NGC7293 The Helix Nebula

[AlexN]

This is really amazing for 30sec subs with an unmodified camera.

I might give this a try, at my location skyglow kills longer exposures.

How many darks do you usually take to subtract from hundreds of lights?

Very nice indeed.

[cometcatcher (Kevin)]

Originally Posted by RickS

That's a really nice Helix, Kevin!

Thanks Rick!

Originally Posted by tilbrook@rbe.ne

You really amaze me what you do with a lot of short exposures Kevin!!

Quite a lot of detail and nice colour.

Cheers,

Justin.

Thanks Justin! I am continuing the recipe with a 10" F4 scope now too. If I had a 20" F4 I'd.... probably behave and do it properly. Or not.

Originally Posted by AlexN

This is really amazing for 30sec subs with an unmodified camera.

I might give this a try, at my location skyglow kills longer exposures.

How many darks do you usually take to subtract from hundreds of lights?

Very nice indeed.

Thanks Alex. Usually 20 darks is all. But I took this image in 3 sets so the number of total darks would be around 60.

If you are shooting nebula a gentle LP / Skyglow filter will help in light polluted sky.

[rmuhlack (Richard)]

810 subs is quite an effort indeed !! did you stack them all at once or in batches which were later combined? either way its a great result under challenging conditions

[cometcatcher (Kevin)]

Thanks Richard! Three batches from 5 nights. Half of them out the kitchen window.

[AlexN]

.... Out the window. You are kidding right? You get results like this without even braving the outside world. Just seems so unfair.

[cometcatcher (Kevin)]

I kid you not. I've been known to do stupid things to get astro photos. This is my 10 inch out the window.

[Camelopardalis (Dunk)]

Awesome Kevin I'm guessing you don't have a dew problem

[cometcatcher (Kevin)]

Originally Posted by Camelopardalis

Awesome Kevin I'm guessing you don't have a dew problem

Not inside I don't. Actually that's one of the reasons I shoot indoors. I have yet to invest in a dew heater cos when It's bad, as it has been this "winter", I can't image outdoors for very long before everything dews up.

[multiweb (Marc)]

Looks great! Really nicely done.

[strongmanmike (Michael)]

Originally Posted by cometcatcher

I kid you not. I've been known to do stupid things to get astro photos. This is my 10 inch out the window.

Gold!

[cometcatcher (Kevin)]

Originally Posted by multiweb

Looks great! Really nicely done.

Thanks Marc!

Originally Posted by strongmanmike

Gold!

And a bit silly. FYI The largest diameter scope I've imaged out that window was an 11 inch F5.2 Newtonian. The longest focal length scope was an 8 inch F8.8 Newtonian. Sold the latter, dismantled the former.