Telescope Reviews: August 08 DSO Challenge Poll

We are very pleased and proud to present the August 2008 entries in the August 2008 DSO Challenge. The poll will close on September 8 at midnight EDT. The winner shall be announced at our earliest opportunity after the poll has closed.

Here are August's entries!

Mark233

OK, here's mine. I had a very difficult time framing this target. Reducing this file down to 100k hurt the quality a good bit (original is 32 meg).

Capture info
130 total minutes with 10 minute subs
WO Megrez 90 w/ .8 FR/FF on a EQ-G mount
CCD Labs Q453-HR OSC CCD
Guided with Orion ST80 + DSI II Pro using PHD
Flats, Bias, aligning and stacking done in Nebulosity 2
No darks used
Levels, curves, and other touch ups done in PS CS3

Rebel3

This is my attempt. Captured June 26-27, 2008

Ha(100),OIII(50),SII(50) - 10 min subs

Tak FSQ-106EDX
FLI PL-16803
AP900

Aligning and stacking done in MaximDL
No darks or flats used
Levels, curves, and other touch ups done in PS CS2

Nate b.

Here is a recent attempt at NGC 7000 in H-alpha.
Taken 7/9/2008 from within the City of Pittsburgh, PA.

Scope: Pentax SDUF-II
Filter: Baader 7nm H-alpha
Camera: QHY8 CCD
Mount: Orion Atlas EQ-G with EQMOD
Guiding: 80ED / Meade DSI Pro / PHD Guiding
Exposure: 20min x 11

Bob Moore

Image Info: QSI 535, Astronomik 6 Nm Ha filter, Vixen R200ss, Losmandy G11 Mount, guiding with PHD. PreProcessing MaxImDL & AIP4WIN, Post processing PhotoShop CS2 ( levels & Curves ) Images were taken under moon light nights

Gobart

Here's mine.
Taken on three nights in August 2008 (09, 11 and 12th) from Cakovec, Croatia (Europe).
It is a mosaic made of three images, each one combined of 28 separate exposures: 10x180s in H-alpha and 6x180s in R, G and B (each).
Total exposure: 252 minutes (84 exposures).
Carl Zeiss Sonar 300mm F/4 telephoto lens with QHY2Pro CCD camera.
Autoguiding: QHY5 camera on Newton 200/750 mm, EQ6 Synscan Pro mount, PHD Guiding software.
Processing software: DSS, MaxImDL, PixInsight, PS7, Neat Image.

Choose Your Favorite Image
Users may choose only one (53 total votes)

Mark233

7 13%

Rebel3

4 07%

Nate B.

15 28%

Bob Moore

23 43%

Gobart

4 07%

--------------------
Knucklhead Astronomer