OAG & Robofocus 1st Light

We finally got a break from the long lasting cloudy nights over here, which made it possible to give it a go and try the new equipment.
Boy, does it look promising!

FS102NSV + G-11 + OAG + DMK21AF + ST2kXM (H-alpha filter)
Dec, 14th/15th, 2009 (23h28/00h57 UTC)
Guiding with PHD on a different laptop (still waiting for the Firewire Express Card for my new laptop...)
1x 1800" @-30ºC
2x 90"" @-30ºC

No other processing other than:
- Align, Stack & kernel filter in MaxIm DL
- Levels, Curves & High Pass Filter in CS4
No Darks, no Flats.

Full resolution

M31 - Andromeda Galaxy

The Andromeda Galaxy is the closest spiral galaxy to our own Milky Way and is some 2.5 million ly away. Andromeda is believed to be moving towards us to finally merge with the Milky Way in around 3 billion years from now, leading to a new galaxy: The Milkydromeda :D
Image setup:
FS102NSV @f/6.2 + IDAS 2"
SBIG ST2000XM self-guided
MaxIm DL & CS4
4x 900"
9x 300"
Leiria, Oct. 14th 2009

full resolution

NGC253 - Sculptor Galaxy

The Sculptor Galaxy (NGC253) lies about 10 million ly away from Earth, in the Constellation Sculptor, discovered in 1783 by Caroline Herschel.

Imaging setup:
FS102NSV @ f/6.2
SBIG ST2000XM - self-guided
IDAS 2"
18x 300"
darks
flats
bias
MaxIm DL & CS4

Leiria, Oct. 13, 2009 @22h29m/00h07m Oct. 14 UT

full resolution

full resolution

Amateur APOD October 7, 2009

This is my first AAPOD ever.
This is a nice feeling... ;-)

http://astronomy.fm/aapod/2009-10-07_Jupiter.html

Jupiter, Sep 22 2009

Same setup as usual, other processing techniques.
C11 @f/20; DMK21AF; RGB AStronomik IIc.
Registax, Astraimage; CS4.
I have conducted a CCD window cleaning but it still seems to need some more working on that.

Move mouse over image for label view

full frame image

Now in H-alpha

A few days (should I say nights) later, I targeted the Bride's Veil again, only this time in H-apha (6nm).
Image: FS102NSV @f/6.3 + ST2000XM + Astronomik Ha 6nm
Guide: SW 70mm + DMK21AF + PHD
Aug 31, 2009

full resolution

NGC6960 - The Veil Nebula

The beautiful NGC6960 sight I had last weekend through my C11 amazed me to the the point of nailing the Veil.
So I did, just after the Eagle Nebula went out of sight on the night of the Aug. 26th.
FS102NSV @f/6 and ST2000XM autoguided on a Losmandy G-11.
24x 300" @-20ºC/-4ºF
Dark and Flat frames registered and calibrated in MaxIm DL, processed in CS4 (Astronomy Action Tools (r)).
Aug. 26th, 0h16/2h39 UT
Leiria, Portugal

full resolution