I intended to get this out before the end of 2022 - sorry about that - I have been busy!
(I have fixed the post date so it falls within 2022 though.)
Not only have I had an equipment upgrade but I also decided to build a pier in my garden (to be covered at some later date).
The pier was a simple build and follows these steps:
1. Dig a 40x40x40cm hole
2. Sink a suitable length metal pole (rebar)
3. Place pier tube in hole over rebar. I used a 8in. plastic tube at 1.5m length
4. Level and fill with concrete
5. Sink anchor bolts ready to receive mounting plate (the mouting plate was temporarily located to make sure all was properly level.)
6. Leave to set
7. Level the mounting plate
Garden pier build
Next - on to the target.
There was a huge gap (weeks) between the pier build and getting first light with the new scope so I chose my target carefully and one that I had not done before.
With the winter constellations starting to appear I decided on the Flaming Star Nebula in Auriga when it was high due south-east from my location. It is an emission and a reflection nebula some 1500 light years away - a great broadband target.
It was a challenge to process and wanted to bring out those faint whisps of nebulosity along with some nice star colours. I used the SkyTech LPRO Max filter to help with this.
The Flaming Star Nebula - IC405
The pier not only gives me a much more stable platform that enables a shorter setup time, but it has also improved the auto-guiding considerably. I know we shouldn't obsess about that guide graph, but still.... ;)
Total 48min. (180sec. subs)
Askar FRA400 refractor
SkyTech LPRO Max filter
Altair 533C PROTEC camera binned 1x1 (Offest 48 / Gain 301 / HCG On)
Processed in Deep Sky Stacker and Affinity Photo
Clear skies.
MJ
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