M27 - Season opening test shot

20:45 16/8/2010 UTC

First night out after summer break I usually just test everything is still working and I still remember all the buttons and switches... My usual test target is M27, the Dumbbell Nebula. I've installed a focus motor controller from Shoestring Astronomy to allow me to focus the image from the inside of the house. I have to say it is way much comfortable to achieve sharp focus when you can do it inside using a decent workstation rather than struggling outside with the touchpad in an awkward position. Everything seems to be working as good as it can. I even captured a hint of the outer regions of the nebula. I think I have to shoot this with 20min subs and see how deep I can go, altough it is a little bit small target to my scope. This is a 100% crop of the image around the nebula.

Camera: Atik Instruments 4000LE | Telescope: Skywatcher ED80 Pro 80mm f7.5 refractor, William Optics 0.8x focal reducer | Mount: Vixen GP-D2, Boxdoerfer PowerFlex MTS-3SLP drive controller | Filters: Baader H-alpha 7nm 2" | Guiding: The Imaging Source DMK 21AU04.AS CCD camera, Orion ShortTube 80mm f5 refractor, Stark-Labs PHD Guiding | Exposure: Ha 2x600s (20m) unbinned, CCD @ -20° | Software: CCDWare CCDStack, Adobe Photoshop CS4, Stark-Labs Nebulosity 2 | Location: 60°31'N 26°52'E (Koivula/Kotka,FI) | Image Field: 33.9 x 25.44 arcminutes | Image Center: Ra 19h59m33s Dec +22°43'46" |