M42 Orion Nebula

M42 Orion magnificent nebula with TS152 achro refractor....

(click to enlarge)

Technical info: TS152 + H694 + Ha + L (semi Apo filter) 

Mount: Eq6 + TDM

Image is a median combine with frame of various lenght (from 60s to 900s), no dark, no flats.

324 Bamberga

This is my first asteroid......

(click to enlarge)

I took a sequence of 60 seconds exposure with a 2 minute delay between them and then using Astrometrica it is possible to obtain precise astrometric measure of the asteroid, and also a nice blink animation that shows you that little stone block moving in the sky!!!!

It would be really interesting to do some more astrometric measure of other asteroids and obtain an observatory code from MPC.....

B33 Horse Head nebula

The big TS refractor acquire a lot of signal also in a light polluted sky....

(click to enlarge)

Technical details:   TS152 f/5.9 achromatic refractor + Sx H694 + FW + 1"1/4 semi Apo + Sx AO-LF

Image results from sd combining 6x1200 seconds image, image is 2x2 binned.

TDM Telescope Drive Master

Want to do astrophotography?!?.....yes....so what is the most valuable piece of equipment that an astrophotographer has to buy???......a perfect tracking mount!!!

...but a perfect tracking mount costs you several thousands euro....
...you have an EQ6 that is tracking well, not exceptionally well but is reasonable good....

Looking at the astronomical mount market, it seems that some producer (10Micron, AP, Ioptron...) are starting to use high resolution encorders to give their mount an exceptionally good RA tracking that cancel out PE.....

....with those mount you don't have to guide......you don't need a guide scope....only 1 camera and you
can get good unguided image of the night skies....

...10Micron has a dual tracking mode that permits up to 1/2 hour exposure unguided.....

And your EQ6......can you update your mount with something that can give you the possibility to do unguided long exposure imaging with mid-long focal length?

....yYESss......there is TDM or telescope drive master.....

I bought one and when installed it gives me great results!!!....

The following image show you what is my mount's periodic error....PE with TDM turned off and then when TDM has been turned ON......no more PE!!!!....

(click to enlarge)

It costs....yes it is not the cheaper astronomical addition to your gear....but it works well....

Now my EQ6 can get long unguided exposure.....I have only to carefully align it to the pole....

M13 superb globular cluster in Hercules

It's summer time....exactly perseid time!!!.....my friend David wants to look the sky with a telescope and its nice little villa located in Marsia (Abbruzzo, italian Appenini Mountains) is a beautiful place to observe summer great deep sky objects!!!...

While using my 20x110 GHT binocular to observe the celestial wonders....camera, telescope and computer are at work to collect some photons.....

This is M13, probably the most impressive globular cluster in the summer sky.....

(click to enlarge)

Image is a crop from a median stack of 12 x 180 sec. images, no flat, no dark, no bias.
Technical info: TS152 + H694 + Sx AO-LF
Mount: Eq6 + TDM

First post

this blog starts today....

Moon with an achromatic refractor

Could TS152 f/5.9 achromatic refractor get a high resolution image of the moon?
Look this one.....

(click to enlarge)

Selected about 200 frames, each 0.25 seconds with 1"1/4 OIII filter, combined and stretched....
This achromatic refractor has very good optics!!!!