Telescope: LXD75 SC8 @ f/6.3, LX65 mount, altaz mode
Camera: Baader modified Canon 600Da, interval timer
Filter: GSO IR Blocking Filter
Guide scope: None
Exposure: 28x10sec, ISO 1600, saved as RAW
Darks: Internal (Long Exposure Noise Reduction On)
Flats: 32×1/25sec, Tee shirt flats taken at dusk
Average Light Pollution: Red zone, Bortle 8, poor transparency, moonlight
Lensed Sky Quality Meter: 18.3
Stacking: Mean with a 1-sigma clip.
White Balance: Nebulosity Automatic
Software: Deep Sky Stacker, Nebulosity, Photoshop
M55 is a large, relatively sparse, class 11 globular cluster in Sagittarius. Its low surface brightness and far southern declination makes it something of a challenge in small telescopes from mid northern latitudes, but it lies to the east of the Milky Way which helps to improve the contrast with the background sky. In a large telescope it blossoms into a soft patch of stardust.
This is one of a series of images that I have been taking to explore using relatively simple equipment and techniques. This is a nice example of going after a relatively challenging target under challenging conditions.
M55 is currently low in the south at sunset.
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