Saturn
Single image (not stacked)
Meade LX200GPS 8" - Prime focus
Cropped considerably - ISO 800 - Canon T3i
M 13 in Hercules
Meade LX200GPS 8" - Prime focus
Cropped - ISO 3200 - Canon T3i
Stacked with DSS - 10 sec exposures
Stack of about 9 shots
M 27 - Dumbell Nebula
Meade LX200GPS 8" - Prime focus
Cropped considerably - ISO 12800 - Canon T3i
Stacked with DSS - 15 sec exposures
Stack of about 28 - Total integration time: about 7 minutes
Some catching up to do, the Good News and the Bad News:
Good News: After removing my Meade scope from its tripod in the observatory I was able to create a new concrete pier for the scope and wedge. (pics to follow in another report).
Bad News: In the process the scope, being very heavy, seemed to have lost where it was at in terms of RA, so that when I started the scope up it wanted to rotate WAY BEYOND where it should! I thought for a while that perhaps I had damage the RA in some way in the move and was looking at having to plunk more $$$ to get a new scope
Good News: After surfing the WWW for info, I discovered that it was possible to correct the RA problem... and it WORKS great again! $$$ saved!
Bad News: I wish I had made the pier about 10 inches taller... I guess I didn't measure as well as I thought I had.... hmmmmm
Good News: I can still add more height to the pier in the future... just not this year, I think.
I still have to get the wedge and scope better polar aligned as I can only expose for a maximum of 15 seconds, far too short for dim deep sky objects. This will take some time to accomplish...
Ah... the joys of deep sky astrophotography!
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