Posted by Grant Privett at 16:37 on 2013 Dec 08
Sounds about right. When detection is what you seek, Newtonians are better than refractors – as they bring all colours to focus at the same point and ensure you collect as many photons as you can.It is true that detecting objects that are just 1% brighter than the surrounding sky signal is difficult, but with care (good flats, clean optics, using the best dark nights only, many exposures) good results can be achieved. It has the added advantage that, having mastered the imaging of the very dim, you will have refined your techniques and will find your imaging of brighter targets also improves.Either way, its fun.