SonnyE Loc: Communist California, USA

So I set up, do my Polar Alignment, my regular alignment (modeling), and find a victim for the night.
I gather a file of images, and save in steps along the way in case something happens so at least I'll have some steps saved along the way.
Then I leave them in the micro-disk.
Such a waste.

So I've been following a vane here with my new found ability to end run the norms of Astrophotography. Or as I put it, Astro Imaging, because I do as little as I possibly can in processing after the fact. I want to share what I see as the image comes in, and the camera software stacks the images into a picture.
So, with this capability Scott Losmandy built called an RA Extension, I can just continually image and not even bother with the conventional Meridian Flip. That imaginary limit line in the night sky becomes nothing, and only the mechanics of the mount come into play.
It allows me to build images undisturbed, and Photon dense in details I could not do before. I like what I am seeing.
I hope you like it, too.

The Rosette Nebula, 12,000 seconds, 40 each - 5 minute exposures (300 seconds). Very lightly post processed.
Because I'm very lazy. And I want to show things as caught by the camera. My reason for beginning this journey.
And what an amazing adventure it continues to be!
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.Tech: Losmandy GM811GHD mount, Orion ED80T CF telescope, Atik Infinity OSC camera, Optolong L-eXtreme filter, Guiding: PHD2 2.6.9dev2, Stellarium 0.20.2, as my planetarium program.
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C-49-Rosette-Nebula-300s-40-12000s-w

(Download)

The original tif file if you would like to download and process the data for fun or practice.

(Download)

47greyfox Loc: on the edge of the Colorado front range

Being lazy has its benefits and we get to enjoy them. Thanks for sharing!

SonnyE Loc: Communist California, USA

And on 2021-01-11 I revisited an unnamed Nebula in Stellarium. Best I can give for reference is the bright star (Magnitude:8.40) in it called HIP 29147.
I may revisit this with longer exposures to see if I can coax more fine detail into the camera.
Again, 5 minute (300 second) exposures, 45 images, total time 13,500 seconds shown in this image. Following my path of long exposure imaging of DSO Nebula.
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. Tech: Losmandy GM811GHD mount, Orion ED80T CF telescope, Atik Infinity OSC camera, Optolong L-eXtreme filter, Guiding: PHD2 2.6.9dev2, Stellarium 0.20.2, as my planetarium program.
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An-unknown--Nebula-300s-45-13500s-w

(Download)

Original tif file for download and your own processing pleasures. ;^)

(Download)

SonnyE Loc: Communist California, USA

You are Welcome 47greyfox! Thanks for looking.

Ballard Loc: Grass Valley, California

Great shot SonnyE, looks like your track in bang on.

alberio Loc: Casa Grande AZ

Your Rosette is as good as I could hope for, but I'm even more lazy than you...12,000 sec? I'm assuming you did this over a couple of nights.
I have to wonder about the meridian flip. If you don't reposition the head, wouldn't you get slight movement from the gear backlash as it crossed the meridian? I'm sure the Losmandy has less backlash than my Celestron AVX.

SonnyE Loc: Communist California, USA

Hi Alberio!
No, it's a one session, lock and follow, till the mount limits, image. And the mount has it's limits set so it stops moving before it crashes into the column.

I bought this addition that extends the RA/Dec axis, and it sez you can now image through the meridian without doing a meridian flip. That was a bonus to me. I bought it to make carrying the parts out, and back in, every night easier. Here's a LINK, and it has video's, too.
I can leave my Dec axis, w/ bar and weight attached (stays in balance) as one of my "chunks". Ease in making the assemblies portable. (They are heavy and I was afraid of wearing out the weight shaft removing it all the time.)

The extension allows the mount to continue it's tracking (and imaging) up to and past the meridian, uninterrupted, and the camera keeps taking images. (cameras are dumb, they don't know any better.)
The first time I tried it, I picked up the Lagoon Nebula in the South/East quadrant, and stay up until past 03:00 hours imaging the entire time. I discovered I could reset the limits on the fly, and just kept watching as things progressed. The nebula was about to sink behind the neighbors tree anyway when I called it a night.
13,000 seconds, 10 seconds each, total 1300 images.
I wanted to try building the image with small samplings of light. As it built up the image got clearer and clearer. I think that was what intrigued me the most, seeing the image "develop" before my eyes.
(A lot like watching paint dry, or cracks in the mud widen.)

So these are just more of that experiment. My Southern view is my best direction. But right now, kind of devoid of interesting objects, to me.
Doing 5 minute images (300 seconds) seems to be working best for me.

Well, back to finishing up my Tankless water heater installation. I pressure tested it and some fancy britches connectors leaked. So going to fix those with good old fashion sweat fittings soldered in.
So back at the ranch... (or, out in the garage)

stepping beyond Loc: usa eastcoast

I say Sonny with that GM8 you're pretty well set for whatever comes your way , those are awesome images you've been producing buddy. I'm still trying to catch photons in between the clouds and trying to dodge the wind gusts that throw my guiding in the toilet .

SonnyE Loc: Communist California, USA

Hi Ronnie,
Thank You!
That mount is turning out to be a real workhorse! (I expected it to, but it's way better than I had hoped.)
I have a hidi-hole where I've been working from for years and years now. Gives me a lot of shelter from any winds.
We get some hellacious winds at times. But fortunately they usually quit at night.

I finished my water heater change out this morning. So glad! Been working my but off for the last 3 days. Did a bunch of plumbing work. Went from a tank to a tankless unit.
Now I'm tanked. I need a nap! I'm too old for this!

stepping beyond Loc: usa eastcoast

I replaced a toilet seat and had to change back because you hardly ever get what you really need from online websites . Start laughing now , Alanna said "I ordered an oblong 13" and that round " it doesn't even come to the edge of the bowl . I told her to live with it , I THINK IT'S FINE . I had to put the cushion back on because it wasn't pretty . Go figure ? enjoy Sonny and keep knockin'em down.

Marc G Loc: East Grinstead, West Sussex, England

Hi Sonny.
Very nice Rosette & the processing is coming along I see
well done matey

SonnyE Loc: Communist California, USA

Thanks Marc!
Things are working so well, I experimented with 600 second subs last night.
I haven't done anything with the files yet, but the images were like Wow!
Seemed to come to life around 12,000 seconds. Ran until 15,000 seconds and limiting out the mount was looming.
So I shut down there.
But I'm constantly experimenting.

I may be onto something new to try to avoid limiting out. Seems I can manually set my telescope on the East and start guiding, so it winds up flipped, without doing a flip.
(For lack of being able to describe it more intelligently...)
In other words, do what a flip does, but on the pre-flip side, then let it run into the ground.
Or so goes my weird thinking....