Smithville Butterfly Garden_3
Date Taken: April/May 2013 
Equipment: 12.5" PlaneWave with SBIG 10XME camera; 
Exposures: Ha,R,G,B 30-40 min combined times each, Lum-50+ min. HaR combined at 25% Ha 75% red.  Processing: MaximDL and Photoshop, with deconvolutions in AIP4Win and fits using Registar.
 
NGC 2403 is an almost face-on intermediate spiral galaxy distanced 8 million light-years away in the constellation Camelopardalis.
 
It is about 50,000 light-years (less than 1/2 of the Milky Way) and has many HII (reddish) star forming regions.  There are also bluish Oxygen II faintly visible. 

This galaxy is relatively low in the northern sky making it more difficult to get detailed pictures.
Messier M4 - NGC6121 - Globular Cluster in Scorpius - 15/05/2013 (Processed stack)

I had been having guiding errors on several recent nights:
•	03/05/13 - 80mm APO f/6, 4X PowerMate with Orion ST80 and SSAG/QHY5 with SSAG ST4 cable(but no problems with 80mm APO f/6, Hutech FF with Orion ST80 and SSAG/QHY5 with ST4 cable)
•	04/05/13 - 200mm Bintel f/4 with MPCC with TS-OAG9 and SX Superstar with SX ST4 cable
•	11/05/13 - 200mm Bintel f/4 with 2X PowerMate with TS-OAG9 and SX Superstar with SX ST4 cable

I used M4 as a target with 6 guiding combinations to try to find the source of the problem:
•	6x 200mm Bintel f/4, MPCC with Orion ST80 and SSAG/QHY5 with SSAG ST4 cable
•	6x 200mm Bintel f/4, MPCC with Orion ST80 and SSAG/QHY5 with ASCOM/EQMOD
•	6x 200mm Bintel f/4, MPCC with Orion ST80 and SX Superstar with SX ST4 cable
•	6x 200mm Bintel f/4, MPCC with Orion ST80 and SX Superstar with ASCOM/EQMOD
•	6x 200mm Bintel f/4, MPCC with TS-OAG9 and SX Superstar with SX ST4 cable
•	1x 200mm Bintel f/4, MPCC with TS-OAG9 and SX Superstar with ASCOM/EQMOD

All performed faultlessly, so I am no closer to solving the problem :(
But, I did now have 31x M4 images, so I have stacked the best and have this image to show for the night :)

DeepSkyStacker 3.3.2 Stacked 85% of 31 Images ISO 800 90 Sec, 39 DARK @ 120 Sec, 75 BIAS, 0 FLATS, Post-processed with Adobe Photoshop CS5

Telescope - Bintel BT200 f/4.0 Newtonian (borrowed from Stephen Boyd) with Baader MPCC Coma Corrector, Hutech LPS-P2 filter, Canon 40D DSLR field 64' x 95', Ambient 11-10C. 
EQMOD EQASCOM with Ascom 6 for mount countrol. Backyard EOS 2.09 for Image acquisition. Mount - Skywatcher NEQ6 Pro. Guidescope - Orion ShortTube 80 or TS-OAG9 with Orion SSAG flashed as QHY5 and Starlight Xpress Superstar as Guide camera and Stark Labs PHD auto guiding software using ST4 and ASCOM/EQMOD.
Messier M4 - NGC6121 - Globular Cluster in Scorpius - 15/05/2013 (Processed cropped stack)
 
I had been having guiding errors on several recent nights:
 • 03/05/13 - 80mm APO f/6, 4X PowerMate with Orion ST80 and SSAG/QHY5 with SSAG ST4 cable(but no problems with 80mm APO f/6, Hutech FF with Orion ST80 and SSAG/QHY5 with ST4 cable)
 • 04/05/13 - 200mm Bintel f/4 with MPCC with TS-OAG9 and SX Superstar with SX ST4 cable
 • 11/05/13 - 200mm Bintel f/4 with 2X PowerMate with TS-OAG9 and SX Superstar with SX ST4 cable
 
I used M4 as a target with 6 guiding combinations to try to find the source of the problem:
 • 6x 200mm Bintel f/4, MPCC with Orion ST80 and SSAG/QHY5 with SSAG ST4 cable
 • 6x 200mm Bintel f/4, MPCC with Orion ST80 and SSAG/QHY5 with ASCOM/EQMOD
 • 6x 200mm Bintel f/4, MPCC with Orion ST80 and SX Superstar with SX ST4 cable
 • 6x 200mm Bintel f/4, MPCC with Orion ST80 and SX Superstar with ASCOM/EQMOD
 • 6x 200mm Bintel f/4, MPCC with TS-OAG9 and SX Superstar with SX ST4 cable
 • 1x 200mm Bintel f/4, MPCC with TS-OAG9 and SX Superstar with ASCOM/EQMOD
 
All performed faultlessly, so I am no closer to solving the problem :(
 But, I did now have 31x M4 images, so I have stacked the best and have this image to show for the night :)
 
DeepSkyStacker 3.3.2 Stacked 85% (26) of 31 Images ISO 800 90 Sec, 39 DARK @ 120 Sec, 75 BIAS, 0 FLATS

Telescope - Bintel BT200 f/4.0 Newtonian (borrowed from Stephen Boyd) with Baader MPCC Coma Corrector, Hutech LPS-P2 filter, Canon 40D DSLR field 64' x 95', Ambient 11-10C. 
EQMOD EQASCOM with Ascom 6 for mount countrol. Backyard EOS 2.09 for Image acquisition. Mount - Skywatcher NEQ6 Pro. Guidescope - Orion ShortTube 80 or TS-OAG9 with Orion SSAG flashed as QHY5 and Starlight Xpress Superstar as Guide camera and Stark Labs PHD auto guiding software using ST4 and ASCOM/EQMOD.
Messier M20 - NGC6514 - Trifid Nebula - 11/5/2013 (Processed cropped stack)
 
Image captured at Perth Observatory.
 
Tracking errors, the source of which I have yet to find, and coma evident. ST4 cable issue or OAG optical setup issue?
 
DeepSkyStacker 3.3.2 Stacked 85% of 6 Images ISO 800 600 Sec, 39 DARK @ 120 Sec, 75 BIAS, 0 FLATS, Post-processed with Adobe Photoshop CS5
  
Telescope - Bintel BT200 f/4.0 Newtonian (borrowed from Stephen Boyd) with Televue 2X 2" PowerMate, no filters, Canon 40D DSLR field 32' x 48', Ambient 9C.  EQMOD EQASCOM with Ascom 6 for mount control. Backyard EOS 2.09 for Image acquisition. Mount - Skywatcher NEQ6 Pro. Guidescope - Teleskop Service OAG9 Off Axis Guider with Starlight Xpress Superstar (mono) CCD guide camera and Stark Labs PHD auto guiding software.
Messier M20 - NGC6514 - Trifid Nebula - 11/5/2013 (Processed stack)

Image captured at Perth Observatory.

Tracking errors, the source of which I have yet to find, and coma evident. ST4 cable issue or OAG optical setup issue?

DeepSkyStacker 3.3.2 Stacked 85% of 6 Images ISO 800 600 Sec, 39 DARK @ 120 Sec, 75 BIAS, 0 FLATS, Post-processed with Adobe Photoshop CS5

Telescope - Bintel BT200 f/4.0 Newtonian (borrowed from Stephen Boyd) with Televue 2X 2" PowerMate, no filters, Canon 40D DSLR field 32' x 48', Ambient 9C.  EQMOD EQASCOM with Ascom 6 for mount control. Backyard EOS 2.09 for Image acquisition. Mount - Skywatcher NEQ6 Pro. Guidescope - Teleskop Service OAG9 Off Axis Guider with Starlight Xpress Superstar (mono) CCD guide camera and Stark Labs PHD auto guiding software.
Messier M6 - NGC6405 - Butterfly Cluster - 11/5/2013 (Processed single image)
 
Image captured at Perth Observatory.

Single image whilst I was in darker skies, just to see how it came up. Coma at outer edges has been be cropped... see also original full field copy. 

Tracking errors, the source of which I have yet to find, and coma evident. ST4 cable issue or OAG optical setup issue?
 
DeepSkyStacker 3.3.2 Stacked 100% of 1 Images ISO 800 600 Sec, 39 DARK @120 Sec, 75 BIAS, 0 FLATS, Post-processed with Adobe Photoshop CS5

Telescope - Bintel BT200 f/4.0 Newtonian (borrowed from Stephen Boyd) with Televuew 2X 2" PowerMate, no filters, Canon 40D DSLR field 32' x 48', Ambient 9C.  EQMOD EQASCOM with Ascom 6 for mount control. Backyard EOS 2.09 for Image acquisition. Mount - Skywatcher NEQ6 Pro. Guidescope - Teleskop Service OAG9 Off Axis Guider with Starlight Xpress Superstar (mono) CCD guide camera and Stark Labs PHD auto guiding software.
Messier M6 - NGC6405 - Butterfly Cluster - 11/5/2013 (Processed single image)

Image captured at Perth Observatory.
 
Single image whilst I was in darker skies, just to see how it came up. Coma at outer edges needs to be cropped... see separate copy. 

Single test image - just seeing signs of nebulosity. Given this is a 10 minute image in darkish skies, it is probably beyond being able to be captured with this gear.
 
Tracking errors, the source of which I have yet to find, and coma evident. ST4 cable issue or OAG optical setup issue?

DeepSkyStacker 3.3.2 Stacked 100% of 1 Images ISO 800 600 Sec, 39 DARK @120 Sec, 75 BIAS, 0 FLATS, Post-processed with Adobe Photoshop CS5
 
Telescope - Bintel BT200 f/4.0 Newtonian (borrowed from Stephen Boyd) with Televuew 2X 2" PowerMate, no filters, Canon 40D DSLR field 32' x 48', Ambient 9C.  EQMOD EQASCOM with Ascom 6 for mount control. Backyard EOS 2.09 for Image acquisition. Mount - Skywatcher NEQ6 Pro. Guidescope - Teleskop Service OAG9 Off Axis Guider with Starlight Xpress Superstar (mono) CCD guide camera and Stark Labs PHD auto guiding software.
NGC 2841, a fine NGC galaxy in Ursa Major, taken May 6, 2013 from home, with the 130mm Astro-Physics apo refractor at f/6 and Canon 60Da at ISO 800 for a stack of 4 x 10 minute exposures.
Smithville Butterfly Garden_3
Smithville Butterfly Garden_3
Smithville Butterfly Garden_3
See photo in original gallery.