The Little Scorpion

[TrevorW]

NGC5281 – The Little Scorpion Cluster

Observation data (J2000 epoch)
Right ascension 13h 46m 35s[1]
Declination −62° 55′ 00″[1]
Distance 4,200 ly (1,300 pc)
Apparent magnitude (V) 5.9 [1]
Apparent dimensions (V) 7'
Estimated age 45 million years
Other designations vdBH 152, Collinder 276, Melotte 120
Constellation Centaurus

[Dave882 (David)]

That’s a lovely image! Beautiful colour well done!!

[strongmanmike (Michael)]

That's a beauty, I'm enjoying your regular candid shots Trevor, keep'em coming, it's like an observing session

Mike

[TrevorW]

Thanks David and Mike, I'm more prolific I try to get a lot in in a short period of time than dedicating long hours to capture one target, alas I don't have the patience for that unfortunately, there again that may eventuate at some point of time in the future. Recently purchased a book called Southern Gems, lots of interesting targets I'll try to capture them all before I kick off

[strongmanmike (Michael)]

Originally Posted by TrevorW

Thanks David and Mike, I'm more prolific I try to get a lot in in a short period of time than dedicating long hours to capture one target, alas I don't have the patience for that unfortunately, there again that may eventuate at some point of time in the future. Recently purchased a book called Southern Gems, lots of interesting targets I'll try to capture them all before I kick off

Yeah that's a nice and fun approach, as I said, it's genuinely great to see your quick fire images and hope you do have a crack and at lot's more, hopefully lots of less imaged targets too. Heck, it will be reminiscent of the 1950's/60's, ie. you will likely spark some of the 200" scope owners out there, to have a longer crack or closer look, at your 48" Palomar Schmidt pickups

I may not reply to all your posts, for fear of just repeating the same platitudes (ie "Nice Image" etc) but rest assured I do look at them all, love it

Mike

[TrevorW]

Thanks Mike just got the hang of using NINA for the first time. I was surprised imaging this target using NINA with PHD2 with Gemini Net control for my mount the RMX didn't exceed .19pix which was the flattest line on my guide chart that I've ever seen with my setup, in us much that I thought something was wrong with the guiding. Cheers


PS: did the whole imaging session from inside the house as have a wifi camera now setup to watch the ob so I can check to see if mount slews etc, only have to open and close the roof, at present

[strongmanmike (Michael)]

Originally Posted by TrevorW

Thanks Mike just got the hang of using NINA for the first time. I was surprised imaging this target using NINA with PHD2 with Gemini Net control for my mount the RMX didn't exceed .19pix which was the flattest line on my guide chart that I've ever seen with my setup, in us much that I thought something was wrong with the guiding. Cheers

Good to hear, I love watching the guide centroid plot, it's a bit of a weird fetish of mine, likely left over from having to endure backbreaking eyeball guiding back in the day when I recon the guide errors I was ending up with were measured in multiple arc sec!!...now, with the AP1600 and modern autoguiding, if the seeing is good, heck, it stays under 0.2 arc sec! ie perhaps 50 times better or more?! It's amazing...it's like watching a good Netflix series to me, the consistent FWHM, on the night of the attached guiding screen in Astroart, was around 1.6" so that helped of course (NB this is a mobile phone photo of the screen through old ripped crinkly red cellophane, loosely attached to the lap top screen...very high tech )

PS: did the whole imaging session from inside the house as have a wifi camera now setup to watch the ob so I can check to see if mount slews etc, only have to open and close the roof, at present

That's very cool and what I am about to get setup too.

Enjoy the fun