This image is the official first light of the AP167FLZ, taken from my usual rural site. Conditions were good, however, due to the low elevation of the object (culminates at 43°), seeing was variable. This and the weight of the OTA, impacted guiding accuracy (~1" RMS), and had to throw away many subs. Yet, the final image shows remarkable resolution and contrast.
Featured in
APOD on April 12, 2017.
For a high resolution version click
here, and for an annotated version, click
here.
IMAGING DATA
Optical train: AP167FLZ + flattener
Mount: Losmandy G11
Guiding: QHY5L-II mono + 230mm guidescope
Camera: Canon 6D (modded and peltier cooled, sensor @5°C)
Frames: 30 lights 5 min. ea. @iso1600, calibrated with 200 bias, 32 darks and 33 flats.
Processing: PI 1.8 + Canon DPP
Date: 2017-03-24
Place: San Antonio de Areco, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Seeing & transparency: variable/good (rural skies)