I have recently purchased a new scope - a 6 inch Ritchey-Chrétien. This type of scope is regarded as a true astrograph reflector as it has no coma to correct (edge stars exhibit a slight elongated shape) and it brings all of the wavelengths of light to a single focal point due to it's primary and secondary hyperbolic mirrors.
I've also spent time working out a few configuration tweaks to get the best out of my equipment - namely the arc second per pixel calculation. To mention this quickly it should be between 1 and 2 using this equation:
( sensor pixel size (µm) / focal length (mm) ) x 206.3
So I have used a 0.6x focal reducer in the optical train combined with 2x2 camera binning to help with this.
A word of note here. Reducing the focal length also widens the field of view (reducing the f-number) and using binning effectively increases the camera sensitivity (2x2 will increase it 2 times using CMOS and 4 times using CCD).
Guiding becomes more of a necessity too. As you get deeper into your targets the focal length increases.
Here we have the crescent Moon taken low in the west.
Movie file of 1000 frames processed in AutoStakkert and Affinity Photo.
The larger sea to the middle is Mare Fecunditatis which leads up into Mare Tranquilitatis (in shadow). Crater Langrenus lies below and to the right is Mare Crisium with crater Cleomedes to the right.
Next we have Messier 1 or The Crab Nebula which is a Supernova remnant 6,523 light years away.
It was recorded by Chinese astronomers in 1054. At the heart is a pulsar (neutron star) which spins at 30 times per second emitting gamma to radio radiation.
51 x 60sec.
Altair Astro Hypercam 183C PRO (Gain 1600, Offest 48, Bin 2x2).
SkyTech LPRO Max filter.
Processed with Deep Sky Stacker and Affinity Photo.
I'm hoping this represents a clear jump forward in my astrophotography.
Clear skies.
MJ
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