Lagoon

[Jake]

I took this image last Saturday night.  Conditions were great: good seeing and transparency.  The guider was working great, but my brain wasn't - I forgot about my paracorr until after shooting the images!     So please excuse the coma!

This is 6, 5min images at ISO400 - taken with the digital rebel and my 8" f/5 newt.  Processed in PS.

-Jake

[Ron]

Jake,

Great image!

Your right, the only complaint I could make is the coma.   I would like to own it coma and all.   I quess I'll have to dream a little longer before I can get something to image longer than 20-30 seconds

What is a paracorr?

Your setup seems to be working great.

Thanks for sharing,

Ron

[Grizz]

Jake that is really well done! I love the colors and processing. We can overlook the coma. 

[twilbur]

Great job Jake! You've really picked up some wonderful detail there! Is the camera modified for astroimaging?  I'm surprised how much of the surrounding nebulosity you were able to get with the Digital Rebel. Great shot!

[TonyReynolds]

Very nice image Jake! looks like the Rebel is working well for you.

[ricksastro]

Jake,

That's a great image!   You've achieved a perfect color balance in the stars as well as the Nebula despite the Rabel's low Ha response..Great work!!!

Rick

[Jake]

Thanks guys!   

Ron -

A "paracorr" is a Televue product that corrects coma in fast newtonians such as mine.
It is very useful in making the field "flat" when imaging. 
Are you still having troubles with your wedge and PEC?  I was hoping you had that
licked.  I hope you are able to image some of the summer objects soon. 


Ted -

Thanks!  Mine is just the standard Rebel - I don't have the guts to modify it and risk losing it. 
I have been happy enough with it's performance unmodified - but it sure would be fun to have
one of those Hutech ones and do Ha imaging like Rick and Steve! 

Rick -

Thanks.  I have been using the "sun" WB setting lately, and making sure that it saves the image
as "Adobe RGB" in the camera - I think it helps me get better color balance when going into PSP.
Looking around the web, I think many folks could get better reds with the DRebel if they used
longer exposures and higher ISO's.   I typically image 10min exposures and can get usable reds. 
I also often use higher ISO's - I  can get pretty clean results up to
ISO800.  ISO1600 can be useful too, but more images are needed in the stack
to "clean up" the image.  I think many folks just aren't using long enough exposures and/or high enough ISO
settings with the Digital Rebel - it still has alot of potential, even though it is "ha challenged".   

Do you ever image with the 10d anymore? 

-Jake

[ricksastro]

I now have a 300D rather than the 10D.  I still occasionally use it, but not as often as I used to. 

You're right that people need to take exposures long enough to well overcome the read noise, particularly in the red channel.  I think the ISO this is less of a factor, as read noise as well as signal is amplified.  It does help avoid quantization issues, though.

Rick

[dsnay]

Very nice Jake!
How in the world are you achieving those long subexposures?
I know you mentioned an autoguider, but which one?

Dave

[Jake]

Dave -

I am using an SBIG ST-4 with a guidescope, and my CI-700 mount. 
The ST-4 works as a "standalone" autoguider, so I don't need a computer
to run it.   

-Jake

[dsnay]

Dave -

I am using an SBIG ST-4 with a guidescope, and my CI-700 mount. 
The ST-4 works as a "standalone" autoguider, so I don't need a computer
to run it.   

-Jake

Well it sure is working nicely for you. Great job!

Dave