Comet C/2014 E2 Jacques

I have been trying to stretch my detection limits using the DMK51 and a 26mm kern lens. Imaging with this setup is very easy to deploy  when mounted on the simple AltAz mount I made earlier.

This is a no track, but a drift imaging method. The lens allows a FOV of 15x10 degrees. At an exposure time of about 10 seconds the stars do not trail. Using my custom imaging software I can automatically gather a long sequence of PNG images.
Then using ImageJ to make a registered medium of about 60 images. My lower limits are around MAG ~9 – 10 at a push. But Mag 8 is really about it. So looks like I still need wait for the comet Jacques to warm up a bit more.


Update 20140414 - A clear evening with a beyond three quarter moon. I think I can just about get Jacques to appear after some heavy pixel pushing using ImageJ. Hope it gets a bit brighter.
Here is a cropped section from a 15x10 FOV, seeing down to mag 10. At the arrow very fuzzy..??

Update 20140428 - Got a good break last night. The afternoon southerly breezes slowed to still air. A cool and clear night with good seeing. So popped out the ED80mm and 450d Dslr on the eq6. Alignment was good for 30 sec images stacks of 10 images. Got C/2014 E2 Jacques and a few of the old fave's.:D

Update 20140507 - Another go at this comet, good result with a sum of 10x30sec images.

ALT-AZ mount DIY

Found these $20 digital levels at Aldi. They have 0.1 degree resolution, so made two of these into an manual AltAz mount. Still a little bit wobbly but can carry the DMK51 and 26mm lens. I will try to image the current Nova if the clouds go way. Using a similar technique to processing STEREO/SECCHI images I hope to be able to see down to at least mag 8, hopefully mag 10. This will let me see Neptune and some of the brighter asteroids. The drift technique will allow the motion of the planet or asteroid to be detected. I propose to look at the SOHO kreutz comet path that occasionally passes overhead, perchance to see an early comet.

update 20130828 - Some efforts with this mount. Positioned the camera and let the FOV drift taking 1 second images Making a medium of 20 images. FOV is 15x10 degrees, down to appox mag 8,.

CRUX again

Scorpion tail with M6 andM7