Nebulas

• LN

Setup

• Extremely clear, no wind.
• Coolers on from lunch time for darks.
• Could only get to -15C during the day (60 - 80% cooler power)
• Start up around 19:00
• Dome open straight away to cool down and cooler can reach -20C
• Aligned easily to Sirius to the south.

Observation

• Flaming Star Nebula the target as quite high and slightly to the west (ie away from London).
• RA 5h14m40s; Dec +34o28'25"
• 1 min exposure without filter to get some stars despite blueish sky.
• Uploaded to astrometry.net to check location vs stellarium location.
• http://nova.astrometry.net/user_images/1564397#annotated
• Slightly off it would seem. Took 400s second exposure in mean time with H Alpha filter to see if we see anything.
• Indeed, slightly off.

• Ah, forgot to turn on tracking!
• Centred where nebula should be (without filter - so just stars) and started tracking.
• Checking with astrometry again before long data taking.
• http://nova.astrometry.net/user_images/1564483#annotated
• Bang on target - 20:58
• 20 minute image was good, but we need better - limited by read out noise
• 2x 30 minute exposures so far at 22:37

• LIght without filter for star field.
• 60s had some stars, but 180s was better. Need to take several for star field.
• Quick to take now and will use as trial of false colouring later. Record 5x 180s in total.
• Then back to 30min h alpha exposures.
• Midnight and on 5th 30 minute exposure
• Finished Flaming Star Nebula around 00:30 as it was getting very low and cloud is rolling in from the west.

• Took a few of jupiter - wide field and main scope - using h alpha and blue filter respectively as pretty bright.
• Moved up a wee bit to Markarian's chain - let's see if we can get some galaxies!
• This site is really suited for a deep sky galaxy zoo image - however, this means there are no bright stars to guide on
• I think I may be guiding on a galaxy, but it's something.
• Tried 180,300,600 but settled on 500s as a few things saturating.
• guiding ok despite dim image.
• http://nova.astrometry.net/user_images/1564894#annotated
• Astrometry lists around 22 galaxies in this image!

• Tracking stopped working and clouds rolling in around 1:30.
• Took single dark at 500s for a simple auto dark later at -20C
• Taking flats.

-- LaurieNevay - 31 Mar 2017