Of the three images - Orion was taken with the Atik383L OSC - I am not a fan of this camera but decided to give it a whirl, again. I mounted it on the AT65EDQ ...a sweet refractor. I took 100, 3 minute images plus supporting files and processed in PixInsight.

The other two images were all taken with the SV70T refractor plus .8 reducer using Ha 6nm, OIII 6nm, and SII 6nm filters.

The Jellyfish Nebula was 15 hours of narrowband 5 hours of each....plus supporting files.

One thing I am curious about are the diffraction spikes in the M42 Orion/Horsehead image. I am use to these when using a NEWT but not a refractor - esp a wide wide field. Not sure how this is happening unless the Atik is have a problem with light bouncing down the tube.

All images were processing in PixInsight.

I've spent time researching, reviewing, and renting (3) different super telephoto lenses. (Sigma contemporary 100-400, Tamron 150-600 and Tamron 100-400)

I've decided it is the Tamron 100-400 that will suit me best and falls within my budget. (Canon was way out of my budget)....

I can get a new one on ebay for a reasonable price and there are a couple used ones, but thought I'd check here, since this community seems pretty good and I did well with my Canon 70D purchase. :) (Thank you "Ron")

I also want to avoid waiting for one to come from Japan or wherever which can happen via ebay and even there is nothing on my local Craig's list, I tend to avoid Craig's list. (scary).

SO... looking forward to hearing back.



Christine

I had an 11" SCT at one point but never really got into using it for astro-imaging but used it for a couple of years for visual astronomy until I got tired of colorless 'blobs'! It was also a heavy beast.

I also have an Celestron 8" EdgeHD but find the 190 Mak-Newt to be the far superior scope for imaging, at least with my KISS approach to imaging, i.e.: unguided. But the 8" with a 2x PowerMate is nice for planetary imaging (whenever my skies allow; not often on the eastern slopes of Rockies!).

bwa

The sky was totally crappy last night with fast moving scattered cloud but it was a balmy +12C with only a somewhat annoying Chinook wind BUT too nice a night to sit in the house.

I decided to go after the Orion Trapezium Star Cluster with a QHY 163M camera, Optolong filters and Sky-Watcher 190 Mak-Newt on a Celestron CGEM-DX mount. I shot 4 sec. subs, 2x2 binned, for all session but varied the Gain to give the best histogram results.

The cloud was a continual problem throughout the night with about 75% of the subs discarded!!

The last image can be Downloaded for the full detail of the Trapezium Cluster. The region around the Trapezium has very good Oiii (ionized Oxygen) response.

"The Trapezium or Orion Trapezium Cluster is a tight open cluster of stars in the heart of the Orion Nebula. Galileo Galilei discovered three of the stars in 1617. A fourth star was identified by several observers in 1673 and several more components were discovered later for a total of eight by 1888. Subsequently several of the stars were determined to be binaries.

The Trapezium is a relatively young cluster that has formed directly out of the parent nebula. The five brightest stars are on the order of 15-30 solar masses in size. They are within a diameter of 1.5 light-years of each other and are responsible for much of the illumination of the Orion nebula. The Trapezium may be a sub-component of the larger Orion Nebula Cluster, a grouping of about 2,000 stars within a diameter of 20 light-years."

Enjoy!

bwa

The sky was totally crappy last night with fast moving scattered cloud but it was a balmy +12C with only a somewhat annoying Chinook wind BUT too nice a night to sit in the house.

I decided to go after the Orion Trapezium Star Cluster with a QHY 163M camera, Optolong filters and Sky-Watcher 190 Mak-Newt on a Celestron CGEM-DX mount. I shot 4 sec. subs, 2x2 binned, for all session but varied the Gain to give the best histogram results.

The cloud was a continual problem throughout the night with about 75% of the subs discarded!!

The last image can be Downloaded for the full detail of the Trapezium Cluster. The region around the Trapezium has very good Oiii (ionized Oxygen) response.

"The Trapezium or Orion Trapezium Cluster is a tight open cluster of stars in the heart of the Orion Nebula. Galileo Galilei discovered three of the stars in 1617. A fourth star was identified by several observers in 1673 and several more components were discovered later for a total of eight by 1888. Subsequently several of the stars were determined to be binaries.

The Trapezium is a relatively young cluster that has formed directly out of the parent nebula. The five brightest stars are on the order of 15-30 solar masses in size. They are within a diameter of 1.5 light-years of each other and are responsible for much of the illumination of the Orion nebula. The Trapezium may be a sub-component of the larger Orion Nebula Cluster, a grouping of about 2,000 stars within a diameter of 20 light-years."

Enjoy!

bwa