some less familiar objects and a couple of old friends

[seeker372011]

Scope ED 80, camera modded canon 300D, mount CG5 autoguided-300 second subs at ISO 200-various total exposures for each of the objects..around one hour usually as total exposure

I am still struggling with the field curvature issue -I can't put off purchasing a field flattener/focal reducer for long but in the interim I have to do the best I can with what I have, so I am well aware of the ugly coma at the corners. But in the meantime...

Firstly a couple of objects that are on the Caldwell list but rarely imaged

-NGC 3766- a delightful open cluster-came upon it by chance when I was looking for the (ho hum) lambda centaurus nebula. If it were located anywhere else in the sky surely this object would be better known, but guess with the Jewel Box and Eta Carina and so on round the corner so so to speak it doesnt get much of a chance. (Caldwell 108 for anyone who is familiar with the Caldwell list)

-Secondly NGC 4372. Here I was really after the Dark Doodad-the extremely well defined dark cloud just south of this fairly faint globular cluster.

I actually imaged this last weekend so there was moon about which interfered
with my image , and my camera didn't have a field of view large enough to capture the entire extant of the dark doodad.

The next two images are your usual run of the mill objects

Eta Carina and the Horsehead

all shot from my backyard a light pollluted Sydney Suburb

For larger images visit my flickr album at :

NGC 3766

http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne...4987405&size=o

The dark doodad and NGC 4372

http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne...4987404&size=l

Eta Carina
http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne...4987396&size=l

Horsehead

http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne...3932748&size=o

comments, suggestions welcome thanks for looking

[paul f. campbell]

Hi Seeker

Great photos. As usual you get better and better as time goes on. Nice Job, please send more, your work is full of spirit and vigor Thanks for sharing.

[cbacba]

Nice images.

Have you checked out the celestron f/6.3 reducer corrector? It's intended for the typical f/10 sct but it should cover an area with a diameter of about 22mm - not quite good enough for a 35mm format but perhaps for these 2/3 sized DSLRs. Pricing is much better than those high end correctors.

Note that I use the Orion ED80, often with a simple 0.5 focal reducer and get fairly nice results. I'm using the Orion Starshoot which is a 1/3" format ccd so I don't tend to worry about the curvature - only the field of view.

Charles

[JAICOA]

They are all beautiful shots, you are doing fine. i liked very much of the lot was ngc 4372 a keeper. Thanks

[seeker372011]

They are all beautiful shots, you are doing fine. i liked very much of the lot was ngc 4372 a keeper. Thanks

Its my personal favourite too

[stargazer_7000]

...cool images!
I like the dustband and cluster image the most!
very well done!
Dietmar

[seeker372011]

Thanks Paul, Charles, Jaicoa and Dietmar for your interest. Charles I used to image with an unmodded Canon 300D and didn't have as severe a problem..however with the modded Canon the image comes to focus with the focuser near the very end of its travel and the coma is very intrusive.

I was thinking of the William optics 0.8 Focal reducer but maybe the Celestron is worth checking out thanks