M45 Luminance... First fully automated image test! (Wes Chilton)

M45 Luminance... First fully automated image test!

I finally got around to diving into CCD AutoPilot with my FSQ rig. Its been a long time coming, and well... I have trust issues. But after spending about 3 hours outside, adjusting settings, learning how to get guiding to work in CCDAP (VERY different than TSX) and dealing with many, many CCDAP crashes... Grrrrr... I got to a point where everything seemed to be working well and so I went to bed around 11:30PM.

At 4:45AM I walked outside to check on things and CCDAP was just finishing up the last exposure, it then parked the scope, closed the Flip Flat... and didn't shoot flats. Yeah, I didn't set that up right, I guess. I shot flats "manually" (TSX Take Series) packed up and went back to bed.

Turns out that in spite of mediocre seeing and a 50% Moon, this is some of the best, and most consistent data I've ever acquired!

I shot 8 groups of 300-second Lum exposures with an @Focus2 run at the start of each. Not only did that go great, but CCDAP flipped the meridian, rotated the camera 180-degrees and guided beautifully all night.

This is a HUGE moment for me... the ability to acquire really good data while I get some sleep! On a weeknight no less!

Of course, this is one night... I need this to work this well consistently, and at multiple sites. BUt what a great start!

Final
Original
B
C

B

Description: Adding a pass of the Red channel... much worse seeing and some winds this night, you can definitely see it in the smaller stars and higher FWHM. Guiding was still very good though!

Uploaded: ...

C

Description: So this is a subtle reprocess to tighten up and reduce the stars (especially the little ones) and add a touch of contrast and sharpness to the gasses.... see if you can tell the difference.
Just working on some alternative techniques. :)

Uploaded: ...

Cloudy Nights

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Status	Basic success
Started	...
Astrometry.net job	1765351
PixInsight job	n/a
PixInsight queue size	n/a
PixInsight stage	n/a

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M45 Luminance... First fully automated image test!

M45 Luminance... First fully automated image test!

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M45 Luminance... First fully automated image test!

M45 Luminance... First fully automated image test!

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