Hi folks:
Sweeping the sky with the lens on tripod and watching the monitor screen is my video equivalent of 'Rich Field' search for 'new' interesting objects. Other non stellar objs typically turned up in the monitor view include meteors, satellites and birds...
Close to 1-2am Sunday 15/1 while doing this 'mine- sweeping' i came across a couple of interesting star clusters but one stand out - NGC 2477 among the rest. Appeared as a 'faint patch' next to a 4.5+ mag stars prompted me to look at it via the 300mm lens. I was surprised to find what I got - a well resolved compact cluster. These and others
http://www.ykchia.com/2005.htm
There are many cataloges - eg caldwells ( binoculars/small scope) published for you hunt them down. Perhaps the sweeping approach - Find Unknow and IDentification Come Later Approach is more fun. My portable video approach allows you enjoy the image and record it in relatively short time as well.
My Indoor routine is:
a ) Find interesting object in wide angle lens
b1) Switch to 300mm lens
b2) IDentify Objects
c ) Real time grap fits sequences using ASTROVIDEO - via firewire
Before the target drift out my FOV - i typically can grab 30-40 frames at x128 integration or twice that in x64 integration. This is adequate for a decent viewable image.
d ) Stack in Registrax
e ) Crop and quick adj in PS
f ) check web for info on acquired images etc
g ) Post to web from same pc setup.
IF outdoor - then I will play back the DV tape and c) became offline processing
So you get to learn the object, be familar with the asterism and have a image ( or even DV avi ) copy for future reference.
clear Sky folks...
rgds
ykchia