4.5 hours of Horsehead

Crappy shootout on the whole. The final 2.5 hours were really a mess. Flexure, focus change due to temp change, broken down remote control wire, so no dark frame...

Won't be able to do Horsehead again the coming days anyway, so let's call it that.

Horsehead Nebula

I was actually hoping I could get much more exposure on this one, but weather didn't permit, so that's it for the time being I guess.

Optics: Takahashi Sky90 with reducer (407mm F4.5)
Tracking: Takahashi EM11 T2M, autoguided by 50mm finder/guider, PHD
Camera: Canon 5DII modified,
Exposure:
31/1/2014 - ISO800 (5 min x 12)
28/1/2014 - ISO1600 (4 min x 15)
Total 2 hours

Hong Kong Astronomical Society Observation Site

Omega Globular Cluster

My first globular cluster. Of course I should start off with the biggest!

Optics: Takahashi Sky90 with reducer (407mm F4.5)
Tracking: Takahashi EM11 T2M, autoguided by 50mm finder/guider, PHD
Camera: Canon 5DII modified,
Exposure:
28/1/2014 - ISO400 (5 min x 15)

Hong Kong Astronomical Society Observation Site

Resized and Cropped

100% Cropped

Old Film Image

I dug out my old hard disk and discovered some unprocessed film image. Back in 2008 I was not able to process that due to technical difficulties, namely too serious vignetting. Now with the advancement of my skill and software development (which I can command) I can finally finish this, which should be, my final film astro image.

Sky90, EM11, manual guide, Mamiya 645, E200+1, mosaic of 2, 1 hour each.

The End of 2013

Have been making use of the clear but very polluted atmosphere to do some new equipment testing and light imaging.

I have sent my Sky90 back to Takahashi for collimation and service, and they have done an excellent job. The scope doesn't look like mine when it comes back! I'm very pleased with the appearance and the optical performance. Here are the results:

Tak Sky90, EM11, Lodestar, Canon 5DII modded, LPS-P2, 3 min x 32 (96 min)

Tak Sky90, EM11, Lodestar, Canon 5DII modded, LPS-P2, 3 min x 52 (156 min)

Tak Sky90, EM11, Lodestar, Canon 5DII modded, LPS-P2, 3 min x 40 (120 min)

My renewed Sky90!

The end of the imaging session, together with my friend testing my Borg125SD

Have been testing my RC8 as well, which was acquired quite a few years ago but never had the chance to use. Collimation was way off, and I had no laser collimator with me so I had to do it very crudely. Forgot to take a picture of the setup.

I will need to add a barlow to the guidescope the next time I image with it.

Microtech 8"RC, EM11, Lodestar, Canon 5DII modded, LPS-P2, 3 min x 10

Winter Sky is on the rise...

... and so are my astrophotography opportunities.

Two images are captured last weekend, and I'm quite happy with both of them.

The first one is probably the deepest M45 in Hong Kong:

Borg 77EDII + 0.7x reducer/flattener (357mm f/4.6)
Takahashi EM11, unguided
Canon 5DMkII modified; ISO800
LPS-P2 Filter
3min x 60 (3 hours)

The second one is my first successfully autoguided image:


Scope: Borg125SD + TS2.5Flattener (750mm F/6)
Mount: Takahashi EM11;
Autoguide: Lodestar, PHD, 50mm finder/guider
Camera: Canon 5DMkII modified; ISO1600
Filter: LPS-P2
Exposure: 5min x 27 (Total exposure 135min)

The optical systems are both new tries. I like the lightness of the Borg scopes so I got the 125SD for myself and the 77ED for my workplace. Both the Borg reducer and the TS flattener are working fine. If necessary the reducer can be used for the 125SD, which gives 525mm f/4.2.

Hope I will have another night of clear weather this weekend.

Summer Skies 2013, Hong Kong

Summer is half way done, and these are what were achieved so far. Images taken at a relatively "dark" site here. Nowhere is really dark here anyway...

Sky90 definitely needs to be sent back for maintenance, the question is at what cost.

All images taken with 5DII modified.

M8M20, Sky90 w/reducer, 2.5hour exposure

Veil Nebula, Sky90 w/reducer, 1 hour exposure

M31, Sky90 w/reducer, 1 hour exposure

Veil Nebula, Sky90 w/reducer, 24min exposure

Cygnus Milkyway Mosaic, Canon 100L@f/3.5, 2x2 mosaic, each pane 40min exposure