DATE
July 31st, 2008, 10:30pm to 12:30am PST
PHOTO
Exposure: 14 x 8 minutes
Focal: 2160mm, f/21.6
EQUIPMENT
Imaging Scope: NP101is with Powermate 4x barlow
Camera:Canon 40D IR/UV filter
Guide camera: StarShootAutoGuider
Guide scope: Orion Short 80mm
Mount: Takahashi EM-400
SITE & CONDITIONS
Montebello Open Space Preserve, Santa Clara County, CA
Seeing:Ok
Transparency: Average
SOFTWARE
Stacking: DeepSkyStacker
Processing: PixInsight + Photoshop
COMMENTS
I went to Montebello to try the Powermate x4 on a brigh object. This was the first time I was going to image with the x4 barlow. I wasn't sure what was going to come up at f/21.6 through my small 4" NP101!!
But anyway, I planned to image the Trifid Nebula (M20), however when I went to TheSky to point the scope to M20, I actually entered M8 (Lagoon Nebula). Not noticing my mistake I started imaging the Lagoon. And I only realized my mistake when I came home and opened one of the raw images. I was like "wait a minute, I know this fella and she's no trifid. That's the lagoon!!"
This actually explains the "unusual" framing of the object: since I assumed I was imaging the Trifid (a round nebula), for framing I took a quick 30 seconds exposure, made sure the brightest area was in the center - it didn't look like the Trifid, but again, after 30 seconds I wasn't expecting any defining attributes - and started shooting.
PS: The image you see above is a post-processing done on October 18th,2008
