Found from Beta Canis Minoris using the PicGoto. This is one of the dimmest targets I have ever attempted; in fact, it is one of those you are not supposed to try with a one-shot color camera from the suburbs, so I was happy to get anything. I think images with a lot of detail in the nebula would need to be LRGB or narrowband. Conditions are excellent tonight: cold, clear, and no wind (some came up later). Guiding performance is also very good. The technique of using HDR twice in StarTools seems to really help in bringing up faint stuff.
Date: 22 Mar 2014
Subject: Sh2-274 (planetary nebula)
Scope: AT8IN + HPS Coma Corrector
Filter: None
Mount: CG-5 (Synta motors, PicGoto Simplificado)
Guiding: 9x50 Finder/Guider + DSI Ic + PHD 2.2.2 (Win 7 ASCOM)
Camera: DSI IIc no chiller T = 6 °C)
Acquisition: Nebulosity 3.2.0, no dither
Exposure: 21 x 480 s
Stacking: Neb 3, bad pixel map, bias included, normalize first, trans+rot align, 1.5 SD stack.
Processing: StarTools 1.3.5.279 Crop; Wipe 82%; Develop 80.11%; Contrast; HDR
ptimize; Color (Scientific) sat. 304%; Life:Isolate; HDR:Equalize; Track read noise compensation 4.9%; Magic:Shrink 1; Repair:Warp. CS6 Astronomy Tools increase star color; Space noise reduction; Astro Frame.
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