well done!

I saw Don's scope advertised on Astromart too and it looked like a very good deal!!

Cheers Marcus

Thanks Marcus. Curiously I never saw the ad on Astromart. I was emailing Don about something else and he happened to mention he was selling the 14.5" so it all went from there.