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[starbux]

Taken with the Canon A510 15 seconds exposure thru 8" LX200. 32mm Plossel. Unless otherwise stated at iso 400. Taken at my light-polluted backyard.


The Owl/ET cluster NGC 457. Somewhat dissapointed that both "arms' don't show up



M37 in Auriga. The winter sky's "m11" I call it "stardust". Looks like some stars are moving off the main sequence, if colors are correct.



The Double Cluster in Perseus. Rather surprised I was able to get both in the narrow fov of the LX200.




M42



The Trapezium. Shot taken iso 200 4x zoom.

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

Malcolm,

I like the shots, especially the double cluster.

I remember my really first good view of the double from a site outside of Chicago at a C.A. members large backyard star party a couple of years ago. So many stars that I got lost and needed a map.

The colors in M42 and trap are nice. It's great that we can get such results from personal equipment, whereas it was once the juristriction of the professional astronomer. And it's only going to get better. And now, amateurs are playing an important part in discovering exo-solar planets too! At an 4 day astrobiology conference I participated in recently at the Adler Planetarium, one of the speakers stated that the work of the amateur community was very important and the difference between the two is that one gets paid...and the other not.

Tell us about your imaging/observation sessions. Is it a solitary activity, got any tunes on, how do you prepare?

Thanks for sharing...

[starbux]

Yes, I'm pretty much alone when I observe, especially when imaging. Occasionally I've been able to share views with guests, but not very often. The most useful accessory I've purchased this year especially when using the SCT has been a roll-up table from Orion that has made it alot easier to organize and work with (almost makes it a temporary observatory without the walls). I'll listen to talk-radio, either broadcast, or podcast. I have a good FM transmitter from CCrane plugged in to my computer that has about a 70ft radius so I don't necessarily have to listen over the airwaves.

The backyard isn't too bad, still a lot of light pollution. There are trees that limit what I can see at any one time. Unlike my dobsonian, I can't just casually pick the SCT up and move it once it's been aligned. On the plus side, there are no direct street lighting to affect my dark adaptation. Most of these shots were taken after midnight so the sky was darker than earlier in the evening.

I will probably try M42 again later in the winter when it is higher in the sky. Maybe try it with filters too. Any you'd recommend for imaging?