Aug 8, 2024
- Scope: Meade 8″ LX200R
- Camera: ZWO ASI183MM
- Filters: Optolong LRGB
- Bin 2×2
- Reducer: 0.5x
- Focuser: Antares Micro w/ myFP2esp32 controller
- Mount: Tripod w/Equtorial Wedge
- Images: 54L 19R 15G 12B 16Ha @60 seconds
- Exposure: 60s x 116 = 116 Minutes
- Processing: ASTAP, Affinity2
- Notes:
This image of M17 came about purely by accident as I was testing & tuning the DIY autofocuser which I built over the past 2 months while we were in our Very Short nights here in the North.
I picked M17 to do my testing on as it fit nice in my 0.5 Reducer FOV & has a lot of surrounding stars to test the focuser on. The auto-focuser seemed to be working relatively well within the first hour, so I left the scope to run out the rest of the night (~4 hrs), imaging M17 even though it is very low in the sky.
Auto Focus still needs some work, but I was truly suprised how many many good subs I actually captured, so I tried Post processing the images & got this!