After 20 years, I decided to see what this refractor stuff was all about...

[calan]

Having fun with my first refractor, ever. After 20 years of reflectors, I decided to get a little wide-field scope (AT72EDII) and see what I could do with it. So far, I like it. Still trying to fine-tune the reducer/flattener backspacing, but it's close.

Here is a first light (ok, maybe 3rd or 4th first light) image of the usual M42. By far the best I've ever gotten though, out of 10 years or so of shooting the thing. I never even knew there was that much dust around it.

AstroTech AT72EDII scope with AT .8x reducer, ZWO ASI294MC-Pro camera, UV/IR cut filter, 20 minutes total exposure (60 * 20s). All frames filtered and stacked in Sharpcap, and processed in PixInsight. OKC suburbs, Bortle 5 sky.

http://jcsautomation.com/astro/M42%20-% ... (wide).png

[admin]

Nice one - glad to welcome you to the dark side (although I must admit to having a *reflector* on my mount at the moment... alongside a refractor that is for anyone who is worrying). I love refractors because they are so low maintenance compared to SCTs and reflectors - set up and get going...

cheers,

Robin

[timh]

Good image for just 20 min!

Refractors at least remain usable when it gets dewy as this time of year -i.e. it just takes a simple heater band around the dew cap whereas once the main mirror of the Newts mists up then the night's viewing is over.

Tim

[calan]

Good image for just 20 min!

Thanks

It was just one of those "Oh look... Orion is up" moments, just before wrapping up some testing on it. Figured what the hell.

It was pointed at my worst light-polluted direction and has a lot of noise for just the 20 minutes (thus the waxiness in the background), but it was just meant as a quick test. It just happened to come out good enough that I went ahead and cleaned it up a little.

Can't wait until Orion is up high on clear nights and I can get some good shots of it and that whole area.