Telescope: Astro-Tech RC8 @ f/8, Orion Atlas EQ-G

Camera: Full Spectrum Modified Nikon D810, Baader Mk III MPCC

Filter: GSO IR Blocking Filter

Exposure: 64×1/500 sec, ISO 320, saved as RAW

Seeing: fair, 3/5

White Balance: Nebulosity Automatic

Software: Backyard Nikon, Nebulosity, Registax, Photoshop

This is a quickie image taken of the moon this morning as I stepped outside to check on my gear. I had intended to cover everything up after moonrise, but the sky was so clear I decided to push ahead until dawn.

This is an excellent example of the high resolution performance of the Unitron 142. I was pleasantly surprised by the lack of color fringing with this relatively long f/ratio scope. Note the lunar terminator sweeping across the southern highlands, indicating that the moon is passing north of the Earth’s shadow.

Telescope: Unitron 142 3” f/15

Camera: ZWO ASI 294MC

Filter: Meade IR Cut Filter

Exposure: 128×0.005sec, Gain 200, saved as PNG

Seeing: Good, 4/5

White Balance: Nebulosity Automatic

Software: SharpCap Pro, AutoStakkert, Registax, Nebulosity, Photoshop

This 50 year old Unitron produces a sharp, high contrast image with little or no chromic aberration. The 142 equatorial mount is very stable with excellent slow motion controls and a very accurate synchronous drive. I was curious to see how well it performs with basic imaging and this is the first test image. I chose to use my uncooled ASI294MC as is it a very lightweight color camera with a modest size chip and since there is no shutter there wasn’t a problem with vibrations. This does a fairly good job showing the excellent image quality and the lack of color fringing. Very nice!

Telescope: 8” Meade Wide Field LX200GPS @ f/6.3 (Native), Baader Mk III MPCC

Camera: ZWO ASI 294MC

Filter: GSO IR Blocking Filter

Exposure: 128×0.001sec, Gain 200, saved as TIFF

Seeing: Fair, 3/5

White Balance: Nebulosity Automatic

Software: SharpCap Pro, Registax, Nebulosity, Photoshop

This image was taken as part of in initial test using a Baader Mk III MPCC with this wide field 8” SCT and the original, uncooled version of the ASI 294MC. I’m configuring this for remote observing, but it is working so well that I’m going to conduct some additional tests to see how well it works for general purpose imaging.

Telescope: 8” Meade Wide Field LX200GPS @ f/6.3 (Native), Altaz mode

Camera: ZWO ASI 294MC

Filter: Orion Imaging Skyglow Filter

Exposure: 128×0.003sec, Gain 200, saved as TIFF

Seeing: Poor, 2/5

White Balance: Nebulosity Automatic

Software: SharpCap Pro, Registax, Nebulosity, Photoshop

This is a quick stack of images that I grabbed of the moon while setting up my gear for an evening of remote observing. This was taken with the original, uncooled version of the ASI 294MC which is a wonderfully simple, lightweight, and effective camera for this type of work.

Telescope: 8” Meade Wide Field LX200GPS @ f/6.3 (Native), Altaz mode

Camera: ZWO ASI 294MC

Filter: Orion Imaging Skyglow Filter

Exposure: 64×0.005sec, Gain 200, saved as TIFF

Seeing: Fair, 3/5

White Balance: Nebulosity Automatic

Software: SharpCap Pro, Registax, Nebulosity, Photoshop

This is a quick stack of images that I grabbed of the moon while setting up my gear for an evening of remote observing; my gear outside, me inside. This was taken with the original, uncooled version of the ASI 294MC which is a wonderfully simple, lightweight, and effective camera for this type of work.

Telescope: Astro-Tech 8” f/8 Ritchey-Chretien, Orion Atlas EQ-G

Camera: Canon EOS Ra, Baader Mk III MPCC

Filter: Orion Imaging Skyglow Filter

Guide scope: Astro-Tech 60mm, Starlight Xpress Super Star, PHD2

Exposure: 30x60sec, ISO 800, saved as RAW

Darks: Internal (Long Exposure Noise Reduction On)

Flats: 32×1/2sec, Tee shirt flats taken at dusk

Average Light Pollution: Red zone, Bortle 8, fair transparency, bright moonlight

Lensed Sky Quality Meter: 18.0

Stacking: Mean with a 1-sigma clip.

White Balance: Nebulosity Automatic

Software: Backyard EOS, Deep Sky Stacker, Nebulosity, Photoshop

The short streak in the center of this field shows the apparent motion of (1) Ceres over the period of about 30 minutes on the evening of November 22, 2021, at 10:00pm local time. Ceres was the first asteroid discovered as part of a methodical search for a ‘missing’ planet between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter that began in 1800. Giuseppe Piazzi, from Palermo, Sicily, discovered Ceres on January 1, 1801, and it just happens to be the largest and most massive asteroid in the solar system. Ceres is 590 mile in diameter and was 164 million miles away shining at magnitude 7.1 in Taurus crossing the Hyades star cluster when this image was taken.

Ceres is still in Taurus, but has since moved off to the west and now lies south of the Pleiades star cluster. Although it is currently 203 million miles away it is still relatively bright at magnitude 8.2 and is an easy target for binoculars or small telescope.