cheating with astrophotography: GRAS

[orly_andico]

I have been using GRAS for the past two days and I must say, it's damn addicting!

I've already blown US$100 so far...

Cost is approximately $1 per minute. An exposure will take a minimum of X+10 minutes where X is your total exposure time (the 10 minutes additional is for GoTo slewing, plate-solving to confirm the scope is pointed correctly, and auto-focusing).

But I've gotten to (remotely) "use" a scope that I would own only in my dreams: a Mewlon 300 with Finger Lakes camera and Paramount ME.

Hopefully I'll collect all the data I need for my coursework before I spent more than another couple hundred bucks..

(and yeah, I should have done the imaging myself, but the combination of inadequate expertise with the CGEM and bad weather have all conspired against me.. and I'm running out of time)

[rcj]

interesting! had always stayed away due to a seemingly intimidating UI....but do let us know how it goes for u!

[orly_andico]

Well... so far i have wasted $120.

The mewlon is too darn slow for my DSO requirement. I took a couple 30-minute shots (well 3x10) of IC1613 and.. nothing. Had to stretch the heck out of it to see anything.

f/11! so to get something i'd have to put in a few hours. which would cost $2/minute. The prospect of spending hundreds of bucks per image doesn't appeal to me (I need 5 images at least for my galaxy coursework).

Now using GRAS20 (FSQ106ED + ST8300C). Consumer-grade gear! (well it is on a Paramount) at least it's f/5.

Made another mistake, put in 8 seconds (!) instead of 8 minutes. Another $30 down the tube (there always is a fixed 15+ minutes for slewing, plate-solving, auto-focusing, etc).