A familiar target
A bit of trailing can be seen in the stars, so the image is certainly not as sharp as it could be. Not bad for an unguided star tracker, but I feel it’s definitely possible push the setup further and get a sharper result.
I recently bought a ZWO ASI120MM-S guide camera and guide scope to try my hand at autoguiding with the Astrotrac TT320X-AG mount. So next time there’s a clear night I’ll see what I can do!
This version is a big step up in detail from last year’s attempt with the 100-400 lens. Although I have to admit I prefer the pop and colour of the old attempt (which didn’t use a narrowband filter) verses the muted tones of this version.
Image details: Modified Nikon D5500 and William Optics ZenithStar 73 II APO with 73a field flattener at 430mm / f5.9. Total of 5 hours and 42 minutes of exposure time (171 x 120 seconds) at iso 100. Using Optolong L-eNhance filter. Tracked with unguided AstroTrac TT320X-AG. Stacked in Deep Sky Stacker with 12 dark / 30 flat / 30 bias frames. Sequenced with N.I.N.A.. Edited with Photoshop and Starnet++
