Here is an image of the Trifid Nebula (M20). I had finally gotten a whole bunch of equipment upgrades done AND the skies cleared. Well, I decided to also update software and my guider stopped working right there! Rookie mistake, I know. I was also trying to make it into the CN July imaging challenge but this went too long so I missed the deadline. Even so, I took the images un-guided and manually synced my scope. It turned out better than I expected for only 29 minutes.
I'll be going back for the RGB data at some point - not sure when especially with the moon getting to full and the weather so crazy this summer.
This was also a first-light for a bunch of my equipment that I'd been updating. I had added a cooler and sensor-window heater to my camera. It doesn't quite cool as much as I was hoping. Still, it gave me a solid temperature at the setpoint all night and I think the image already looks better.
The Trifid Nebula is located approximately 5200 ly distant. At that time, apparently, the Earth was undergoing a major period of climate change.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/12/041219142907.htm
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