Observation Log - September 6, 2000

Observation Log - September 6, 2000 - Tinton Falls, NJ

This evening's photography was challenging due to some problems with equipment. The MX516 camera is broken, and does not cool down. This results in a very noisy image with a steep gradient from top to bottom, with the bottom being the noisiest. This is somewhat overcome through dark frame subtraction, but the camera is not imaging down to best potential magnitude, nor at highest quality. Also, the LX200 hand controller is broken, with the bottom row of buttons not working. This was overcome by using an RS-232 connection to the laptop computer, and running Meade's EPOCH 2000sk software to control the telescope. This configuration worked surprisingly well, and may become my default setup. In any case, following are the resulting images.

M76, the Little Dumbbell Nebula, a planetary nebula in Perseus, magnitude 10.1, diameter 67", distance is 3,900 light years. Images were taken using the f/6.3 focal reducer, for an effective f/ratio of f/4. This is a composite made from 29 images, for a total integration time of 30 minutes. Each image was processed with dark frame removal, flat field and background removal, then compositing, Digital Development (Kernel, low-pass), unsharp mask (FFT, low- pass, hard) and a contrast adjustment. Images were taken between 02:00 and 03:59 a.m., the morning of September 6th, 2000, under intermittent cloudy conditions. Here is another version of this same image with less contrast stretch to show more detail in the overexposed regions of the nebula.

NGC1893, an open cluster in Auriga, magnitude 7.5, diameter 11'. The area around this cluster is filled with both dark and emission nebula. Images were taken using the f/6.3 focal reducer, for an effective f/ratio of f/4. This is a composite made from 47 one-minute images, for a total integration time of 47 minutes. Each image was processed with dark frame removal, flat field, then compositing, Digital Development (Kernel, low-pass), FFT low-pass medium, and finally a contrast adjustment. Images were taken between 04:30 and 05:47 a.m., the morning of September 6th, 2000.

M103, an open cluster in Cassiopeia, magnitude 7.4, diameter 6', distance is 8,130 light years. Images were taken using the f/6.3 focal reducer, for an effective f/ratio of f/4. This is a composite made from 14 one-minute images, for a total integration time of 14 minutes. Each image was processed with dark frame removal, flat field and background removal, then compositing, Digital Development (Kernel, low-pass), and a contrast adjustment. Images were taken between 01:38 and 01:55 a.m., the morning of September 6th, 2000.

NGC129, an open cluster in Cassiopeia, magnitude 6.5, diameter given as 21'. Images were taken using the f/6.3 focal reducer, for an effective f/ratio of f/4. This is a composite made from 15 one-minute images, for a total integration time of 15 minutes. Each image was processed with dark frame removal, flat field and background removal, then compositing, Digital Development (Kernel, low-pass), and a contrast adjustment. Images were taken between 12:57 and 01:34 a.m., the morning of September 6th, 2000.

NGC7789, an open cluster in Cassiopeia, magnitude 6.7, diameter given as 16'. Images were taken using the f/6.3 focal reducer, for an effective f/ratio of f/4. This is a composite made from 14 one-minute images, for a total integration time of 14 minutes. Each image was processed with dark frame removal, flat field and background removal, then compositing, Digital Development (Kernel, low-pass), and a contrast adjustment. Images were taken between 12:27 and 12:43 a.m., the morning of September 6th, 2000. Note that the out-of-round star images were caused by poor telescope alignment, and not tracking problems.

NGC7686, an open cluster in Andromeda, magnitude 5.6, diameter given as 15'. Images were taken using the f/6.3 focal reducer, for an effective f/ratio of f/4. This is a composite made from 14 one-minute images, for a total integration time of 14 minutes. Each image was processed with dark frame removal, flat field and background removal, then compositing, Digital Development (FFT, low-pass, medium), and a contrast adjustment. Images were taken between 11:56 and 12:12 a.m., ending the morning of September 6th, 2000.

NGC7063, an open cluster in Cygnus, magnitude 7.0, diameter given as 8'. Images were taken using the f/6.3 focal reducer, for an effective f/ratio of f/4. This is a composite made from 14 one-minute images, for a total integration time of 14 minutes. Each image was processed with dark frame removal, flat field and background removal, then compositing, Digital Development (Kernel, low-pass), and a contrast adjustment. Images were taken between 11:29 and 11:46 p.m. the evening of September 5th, 2000.

NGC6871, an open cluster in Cygnus, magnitude 5.2, diameter given as 20'. Images were taken using the f/6.3 focal reducer, for an effective f/ratio of f/4. This is a composite made from 16 one-minute images, for a total integration time of 16 minutes. Each image was processed with dark frame removal, flat field and background removal, then compositing, Digital Development (FFT, low-pass, mild), and a contrast adjustment. Images were taken between 10:38 and 10:57 p.m. the evening of September 5th, 2000.

NGC6910, an open cluster in Cygnus, magnitude 7.4, diameter given as 8'. Images were taken using the f/6.3 focal reducer, for an effective f/ratio of f/4. This is a composite made from 13 one-minute images, for a total integration time of 13 minutes. Each image was processed with dark frame removal, flat field and background removal, then compositing and a contrast adjustment. Images were taken between 10:14 and 10:29 p.m. the evening of September 5th, 2000.

M29, (NGC 6913) an open cluster in Cygnus, magnitude 6.6, diameter given as 7' to 10', distance given as 4,000 to 7,200 light years. Images were taken using the f/6.3 focal reducer, for an effective f/ratio of f/4. This is a composite made from 13 one-minute images, for a total integration time of 13 minutes. Each image was processed with dark frame removal, flat field and background removal, then compositing and a contrast adjustment. Images were taken between 09:55 and 10:10 p.m. the evening of September 5th, 2000.