HAS Site, September 20, 21, 22, 2006
 Images Copyright © 2006, Dick Locke.  All Rights Reserved.  Contact and Image Use Information 

Veil Nebula	NGC6559, IC4685, B303 Nebula	M52 and Bubble Nebula
M8	Helix Nebula	NGC 6590 and IC 1284

I took a few days off work to do some astrophotography at the HAS site when we had a nice front come through the week of 9/19/2006.  There were 4 or 5 others there on the 19th, and I had the place to myself on the 20th.  I didn't get much of a chance to speak with the others on the 19th, I was busy trying to re-learn how to do everything since I haven't been out for over 4 months!  Just before sunrise on the morning of the 20th there was a nice slender moon rise with earthshine visible through the trees to the east.   I made a half-hearted attempt to see comet Swan but did not succeed.  I am not certain it cleared the trees enough to be possible.

All images:  Canon EOS 20Da (unmodified), Takahashi TOA 130 (a 5" APO refractor), Losmandy G-11 mount.    My current image processing workflow is here.  There were 15 darks on the second night, 28 on the first night. 

This was the first time out with my upgraded Losmandy G11 worm gear.  At times I had great guiding, but at others it just wasn't happening.  I am pushing the limits of my my mount can handle, and I think what happens is as I shoot different parts of the sky, if everything on the mount isn't balanced just right then it makes the mount unhappy ;-)