Wide field Orion Nebula Feb 2021

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 2 years since I last tackled this subject with my 480mm f/6 scope.

 

The 2021 plan was to acquire about an hour of 1 minute subs at ISO800.

 

Previous effort in March 2019 here:

 

www.flickr.com/photos/16271433@N02/47180403212/in/album-7...

 

Before that 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; 62 x 1 minute subs

 

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

 

Camera control with Backyard EOS

 

Camera sensor temperature (external battery): 5-6c

50 dark frames from dark library (temperature selected)

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

50 bias frames

 

Post processed in PixInsight 1.8.8 and Photoshop CC 2021.

 

Local parameters:

Temp: -1` - 0c

Humidity: 50%

Pressure: 1017 hPa

 

Light Pollution and Weather:

 

SQM (L) at end of session (2355 hrs UT) =20.00 mag/arcsec2.

 

Clear, all subs good.

 

Polar Alignment:

QHY Polemaster alignment -

Error measured by PHD2= 1.3 arc minute.

RA drift + 1.82 arcsec/min

Dec drift + 0.35 arcsec/min

 

Guiding:

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

RA RMS error 0.98 arcsec, peak error -3.59 arcsec

Dec RMS error 0.81 arcsec, peak error 2.6 arcsec

 

Astrometry:

Center (RA): 05h 35m 38.243s

Center (Dec): -05° 15' 13.000"

Size: 1d 16m 51.7s x 1d 46m 14.7s

Image scale: 1.59 arcsec/pixel

Focal distance: 478.76mm

Pixel Size 3.7 microm

Done