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Wide field Orion

Open cluster NGC 1981 at the top then down to the Running Man reflection/emission nebula then finally M42 and M43 below.

 

Its actually been 4 years since I last tackled this subject with my 480mm f/6 scope.

 

The 2019 plan was to acquire about an hour of 1 minute subs at ISO800 but when I checked through, there was occasional light cloud and haze so this is 43 x 1 minute subs.

 

Previous effort in March 2015 here:

 

www.flickr.com/photos/16271433@N02/16373842900/in/album-7...

 

480/80mm f/6 Altair Starwave triplet refractor.

Altair Planostar 1.0 x FF with 2 inch IDAS LPS D1 filter

Astro-modified Canon 80D at ISO800; 43 x 1 minute subs (43 mins total integration).

 

NEQ6 pro mount with Rowan belt drives -2 star align.

 

Mini-PC NUC with WiFi extender

Mount WiFi control with ASCOM/AstroPhotography Tool

Camera WiFi control with Backyard EOS

 

Camera sensor temperature (external battery): 16-18c

33 dark frames from dark library (temperature selected; 16-18c)

90 flat frames (electroluminescent panel @ 1/80s)

90 bias frames

 

Post processed in PixInsight 1.8.6 and Photoshop CC 2019.

 

Local parameters:

Temp: 10.1 - 10.6c

Humidity: 64- 66%

Pressure: 1023 hPa

 

Light Pollution and Weather:

 

SQM (L) at start of session (2010 hrs UT) =19.61 mag/arcsec2.

SQM (L) at end of session (2130 hrs UT) =19.84 mag/arcsec2.

 

Occasional light cloud or mist causing star blooming - 12 subs discarded.

 

Polar Alignment:

QHY Polemaster alignment -

Error measured by PHD2= 1.3 arc minute.

RA drift + 1.96 arcsec/min

Dec drift -0.34 arcsec/min

 

Guiding:

PHD2 guiding with ZWO ASI290mm/Altair Starwave 206/50mm guider. Partially Dithered.

RA RMS error 1.25 arcsec, peak error 4.66 arcsec

Dec RMS error 0.82 arcsec, peak error 3.17 arcsec

 

Astrometry:

Center (RA): 05h 35m 24.463s

Center (Dec): -05° 16' 17.071"

Size: 1.43 x 2.08 deg

Image scale: 1.59 arcsec/pixel

Orientation: Up is 3.14 degrees E of N

 

 

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Uploaded on February 27, 2019
Taken on March 1, 2019