20260115 IC 405 Flamming Star Nebula + M31 + IC 410 Monkey Head Nebula

It's clearing up.

Gemini suggested the Flaming Star Nebula (IC405) as the target.  I am asking for group of targets that fits into the field of view, so IC410 will be there too.

When the S30 slews to IC405, I know Gemini cheated me since IC410 or NGC 1893 The Monkey Head Nebula was not in the same field of view.  I believe I will do it later tonight or in a later observation session.

Observation started from 1720 when the sky is not completely dark yet.

Over 4:15 hour of exposure accumulated (over 500 frames), with 81 dropped frames.

I then setup my 533mc pro with my Canon 200mm f2.8 lens guided, took light/dark/bias took quite a lot of time, I didn't do these before.  Got to develop a habbit and have a good library of these frames.  Focusing should be improved since I used the zoom function of the ASIAir for focusing.

M31 could fit into the field of view, so I will go for it.

Over 45 frames of 300s exposure accumulated, with dark/flat/bias at -10 degree Celcius:

To be further processed by Siril.

I kept the S30 running after I slept for the first time, pointing at the cone nebula (Christmas tree nebula) at first, but then I found it's sinking quite low so I switched to the Monkey Head Nebula IC410 instead.  Got around 3 hr of exposure:

Pretty nice results.  I believe I will be playing with my Canon 200mm f2.8 more in the near future.  I hope to take a combination of objects, that's a couple of DSOs in the same field of view.

20250113 Unexpected Partial Clear Skies

It has been raining all these days, but it cleared up suddenly.

The sky is not getting totally dark until now (17:10), the night is getting shorter.

Setup the S30 for some observations.

First target is NGC 1499 the California Nebula which is pretty high on the sky, but cloud started rolling in.  Maybe another typical night that only these smart telescopes could be used.  It simply didn't worth to setup anything more complicated.

It cleared up a bit later at the night, but there were still random cloud moving.

Got over 3.5 hours of exposure, over 450 frames stacked with over 100 frames ignored due to various reasons, mostly because of cloud.

Processed solely by the S30.

On taking the S30 back indoor, I saw a good sky but I was also too tired to setup anything else.  This is another example to demonstrate why these smart telescopes are nice for anyone: they simply extend your useable observation time.

SVBony 8-16mm eyepiece

It's a very nice one and it's going to complete my collection.

I was fancy about zoom eyepices.  Back in the good old days, I got a Tele Vue 8-24mm zoom which was considered as the only good quality eyepiece.

Things have changed.

Tele Vue got those nice planetary zooms later and they changed the world.

I got a clone later, from SVBony and I was impressed.  

Modern day zooms are higher quality and better yet, the apparent field of view is good too!

A 32mm 2 incher will be the finder eyepiece for any telescope.

My trusty 20mm widescan 1.25" will be the finder for 1.25" only telescope.

And then that 3-8mm will be good for smaller refractors, offering high power.

So, the 8-16mm will be good for SCT.

For my 85mm refractor, the widest field of view will be with the 32mm.  Offering 16x with a wobbling field of view of more than 5 degrees!  It beats many binoculars hands down.

Highest power could be attained with the 3-8mm, 170x is very respectable, given its 0.5mm exit pupil.

For my 8" SCT, the 32mm will yield 57x with 1.4 degrees field of view.

Highest power could be attached with the 8-16mm, i.e. 250x giving 0.8mm exit pupil, more than most atmospheric conditions will allow.

Case closed for visual observation.

From 32mm down to 20mm, from 16mm down to 8mm and then seamlessly from 8mm down to 3mm.

Guess what, I still have a 5x Powermate and a 2x barlows.

Experiment: Canon FD 300mm f2.8 with crayford focuser

I am selling this ancient self modified lens.

A sudden thought came to me, why not attach it directly to a crayford focuser?  It shouldn't be too difficult.

I have all the thread specifications, connecting adapters might not be too difficult to find.

I even removed the camera angle adjuster to test, but unfortunately, the focuser was a bit too long for infinity focus.

I believe that a short profile SCT focuser might work, and I actually have one.  Might try again later, I just treat it as a short break for me.

--

Equipment shuffling

A further thought comes.  I am trying to see if this CYCK could be attached to my Ranger tube so that the JMI NGF-CM could be released?

The answer is not simple.  

The Tele Vue Ranger has a 3" 24 TPI thread, while the CYCK has metric thread.

I should have fabricated a SCT adapter for my Ranger tube instead of custom made for the NGF-CM.  So it's very much irreplacable now.

I could go another route: attaching the ZWO focusing motor to the JMI NGF-CM?  I might work but then it's not easy to adapt the NGF-CM to another telescope since it has nothing but a groove like attachment.

If I could find a NGF-CM SCT adapter, the whole thing would become possible.  However, the JMI seem dead?  It's not easy to come back such an adapter.

20260105 Remote Seestar S30 and Meade 8 with reducer deep sky testing

Setup my S30 on remote mode, I can control it when I was outside.  

I did try to do that many years ago for solar observation, but it never worked out well.  

Such a economical and versatile setup, simply amazing!

I am capturing M33 again, and turn to the Rosette Nebula at around 9:10pm.

--

I will setup my Meade 8" to do something.

Configuration: SCT - Reducer - Focuser

Note on focusing, I've to turn anti-clockwise after inserting the reducer.

Polar alignment works pretty well with the reducer on, plate solving was fast too.

Effective focal length is 1171mm.

The first target was M45, yes!  Such a wide field target but I only target on Merope, doing some 10s exposure.  Guiding does not help, or I should say it makes things worse.  I turned it off and let it drift, it works better than without guiding.   There were72 frames only, so nothing could be shown virtually.

My guidescope was just 230mm which does not help indeed.

The next target was silver silver galaxy (NGC 891), I turned on guiding so that at least the framing will be retained.  Guiding was much better this time and so I tried 30s exposure.  It looks good so far after 17 frames.  Started at around 9:10 as well.  

At around 9:45, I found that I was doing only 10s exposures... I got around 300 frames, Meade 8" with reducer, fairly lazy processing by Siril.  The result is less than ideal, but the total exposure was very limited too.

Did some Jupiters with reducer on, should remove it but I was too lazy.

2053 and 2055 (UT), the amount of detail is good, larger aperture really helps.  I shall remove the reducer and put a 2x barlows in next time.

The sky was foggy and it indicates better seeing?

Turning to M1 for some test shots too.

Seems like it's not very successful for shorter exposure imaging.

Conclusion: 

Dark, Flat, Bias should always be taken.

Flat should be taken everytime when I do imaging, probably at the very beginning or at the end of all target.

Postlude: my 51st birthday under a starry sky

I guess I should use Hong Kong time as the reference when treating birthday.

Anyway, I gave myself a chance to spend under the starry night.  I didn't go out with my daugther for her band and I stayed at home alone.

The experiment of using a SCT did not work out well, most probably due to dew formation.  SCT is a  dew magnet since the corrector is very much exposed, I have bought a dew shield and a dew heater.  So, shall try again later.  

Collimation should be fixed, but then guiding does not work out well too.  Getting a long focal length guidescope is too much luxury and I shall change the mount too?  

Planet imaging is not as enjoyable as before, selling the SCT at the end?  Or at least selling the reducer?

However, the SCT is still good for visual deep sky observation.  M42 is showing some very delicate structures even in my garden.  I always love visual work.  Or going for a dobsonian?

If that's the case, maybe selling the harmonic drive mount, the cooled camera, the motorised focuser altogether?  Stay with a S30 or those smart telescopes?  Call me lazy.  

But I know I will keep playing them at the time being, maybe try one or two more years.

Maybe it's time to use those smart telescopes to do some research, like automated studies?

20260104 M76 and NGC 2237 Rosette Nebula

Full moon still around, snow just stopped.

Setup the S30, taking images of M76.  Got two hours of photons.

Next is NGC 2237 the Rosette Nebula, not much time left since I would want to sleep earlier tonight.  

If I still have some energy later tonight, I will setup my Meade 8" for planet imaging.

-- No energy at last, so it's how and why the S30 shines!

20260103 Another full moon clear night

S30 was setup.  

The first target will be M74.  Straight out of the box:

I will try to test my 85mm refractor for Jupiter tonight.  Seeing seems no good here, and maybe a refractor could bring more than a larger SCT?

(Maybe I shall also try unguided short exposure with the refractor too)

S30 Moon using planet video mode

While waiting for the Jupiter to come into view, I tried 30s exposure at f/6 (slower than S30) and for maybe around 15 minutes.  Unguided.  See how's the result.  Much better sensor, cooled to -10 degree celcius too.

After maybe like 15 frames, it already looks way better than the S30 for more than an hour!  This is a very good test.  I should do some dark frames, patches maybe from condensation could be seen.

(pending)

M45 is my next testing target, 60s exposure when used, autoguiding enabled.

First time trying dark/flat/bias in live mode, quite easy to use.

(pending)

Trying ASIAir video mode, it feels good with 20fps at 360p cropped, 24 fps at 240 cropped.  Good enough for a small refractor.  85mm refractor with 2x barlows: 

I would say ASIAir mini should be good enough for planet imaging up to around a 4 inch refractor with quite respectable frame rate.  Of course, nothing serious could be obtained with such a setup.  The video mode GUI is pretty intuitive and easy to use, maybe even better than ASICap.