Going Wide Field

So I have had a little bit of fun with taking a few photos through the LX200 with the Nikon D40. The results have been fine, not brilliant but just fine. Tracking objects now seems to be the biggest issue: getting that perfect polar alignment is a bit of a hassle to do every time I set up!

But, I am going to take a couple of steps back. I purchased a mount that enables me to piggyback my D40 atop my LX200. I am going to use this configuration for some wide-field attempts. Going this route should be a little more forgiving in terms of getting a precise polar alignment, methinks.



















My first attempt will be with M31, the galaxy in Andromeda, hopefully as early as tomorrow night. If I shoot it using a 200mm telephoto and aim for around 30-40 minutes of data, that might get me a decent result. Also on my target list are the Pleiades cluster, the Cygnus constellation (real wide field!!!) and maybe the Horsehead Nebula when it pops up over the horizon later next month.