NGC 891 - Test with Mewlon 210

Started by ayiomamitis, 08/24/2009 07:01PM
Posted 08/24/2009 07:01PM Opening Post
Dear group,

In an earlier thread - see http://www.astromart.com/forums/viewpost.asp?forum_post_id=659400&poll_id=&news_id=&page= - I had my first impressions of the M210 in relation to its potential for DSO work.

A few nights ago I had some free time at the end of an imaging session and I decided to take some test images of the beautiful edge-on galaxy NGC 891 in Andromeda.

For my sample result based on two hours total data, please see http://www.perseus.gr/Images/dso-ngc-0891-20x6min.jpg and which is based on twenty six-minute subs. I purposely pursued six-min test subs since my master dark library did not have a 10-min master dark for the cooling temperature I was working that particular night.

Please note this result has partial reduction, namely the use of a master dark and nothing else. The full resolution image looks much nicer and with the stars being very nice circles.

There is no question in my mind the M210 is a very good scope for DSO work and in spite of the general concensus to the contrary due to a supposedly non-flat field from edge to edge and its slow f-ratio.

Anthony.
Posted 08/24/2009 07:04PM #1
PS. If one were to look to piggyback a telescope for guiding, how would this be best accomplished?

I was doing some work with a couple of planetaries in Cepheus last week and the luminance images were most impressive at an image scale of 0.56"/pixel. However, everything fell apart when I tried guiding for the RGB subs. I have come across this problem with other test sessions and it is obvious that I must mount a piggyback scope for guiding.