Terry Hancock www.downunderobservatory.com's photostream  

My first shoot of M42 for the season and a first using the narrower field of the QHY9 on the TMB 130, got clouded out again so this is another work in progress :)
I would like to add some longer exposure subs if the weather cooperates.
Total Exposure time just over 3.5 hours

Clear Skies
Terry Hancock
www.downunderobservatory.com

Location: DownUnder Observatory, Fremont MI
Date of Shoot 20th and 21st January 2012
Camera: QHY9M monochrome CCD www.astrofactors.com

Scope: Thomas Back TMB 130SS F7 Refractor using WO68 Field Flattener.
Autoguided using QHY5 autoguider, StarlightXpress Ultra Slim Off Axis guider
Paramount GT-1100S German Equatorial Mount (with MKS 4000)
Image Aquisition software Maxim DL5
Stacking software Deep sky Stacker
Registered with Registar
Post Processed with Photoshop CS4

As I won't be using the AT10RC until I have it re collimated succesfully I decided to combine the luminance and HA from my previously posted image www.flickr.com/photos/terryhancock/6708955377/in/photostream and combine it with the RGB from an earlier image shot using the Canon XSi on the TMB 130 www.flickr.com/photos/terryhancock/5177164411/in/set-7215...

Clear Skies

Terry Hancock
www.downunderobservatory.com

HA and Luminance
Location: DownUnder Observatory, Fremont MI
Date of Shoot HA 9th, 11th January 2012, Luminance 16th January 2012
Camera: QHY9M monochrome CCD www.astrofactors.com
11 x 30 min sub exposures Hydrogen Alpha bin 2x2
3 x 20 min sub exposures Luminance bin 2x2

Scope: Astro Tech AT10RC F8 Ritchey-Chrétien using AT2FF Field Flattener.
Autoguided using QHY5 autoguider, StarlightXpress Ultra Slim Off Axis guider
Paramount GT-1100S German Equatorial Mount (with MKS 4000)
Image Aquisition software Maxim DL5
Stacking software Deep sky Stacker
Registered with Registar
Post Processed with Photoshop CS4

RGB
Location: Fremont Michigan USA
Date of Shoot 30th and 31st October 2010
Camera: modified Canon XSi
15 x 1200 sec sub exposures at 800ISO with flat and dark frames.

Scope: TMB130SS F7 Refractor using WO/TMB 2.7" Field Flattener.
Auto-guided with Orion Auto Guider on Stellarvue 10x60
Mount: Mountain Instruments MI-250 (pier mounted)
Image Acquired using Nebulosity II, stacked with Deep Sky Stacker and processed with Photoshop CS3.

Hi Friends
Here is my first shot for 2012. The Horsehead Nebula (B33) HA+LUM
This is work in progress but the first time we have had any clear skies in Western Michigan since my last shoot of M1 on the 17th November and of course it was at full moon so I used my 8nm Hydrogen Alpha filter to capture 5.5 hours. Last night we had a break in the clouds too so I was able to capture another 1.5 hours of luminance before the clouds rolled in, the final result is this image which is HA with a layer of luminance.

As you can see the focus in the image is very soft which is due to poor collimation and the stars are bloated due to poor seeing. I recently added the moonlite 2.5 inch focuser and re collimated both the primary and secondary using the Howie Glatter laser Collimator and then star test collimation but I have yet to check collimation using the bahtinov mask. End result is a bit dissapointing but I'm hoping to correct this soon providing the weather
cooperates (ha what a joke).

I'm grateful that my StarlightXpress CFW is working ok finally (touchwood), having fitted a new O-Ring to the motor and a new Carousel fitted, all this could have been avoided if the bolts on the casing weren't loose when I first received it.
Clear Skies

Terry Hancock
www.downunderobservatory.com

Location: DownUnder Observatory, Fremont MI
Date of Shoot HA 9th, 11th January 2012, Luminance 16th January 2012
Camera: QHY9M monochrome CCD www.astrofactors.com
11 x 30 min sub exposures Hydrogen Alpha bin 2x2
3 x 20 min sub exposures Luminance bin 2x2

Scope: Astro Tech AT10RC F8 Ritchey-Chrétien using AT2FF Field Flattener.
Autoguided using QHY5 autoguider, StarlightXpress Ultra Slim Off Axis guider
Paramount GT-1100S German Equatorial Mount (with MKS 4000)
Image Acquisition software Maxim DL5
Stacking software Deep sky Stacker
Registered with Registar
Post Processed with Photoshop CS4

This is the luminance portion (grayscale) of my previous LRGB image.

Location: DownUnder Observatory, Fremont MI
Date of Shoot 7th October 2011

LUM 12x15 min

Camera: QHY9M monochrome CCD by www.astrofactors.com
Scope: TMB 130SS F7 Refractor using Williams Optics 68mm Field Flattener.
Autoguided using QHY5 autoguider
Guide scope Celestron Short Tube 80mm refractor.
Paramount GT-1100S MKS 4000 German Equatorial Mount
Image Acquisition software Maxim DL5
Stacking software Deep sky Stacker
Registered with Registar
Post Processed with Photoshop CS5.

The Triangulum Galaxy is a member of the Local Group of
galaxies, which includes the Milky Way Galaxy, the Andromeda Galaxy and about 30 other smaller galax

I reprocessed M33 again from scratch as I wasn't real happy with the last version, besides I can't shoot due to the horrible weather and I am having imaging withdrawals :)

In this version I did a separate layer of my HA at 50% in addition to HA at 50% in the red channel which helped with the outer HII regions. No sharpening on this one.

I think it's a big improvement and the colors are more natural in my own opinion and similar to my very first M33 here www.flickr.com/photos/terryhancock/4658606271/in/set-7215...
but I will let you be the judge.

Location: DownUnder Observatory, Fremont MI
Date of Shoot 2nd thru 7th October 2011
RED 12x15 min
GREEN 16x15 min
BLUE 16x15 min
LUM 12x15 min
HA 12x15 min
Total 17 hours

Camera: QHY9M monochrome CCD by www.astrofactors.com
Scope: TMB 130SS F7 Refractor using Williams Optics 68mm Field Flattener.
Autoguided using QHY5 autoguider
Guide scope Celestron Short Tube 80mm refractor.
Paramount GT-1100S MKS 4000 German Equatorial Mount
Image Aquisition software Maxim DL5
Stacking software Deep sky Stacker
Registered with Registar
Post Processed with Photoshop CS5.

The Triangulum Galaxy is a member of the Local Group of
galaxies, which includes the Milky Way Galaxy, the Andromeda Galaxy and about 30 other smaller galaxies