Thursday, January 19, 2017 11:44:39 PM UTC

Property Value
Subframes 151
Exposure Time 30
Exposure ISO 1600
Telescope Meade LX200 Classic 8" F/10 203mm f/10
Filters Astronomik Light Pollution EOS Clip-in
Imager Canon EOS 1100D
Eyepiece Meade F/6.3 Focal Reducer 0.63x
Plate Solve Status Solve Requested Solve Submitted Solve Completed Solve Retrieved
Original image dimensions 0 W 0 H
Solved image center point 5h35m31.07s -5°21'42.26"

This, I think, is going to be the best image of M42 I can get with the current setup.  I spent a good hour tweaking the polar alignment, and a good 40% of the 150 30-second frames are unguided.  Very pleased with the focus and range of detail in the image - a good few stars popping out of the nebula.  The focal reducer has kind of spoiled the edge of field - I guess I either need an older reducer or a flattener.  But that seems like petty moaning given the richness of the nebula it's self.  Like M57 and M27, this is an object which we always turn to when it's up in the night sky, and I usually feel like I'm wasting 'scope time looking at something I've seen dozens of times before, but the payoff here is in the quality of the image.  Very happy.