Here is our first image taken with our new Celestron 8" Edge HD. Since we don't have a reducer for it, we wanted to see what it was capable of at f/10. While this target needs much more time than we gave to it, we were VERY pleased with the flatness across our camera's chip.
Messier 76, the Little Dumbbell Nebula, also known as NGC 650/651, the Barbell Nebula, or the Cork Nebula, is a planetary nebula that lies approximately 2,500 light years away in the constellation Perseus and shines at an apparent magnitude of 10.1. Although this nebula was discovered by Pierre Mechain in 1780, it was first recognized as a planetary nebula by the astronomer Heber Doust Curtis in 1918.
Telescope: Celestron 8” EdgeHD @ f/10
Accessories: Dew control by Dew Buster
Mount: Takahashi EM-200 Temma2
Camera: QSI583wsg CCD @ -10.0C
Guiding: Starlight Xpress Lodestar via PHD
Filters: Astrodon Tru-balance E-Series Generation II LRGB
Exposure: 30 x 6min.(L); 5 x 6min.(R); 5 x 6min.(G); 9 x 6min.(B) - all binned 2x2
Acquisition: ImagesPlus Camera Control v4.3
Processing: Calibration, DDP in ImagesPlus 4.5; Registration in Registar
Post-processing: Adobe Photoshop CS5
Date(s): November 30, December 1, 2011
SQM reading (begin - end): N1:19.04 - 19.27; N2:18.56 - 19.09
Temperature (begin - end): N1:32.5ºF - 28.6ºF; N2:36.0ºF - 30.6º
Location: Hendersonville, TN, USA