M57 with 5080mm focal length / Unguided!

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Menno555
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Joined: Mon Apr 20, 2020 2:19 pm
Location: The Netherlands
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M57 with 5080mm focal length / Unguided!

#1

Post by Menno555 »

Had another go at finetuning my collimation and now with a 2.5x Barlow attached. Used Vega as star but there was too much seeing: was 21 degrees here at night.
But now my scope was f/25 (5080mm focal length) so just for fun I decided to give M57 a go.
The Ioptron CEM25EC mount together with the iPolar polar alignment camera, managed to do 30 seconds captures unguided with this huge magnification!! :o For tracking I use a manual sidereal setting and with finetuning that, this mount just pulls this off!
Did 35 x 30 second exposures and this image is the result.
It is far from perfect: lots of seeing, not yet fully collimated, no flats for this combi, etc.
But is shows huge promise when I get everything right. This (and a new cooled camera :) ) can give very nice results.

Equipment:
Ioptron CEM25EC mount (no guiding)
Meade LX65 8” f/10 ACF OTA
TeleVue Powermate 2.5x barlow
Baader Neodymium filter
Zwo ASI385MC camera

Capture with SharpCap: 35 x 30 seconds, gain 190 (of 600), 10 darks.
AutoStakkert for stacking (not enough data for DeepSkyStacker)
Processed in PS: Curves and Levels, Shadows/Highlights, colors, contrast, noise reduction.

Image
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