Bob's AstroGallery

The Draco Trio (NGC 5985, 5982 and 5981)

by Bob on Oct.24, 2011, under NGC Objects

NGC 5985
Type: Face-on Spiral Galaxy

NGC 5982
Type: Elliptical Galaxy

NGC 5981
Type: Edge-on Spiral Galaxy

Common information
Constellation: Draco
Distance From Earth: Approx. 100,000,000 light years

Camera: Atik 314L color
Exposure: 36x480s light frames, 5 dark frames, 0 flats.
Filters: Hutech IDAS LPS-P2
Telescope: Robtics 130mm F/6.9 Triplet Apo

NGC 891 v2

by Bob on Oct.16, 2011, under NGC Objects

A.k.a. Caldwell 23
Type: Unbarred Spiral Galaxy
Constellation: Andromeda
Telescope: Robtics 130mm triplet apo @ F/6.9
Camera: Atik 314L color
Exposure: 8x 300s + 20x 600s light frames, 4x 300s darks
Filters: Hutech IDAS LPS-P2

Previous version can be viewed here.

M 15 v2

by Bob on Oct.16, 2011, under Messier Objects

A.k.a.: NGC 7078
Type: Globular cluster
Telescope: Robtics 130mm triplet apo @ F/6.9
Camera: Atik 314L
Exposure: 17x300s, 4 darks, no flats
Filters: Hutech IDAS LPS-P2

The first version was made 1 year ago, minus 10 days, with the DSLR.

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NGC 7023

by Bob on Sep.20, 2011, under NGC Objects

A.k.a.: Iris Nebula
A.k.a.: Caldwell 4
Type: Reflection Nebula
Distance: 1300 light years
Radius: 3 light years
Camera: Atik 314L Color
Exposure: 20x 300s, 5 darks, no flats
Filters: Hutech IDAS LPS-P2

A new M 27

by Bob on Sep.20, 2011, under Messier Objects

A.k.a.: Dumbbell Nebula
A.k.a.: NGC6853
Type: Planetary Nebula
Distance from earth: Approx. 1350 light years
Radius: Approx. 1.5 light years
Camera: Atik 314L Color
Exposure: 14x 300s, 5 darks, no flats
Filters: Hutech IDAS LPS-P2

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M 3

by Bob on Aug.16, 2011, under Messier Objects

After many weeks of bad weather and no clear skies, last night finally showed proof that there is actually something behind those clouds.
Unfortunately it was short-lived, after setting up my gear, I was able to take only 3 frames of M3; the clouds were already coming back, fast.
But it was worth it, I could finally test the Intes Mikro 0.6x focal reducer.
This reducer does not correct for anything, unlike most SCT focal reducers, and I had hoped it would produce coma-free pictures.
As you can see in the picture, it isn’t nearly coma free – and this was taken with a small CCD camera!
Vignetting is also quite apparent. I didn’t make any flats though, those would take care of this problem perfectly.

This really is unfortunate, because it means I still have to wait for Celestron to produce their dedicated C9.25 EdgeHD focal reducers, which will undoubtedly be very costly.

Wolfgang Ransburg, from Teleskop-Service, was kind enough to sell me a discount Intes Mikro focal reducer, with the option to return it in case it wouldn’t live up to our expectations (he thought, or hoped, that this reducer would fit the EdgeHD series).
So, from this short test alone, I think I can safely conclude that this focal reducer is not compatible with the C9.25 EdgeHD.
If I would use my Canon DSLR, with its much larger CMOS chip, the coma will be much worse.

Type: Globular Cluster
A.k.a.: NGC 5272
Constellation: Canes Venatici
Distance From Earth: 33,900 light years

Camera: Atik 314L color
Exposure: 3x240s light frames, 0 dark frames, 0 flats.
Filters: Hutech IDAS LPS-P2
Telescope: C9.25 EdgeHD
Focal reducer: Intes Mikro 0.6x

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Another sunset

by Bob on Jun.20, 2011, under Weather Pics

For lack of good weather for astrophotography.

Taken @ 10:08pm
Canon EOS 550D with 18-55mm kitlens
1x 1/640s (above horizon) + 1x 1/125s (below horizon), ISO 200 @ f/4.5

Now with both telescopes mounted

by Bob on Jun.08, 2011, under My Equipment

Finally received the DSBS-V side-by-side plate!
Now the Big C9.25 EdgeHD and ED80 can be mounted at the same time, allowing me to use one scope for imaging and the other for autoguiding.
One tiny setback though, the 10kg counterweight isn’t sufficient anymore, I need to add another one or I can’t balance it as it is!

I am no longer using this telescope! I had too much problems getting everything to work, had to buy this and that just to be able to make some photos. In the end I got tired of it and traded it in for a new Apochromatic refractor (Robtics 115mm F7 triplet apo).

Leave a Comment :C9.25, CGE, EdgeHD more...