SonnyE Loc: Communist California, USA

So, after reassembling my camera after removing my eyepiece rig, I went through the throws of disturbing my telescope and it's optic train. What a PITA!
Note to self: Leave well enough alone!

So I spent most of the evening straightening out my flops and flubs, mechanical and electrical failures, and generally cussing myself for fooling with things.
If it works, don't fix it!

So I forged ahead anyway. And suffered soft focus and out of sorts imaging. I even lost the nights files in a "New Folder" I apparently made my dates folder inside of.
I am my worst enemy.

But I got a few. Actually, more than a few. But these are the ones worth showing the evening wasn't a total wash.
And now we've got BS weather moving in.

Patience.....
I'll be back when the sky clears again. Hopefully, better than this garbage`.

Triangulum-Galaxy-18-60s-1080s-w

(Download)

M42-18-5s-90s-w

(Download)

Flame-Nebula-20-20s-400s-w

(Download)

Europa Loc: West Hills, CA

Ha, you miss all the fun! But at least your buddy Orion is getting up earlier in the evening now. I think it’s coming into my view around 1:30.

fjwallace

Nice first attempts - your efforts seem worth it! Are these single images or stacks? What scope, camera, exposure, etc. are you using? Thanks!

stepping beyond Loc: usa eastcoast

That's what I'm talking about Sonny, catch'em when you can .

SonnyE Loc: Communist California, USA

They're stacked by the Atik Infinity Camera's software. It stacks the images as they come in, based on my time selection. (Number of seconds in each image.)
Certainly not my first attempts. But my first after removing my camera/filter assembly to put my eyepiece/diagonal on, then going back to my Camera/Filter configuration.
So any time one does something like that, it takes some fiddling to get things back like they were.
So I was doing that, trying to regain focusing and everything.
It's a bugger! But I'm getting to be an old hack at my low end equipment.
It'll get better again.

SonnyE Loc: Communist California, USA

Hi Ronnie!
Often, when I finish my alignment procedure, I try to see what is nearby for my first victim of the evening.
So the Triangulum was close. I like shooting it when I'm in that neighborhood. Sometimes it's good, and sometimes it isn't. Just the luck of clarity it seems.
And having disturbed my focal plane like I did, things are off kilter.
But Orion came creeping up to my East at a respectable 9:00 PM (21:00 Hrs). Always a challenging imager, I like to poke at the Nebula.
I blame the Orion Nebula for sucking me into this madness anyway.
As we all well know, there are so many variables and challenges to imaging Space. And You and I certainly took the stony path, by necessity.
It's going to be until the weekend before I can begin to think about clear skies again.

They put up LED Street lighting pretty much all around me. It replaces the orangey-yellow High Pressure Sodium be use to have. IMHO, I think it has greatly reduced the light pollution interference of the past.
The stars appear brighter to the necked eye, and the skies darker. So it is encouraging to seek out various DSO.
The LED Street Lighting seems more confined to where it is needed, on the street.
Ah well, sitting here growing moss on my elbows waiting for our first winter storm to blow away. Winter storm... Ha, Ha!
Our weather folks are quite the comedian's. They'd poop their pants if we got a real storm.

DickC Loc: NE Washington state

Very nice photos, thanks for sharing!!

SonnyE Loc: Communist California, USA

Thanks DickC!
Now I'm down and out since my AVX mount went belly up again.
No mount = No more pictures until I can replace it.
Such is life for a budget AstroPhotographer.

DickC Loc: NE Washington state

So true Sonny, sorry!!

SonnyE Loc: Communist California, USA

Thank You, Dick. But it was a naughty mount from the very beginning.
So, I really learned a lot from it. And I really progressed a lot, I think, even though it was the hard way.
I'm optimistic the next mount will be better.
I'll be Back in the Vixen Saddle again.

In the meantime, I'm doing visual observing...

stepping beyond Loc: usa eastcoast

I took the Meade into the "Cave" for dehumidifying and trying to fix the rounded out screw holes. The Loctite and JB Weld aren't holding them long enough. Over xmas I'm going to drill and helicoil them eyelets and replace all the screws hoping that does a better job . I was out 4 nights with the moon and the guiding was less than good so , the moon , clouds and rain has plague my skies for a week already. Well, I just keep fixing this an that trying to get it back in harmony. It's a never ending project.