Experimental big gun today

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Stardust5858
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Experimental big gun today

Post by Stardust5858 »

Hi all, thought I'd try the big gun today and the baader k-line filter. Seeing was awful, lol but I had to try. Interesting though. Sun was nearing my hedge in the afternoon and I've tree's earlier on so I'm thinking perhaps when it's higher in the sky in the summer there might be some promise. Seeing at midday in the summer might also be unstable.

I did also get data from the Lunt, yet to process yesterday's and today's. Guess I'm going to have a backlog for day's with these lovely clear skies.

Just a screen shot.
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10ft x 6ft Solar RoR with Warm Room
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Re: Experimental big gun today

Post by rsfoto »

Hi,

As far as I can judge in the image taken from the Laptop screen the result is good. Maybe a screenshot using the snipping tool would look better ?


regards Rainer

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Re: Experimental big gun today

Post by Stardust5858 »

rsfoto wrote: Fri Feb 26, 2021 4:12 pm Hi,

As far as I can judge in the image taken from the Laptop screen the result is good. Maybe a screenshot using the snipping tool would look better ?
Yeah, I didn't think at the time. We'll see, just experimental. Nothing ventured nothing gained, lol.


10ft x 6ft Solar RoR with Warm Room
Lunt 60mm Double Stack HA
80ed WL+ Lunt Hershal Wedge + Badder K-Line filter.
100mm AR + Lunt b1800 Ca-K module.
Neq6 Eq Mount.

2.7m Pulsar Dome.
11in Celestron SCT + White Light Filter.
70mm AR Stellavue.
12inch OO Newtonian.
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Re: Experimental big gun today

Post by DeepSolar64 »

Nice setup!!


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Re: Experimental big gun today

Post by Fabio_Imm »

Looking good!
No barlow can beat a long native focal length.

CS
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Re: Experimental big gun today

Post by Simon2940 »

So many photons!!! Im blind!! Looking forward to seeing the final results


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Re: Experimental big gun today

Post by Stardust5858 »

Well, here's the initial first light results. Promising as seeing was bad and the sun had almost disappeared behind my hedge. I think it's promising for when the sun is higher than my tree's and hedge. I had to boost the gain so I'm going to try the baader 3.8nd filter. I've got a sheet of that. The current one is 5nd.
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10ft x 6ft Solar RoR with Warm Room
Lunt 60mm Double Stack HA
80ed WL+ Lunt Hershal Wedge + Badder K-Line filter.
100mm AR + Lunt b1800 Ca-K module.
Neq6 Eq Mount.

2.7m Pulsar Dome.
11in Celestron SCT + White Light Filter.
70mm AR Stellavue.
12inch OO Newtonian.
Eq8 r Pro Mount.
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Re: Experimental big gun today

Post by marktownley »

Good try Nigella! You're very brave with the big gun down in the blue.


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Re: Experimental big gun today

Post by Stardust5858 »

marktownley wrote: Fri Feb 26, 2021 9:54 pm Good try Nigella! You're very brave with the big gun down in the blue.
Thanks Mark, fortune favours the brave, lol. My stupidity really, but nothing ventured nothing gained. It's something I'm going to pursue I think considering the results, so pleased I've proven there's some potential. Just need to tweak the nd filter.


10ft x 6ft Solar RoR with Warm Room
Lunt 60mm Double Stack HA
80ed WL+ Lunt Hershal Wedge + Badder K-Line filter.
100mm AR + Lunt b1800 Ca-K module.
Neq6 Eq Mount.

2.7m Pulsar Dome.
11in Celestron SCT + White Light Filter.
70mm AR Stellavue.
12inch OO Newtonian.
Eq8 r Pro Mount.
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Re: Experimental big gun today

Post by MalVeauX »

Good first light!

You actually just attempted a lot of things that were up against you. Just for your info, the spherical aberration of your SCT (all SCT) is incredibly poor for this type of telescope due to fast F2 mirror and the corrector plate making it very poor for short near UV wavelengths. Also, these short wavelengths need incredible seeing conditions (well under sub-arc-second) to benefit from with a larger aperture. You would need around 0.3 arc-second seeing to use a 280mm aperture with 393nm wavelengths.

That said, your image is remarkable for the conditions. So, as a suggestion, based on you achieving this with a 393nm filter, had you done this experiment with a red or near IR filter (610nm to 656nm to 685nm) you may have pulled off a rather sharp high res image as the long wavelength is much more durable through atmospheric seeing.

Very best,


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Re: Experimental big gun today

Post by Stardust5858 »

MalVeauX wrote: Fri Feb 26, 2021 10:11 pm Good first light!

You actually just attempted a lot of things that were up against you. Just for your info, the spherical aberration of your SCT (all SCT) is incredibly poor for this type of telescope due to fast F2 mirror and the corrector plate making it very poor for short near UV wavelengths. Also, these short wavelengths need incredible seeing conditions (well under sub-arc-second) to benefit from with a larger aperture. You would need around 0.3 arc-second seeing to use a 280mm aperture with 393nm wavelengths.

That said, your image is remarkable for the conditions. So, as a suggestion, based on you achieving this with a 393nm filter, had you done this experiment with a red or near IR filter (610nm to 656nm to 685nm) you may have pulled off a rather sharp high res image as the long wavelength is much more durable through atmospheric seeing.

Very best,
Thanks Marty for your comments, it's appreciated. I'll try your suggestion as I've got a 685nm IR filter next. Thanks for the suggestion. It's really nice experimenting, lol.


10ft x 6ft Solar RoR with Warm Room
Lunt 60mm Double Stack HA
80ed WL+ Lunt Hershal Wedge + Badder K-Line filter.
100mm AR + Lunt b1800 Ca-K module.
Neq6 Eq Mount.

2.7m Pulsar Dome.
11in Celestron SCT + White Light Filter.
70mm AR Stellavue.
12inch OO Newtonian.
Eq8 r Pro Mount.
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Re: Experimental big gun today

Post by Carbon60 »

‘Learning by doing’ as the saying goes. It’s good to try things and find out first hand what works and what does not. I’ve found lots of configurations that don’t work, which makes it even more exciting when you do find that magical combination that produces good results. You do have to appreciate the constraints, though. Aperture, seeing, wavelength, optics, filter quality, camera..... can all conspire against you, one way or another. It can be like threading a very tiny needle to achieve the perfect combination. ;)

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Re: Experimental big gun today

Post by JochenM »

Always nice to tinker and experiment a bit. Results aren't half bad considering the less than optimal conditions.


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Re: Experimental big gun today

Post by Stardust5858 »

Carbon60 wrote: Sat Feb 27, 2021 7:21 am ‘Learning by doing’ as the saying goes. It’s good to try things and find out first hand what works and what does not. I’ve found lots of configurations that don’t work, which makes it even more exciting when you do find that magical combination that produces good results. You do have to appreciate the constraints, though. Aperture, seeing, wavelength, optics, filter quality, camera..... can all conspire against you, one way or another. It can be like threading a very tiny needle to achieve the perfect combination. ;)

Stu.
Thanks Stu, yeah, I love just adding things to see what it does. I guess that's science, it's how discoveries are made, not saying I'll discover something new though, lol.


10ft x 6ft Solar RoR with Warm Room
Lunt 60mm Double Stack HA
80ed WL+ Lunt Hershal Wedge + Badder K-Line filter.
100mm AR + Lunt b1800 Ca-K module.
Neq6 Eq Mount.

2.7m Pulsar Dome.
11in Celestron SCT + White Light Filter.
70mm AR Stellavue.
12inch OO Newtonian.
Eq8 r Pro Mount.
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Re: Experimental big gun today

Post by Stardust5858 »

JochenM wrote: Sat Feb 27, 2021 8:15 am Always nice to tinker and experiment a bit. Results aren't half bad considering the less than optimal conditions.
Thanks Jochen, I was pleased with the results considering the restraints. When the sun is higher I'm still going to try the K-Line. For now I'll be trying the 685nm IR see what that does.


10ft x 6ft Solar RoR with Warm Room
Lunt 60mm Double Stack HA
80ed WL+ Lunt Hershal Wedge + Badder K-Line filter.
100mm AR + Lunt b1800 Ca-K module.
Neq6 Eq Mount.

2.7m Pulsar Dome.
11in Celestron SCT + White Light Filter.
70mm AR Stellavue.
12inch OO Newtonian.
Eq8 r Pro Mount.
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Re: Experimental big gun today

Post by ffellah »

Excellent first light Nigella. I am a bit like you, I try to take out my large scope even in unfavorable conditions. Sometime it pays off, taking some risk is part of this hobby.This time it paid off for you.

Franco


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Re: Experimental big gun today

Post by krakatoa1883 »

Stardust5858 wrote: Fri Feb 26, 2021 7:41 pmWell, here's the initial first light results.
It's a fine result given the conditions you had. Yes, SCTs are not fine performers in the near UV however the aperture helps and in fine seeing condition one should be able to do better than with a small refractor.


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Re: Experimental big gun today

Post by Stardust5858 »

ffellah wrote: Sat Feb 27, 2021 11:12 am Excellent first light Nigella. I am a bit like you, I try to take out my large scope even in unfavorable conditions. Sometime it pays off, taking some risk is part of this hobby.This time it paid off for you.

Franco
Thanks Franco appreciate your comments. Yeah, I agree Franco.


10ft x 6ft Solar RoR with Warm Room
Lunt 60mm Double Stack HA
80ed WL+ Lunt Hershal Wedge + Badder K-Line filter.
100mm AR + Lunt b1800 Ca-K module.
Neq6 Eq Mount.

2.7m Pulsar Dome.
11in Celestron SCT + White Light Filter.
70mm AR Stellavue.
12inch OO Newtonian.
Eq8 r Pro Mount.
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