First Light with the ED80

May 10 2015

The Ring Nebula (M57)

The Ring Nebula (M57)

Nikon D610 +Skywatcher ED80 + Orion Starshoot Autoguider
Skywatcher EQ-3 Synscan

5 mins x 15 @ iso 500 with no filter.

DSS + Photoshop

First light with the ED80 was actually the moon obviously, since it is an easy target for a beginner,  but the moon doesn't count as a deep space object. And so even with a half moon, after a long and laborious process of polar alignment, i think i have nailed it that time because the GOTO accuracy was spot on.

I slewed the scope towards the Ring Nebula on the constellation Lyra and it popped right on the center of the image after the first test shot.

I didn't expect to see anything spectacular but i was able to see the doughnut shaped nebula even with light pollution, the colors blue and red can be clearly seen. I was elated!

May 10 2015

Dumbbell Nebula (M27)

Dumbbell Nebula (M27)

Nikon D610 +Skywatcher ED80 + Orion Starshoot Autoguider
Skywatcher EQ-3 Synscan

5 mins x 9 @ iso 640 with no filter.

DSS + Photoshop

With just a few hours to spare before dawn breaks in, i slewed the scope towards the nearby Dumbbell Nebula at the constellation Vulpecula within the Milky Way. The processed image was a bit more gratifying for me since the Dumbbell Nebula is much bigger than the Ring Nebula.

It was a successful first light for the telescope, and the EQ-3 mount did its job fairly good.