Dumbell, Ring and Crescent with Mallincam Xtreme

[Magellan Boy]

Some recent shots with my Mallincam Xtreme X2 colour camera. All taken through a 10" Meade ACF SCT using an MFR-5 focal reducer (about 0.5x) and an Astronomik CLS CCD filter. Image capture was using Miloslick Mallincam control software. Stacking (Ring and Crescent Nebulae) in Nebulosity. Additional processing was using Photoshop Elements, Gradient Xterminator and Astronomy Tools. Guiding (again just for the Ring and Crescent) was using a Lodestar camera through a piggybacked 80/480 refractor. The views of the Dumbell and Ring are fairly close to what was seen live on screen. The crescent was certainly visible live but I have employed more enhancement to bring it out in the final image.

 

First the Dumbell Nebula (M27) from the 26th September 2014. A single un-guided 90s exposure at AGC 3.

 

 

The Ring Nebula (M57) from the 26th September 2014. A stack of four 30s exposures at AGC 3.

 

Finally part of the Cresecent Nebula (C27) from the 4th October 2014. A stack of four 300s exposures at AGC 4.

[Tweedledee]

That camera goes quite deep in a very short time .

[Magellan Boy]

It certainly does Pete. I am absolutely delighted with it. The camera bridges the gap between visual observing and imaging. You can capture in minutes what takes conventional imagers much longer. OK the images are not quite magazine quality but you get to see stuff near live and in colour, at the telescope -  and still come away with some pleasing results to stack and save. Thanks for looking!