Observation by Martin Butcher: Orion Startrails

Uploaded by

Stuart Morris

Observer

Martin Butcher

Observed

2010 Jan 05 - 22:35

Uploaded

2021 Mar 27 - 16:09

Objects

The Orion Nebula (M42)

Equipment

Meade LX-90 8" telescope fitted to its field tripod by an equatorial wedge.
LX-90 Periodic Error Correction enabled.
Dew Removal straps fitted to telescope and camera lens
Telescope and camera powered by Mains Power.
Stock Canon 40D with 200mm f/2.8 lens stopped down to f/4
Telescope driven but unguided

Exposure

Six sub-exposures each 10 minutes long taken at ISO400

Location

Isle of Colonsay

Target name

Orion

Title

Orion Startrails

About this image

Exposure details:- Six sub-exposures each 10 minutes long taken at ISO400. Ambient temperature minus 4 degrees Celsius.

Processing details:- After quality control 5 sub-exposures (fortunately contiguous) calibrated with Dark, Flat-field and Bias master frames in Images Plus. Images combined and other processing conducted in Photoshop CS3. North is at the top. Image field of view 64 degrees x 42 degrees.

Narrative description:- Twenty days after New Moon, the Moon was below the horizon throughout the time the images were taken. The weather was cold and clear with a strong breeze (Force 5) from the north north east (therefore tripod was set up to south of my house). The wind did mean that there was no dew. The resultant image nicely demonstrates the optical illusion of the stars at the Celestial Equator appearing to diverge.

Files associated with this observation

MButcherOrion Startrails.jpg (182.5 kB)

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