First Deep Space Object
M51, the Whirlpool Galaxy
April 24, 2014
If you squint just right, you can see there might be something there. I stuck a camera on the end of the telescope, pointed the telescope to where M51 was supposed to be, and took a picture. It's not a good image, but it's my first deep space image. I was delighted. And I'm still proud of it.
June 04, 2014
I discovered the miracle of "stacking". Take multiple exposures, combine them to produce an image that is better than any one exposure. Straight away, I realised that I'd have to do better at "framing" the object first.
March 22, 2015
Almost a year passes before I visit M51 again. By now, I've learned more. I take more exposures. The exposures are longer. As a result, I need to use PHD software to guide the mount, making sure it tracks the target object exactly as it tracks the sky. My image processing skills have improved somewhat now too.