First light new image train

markas (Mark) · #1 11-09-2018, 12:09 PM

I've been absent from here for a while - trying to get a new scope and camera train aligned and ready for the stars.

The scope is a custom 300mm f/7.9 RiDK from Officina Stellare. It is teamed with a Moravian G4-9000 camera for a plate scale of 1"/px, which is tuned for my dark sky site. Astrodon filters; DDM85A mount unguided.

Unfortunately, due to some timescale problems, the dark sky site went off-line for upgrading just when the scope arrived, so the working up has been in lovely suburban Melbourne (SQL 18 and poor transparency.)

The image train alignment is now very good but not yet as I'd like it.

I shot this image of M8 after my eyes failed me last night....

It is 3 x 10minute subs, Ha, calibrated but no flats. A rough backgroud extraction, and a histogram stretch is the only processing.

Ryderscope (Rodney) · #2 11-09-2018, 03:34 PM

Wow, that is very very good. Everything appears to be the shape it should be and the clarity in the nebula is excellent. We should be champing at the bit for more photons for sure.

multiweb (Marc) · #3 11-09-2018, 04:15 PM

Holy moly!

You get what you paid for. Amazing contrast and sharpness.

Placidus (Mike and Trish) · #4 11-09-2018, 07:55 PM

You've packed an amazingly high quality image into 149 K. Superb!

Would love to see a yet higher resolution version.

Although it would only be cosmetic, a proper flat-field would improve the large-scale evenness of the background quite a bit.

A great image.

cometcatcher (Kevin) · #5 12-09-2018, 02:26 AM

So smooth and fine detail. Exceptional.

markas (Mark) · #6 12-09-2018, 11:43 AM

Thanks Rodney and Marc,

I have a little bit of tweaking to do on the tip/tilt of the camera, but it is very close to what I expected from this set-up.

Mark

markas (Mark) · #7 12-09-2018, 11:45 AM

Many thanks M&T.

I had to get the image train right before shooting flats, but that is on the near term agenda.

Mark

markas (Mark) · #8 12-09-2018, 11:51 AM

Thanks Kevin,

I was also impressed with the smoothness. But I guess the 12micron pixels are pretty big photon buckets

RickS (Rick) · #9 14-09-2018, 02:58 PM

Looks great, Mark. The big pixels should absorb a lot of photons!

markas (Mark) · #10 15-09-2018, 09:49 AM

Thanks Rick.

I think the remarkable absence of noise, even in single 10 min Ha subs, has something to do with those pixels.

Mark

multiweb (Marc) · #11 15-09-2018, 04:52 PM

I keep coming back to that shot. It's a corker. Got all the right bits in the right places.

Slawomir (Suavi) · #12 15-09-2018, 07:19 PM

Stars look very good to the corners, you must be really happy with your imaging rig

markas (Mark) · #13 16-09-2018, 09:43 AM

Marc,

Thanks for the additional comments. Glad you like this one!

Mark

markas (Mark) · #14 16-09-2018, 09:45 AM

Thanks Suavi,

I am very happy with it - there's a tiny bit of tweaking still to do, but ithat's normal...

Mark

codemonkey (Lee) · #15 16-09-2018, 09:48 AM

Looks perfect, Mark! That's quite some gear you have

markas (Mark) · #16 17-09-2018, 11:51 AM

Thanks Lee.

Time will tell!

Mark

strongmanmike (Michael) · #17 17-09-2018, 12:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by codemonkey

Looks perfect, Mark! That's quite some gear you have

I agree, lovely gear indeed

and a fine first light too.

Mike

markas (Mark) · #18 17-09-2018, 04:55 PM

Thanks Mike,

Unfortunately dark skies for this set-up are several months away...

Mark