New to Emission line imaging

[Paramount]

Hi all
I have been doing imaging for the past couple of years but have been taking it a bit more seriously since September 2007 when I upgraded my system, due to the light pollution I have been having a go at imaging with a Ha filter in preparation for trying colour emission line imaging when I finally get the right adapters to connect my camera, filter wheel and field flattener to my TMB 115. I spoke to somebody at Astrofest in London in February and he suggested starting with 10 minute subframes so this is what I have been doing. So far all of my imaging has been done with the mount in its raw state ie no PEC or autoguiding, I am still using it as it came out of the box. Luckily it is a Paramount ME, I have got a lodestar autoguider but as yet I haven't got round to using it
The horsehead image was taken using 8x10 minutes unguided




The Rosette was taken using 15x10 minutes unguided



The Heart Nebual was taken using 18x10 minutes unguided



The flaming Star nebulas was taken with 6x10 minutes unguided



The California nebula was a bit of an experiment as it was taken with only 4x15 minute unguided subframes (I thought I'd try for longer), the subject was very low in the sky (the 5th subframe had part of a neighbours roof in it) and the camera was slightly out of collimation with the focal plane of the scope due to a repair on the camera.



All pictures were taken with the TMB 115 (no field flattener) and the Starlight Xpress H36 with an Astronomik 13nm Ha filter. Acquired with Maxim DL, combined using sum with a standard linear stretch using default settings, curves and levels + local contrast enhancement in Photoshop CS2. I am very pleased with the results so far and it shows great promise for the future as I add the extra bits in the system. Hope you enjoy the images, any comments or tips would be most welcome. You can see my earlier efforts on my website http://www.imagingtheheavens.co.uk

Kind Regards
and clear skies
Gordon

[neilfleming]

Very nice start, Gordon. Yes, with the Paramount you'll find guiding to be pretty easy. I go no shorter than 4 second guider times, so as not to chase the seeing. Half hour subs should be your next target.

Regards...Neil