Another M106

[MikeM]

Got out last night for a bit and shot M106. I wanted to add color but when I did my meridian flip I lost it and decided to come back to it another night for RGB. Mainly I wanted to test out my guiding with the 8RC which I was having issues with. (It's always something!)
This is 9x10m using the 8RC & Atik 383L. The image is just about full frame.

[Jason C]

Nice start Mike. The outer arms/dust beginning to show, lots of detail in the galaxy.

[David (djrLX90)]

Doesn't look like you had any guiding issues at all!!!!  Real deep image Mike....looking forward to the color !!!

[schmeah]

The stars are nice and tight. Great detail as well in the central galaxy. You can probably pull a little more from those whispy outer arms though it may be more a combination of my monitor and web conversion. The meridian flip .... that and cost are the reasons I've stuck with the old fork/wedge mount. I know there are good automated software programs that can allow continuous imaging through the flip. I just can't conceptualize my getting it to work reliably given all the problems I encounter with faint guide stars, framing etc
Derek

[MikeM]

Thanks for the comments. Now that I started it, and begin to see the outer arms, makes me want to add more time to the lum and then add color.
As for the guiding, it's getting to be that time of year when I no longer get to see Polaris due to the leaves returning on the trees so my alignment is just about a guess unless I start doing a drift align. What I have noticed when using Maxim is that the X & Y scales mover greater with the RC as opposed to when using the FSQ and had me concerned. The first time out last week I had oblong stars but this past Friday, was much better.

[Les (t_total123)]

Looking Good Mike keep going on it and pop a pier in then you wont have to worry about Polaris

LES

[Bob Star]

Really nice core detail Mike! Nice tight stars too. Meridian flips can be a real PITA. 

Bob

[Jason C]

Mike, the longer corrections should be due to the OAG. The camera is seeing a "larger" movement from the longer FL. You may want to experiment with a lower aggressive setting for the 8" as the longer FL is also a lot more vulnerable to "seeing"

[Les (t_total123)]

With the Paramount I have to be above 10 sec exposures for guiding for the seeing Aggressiveness is 8 my min move is 0.01 and Max move is 3.00 with direct guide its in Arcsecounds so Calibration move x and Y is set to 100 these setting are in ccdsoft and work very well

In maxim 10 sec exposure aggressiveness 8 worked very well

with the G11 I was at 2 secs exposure aggressiveness around 5 to 8 depending what was on the mount

 

[El Paso Eric]

Wow, some excellent detail.  Congrats. 

[MikeM]

Thanks for the comments and brain food re the guiding.

[Craig & Tammy]

Looking good Mike!  Glad to see the RC getting some sky time :)