It is just as well I don’t have the funds available to proceed with the mini-WASP concept as it has given me time to think about the whole system.  Since coming up with the idea of multiple imaging scopes to effectively cut down the total imaging time on an object, I have had real trouble trying to couple the colour imaging system with the narrowband imaging system.  Basically, no combination of scopes and cameras could cover what I wanted to achieve.

But sometimes a walk with the dog over the forest can achieve wonders, and it came to me that I should not try to combine both systems in one.  It would make far more sense to keep the Hyperstar III system as is for taking the colour data, although this will mean a 4-frame mosaic for each object, and use the mini-WASP array with its FSQ106 scopes and 35mm format mono cameras for just taking the narrowband data.  The colour and narrowband data can then be put together by Noel to create unique wide field images.  In addition the framework of the mini-WASP can be adapted to hold up to 10 scopes plus a finder scope, so this flexible system allows for a variety of FOVs to be taken.  Since the mini-WASP array will now only be used for narrowband imaging I have renamed it the Narrowband Imaging Platform or NIP.  Now all I need is a substantial Lottery win!

Noel reprocessed the Veil nebula data making the stars less obtrusive and sharpening up the nebulosity a little to emphasize the filaments.  It’s a personal choice as to which version you prefer - I like the down-played stars myself.

Today is a landmark day for the New Forest Observatory.  After a marathon processing session involving a lot of blood, sweat, tears, and a hallucination-inducing lack of sleep - Noel Carboni has just finished processing the Summer 2007 mega-project, the Veil nebula in Cygnus!

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The last few days Noel has been working right through the night to get the images sorted for Star Vistas.  As I write this, Noel is working on the mammoth Veil Nebula data set.  In a previous post you can see the upper region of the Veil, and Noel just sent me a “taster” of the lower Veil region.  This is going to be a classic!  Keep viewing this site - it will be posted soon

The mini-WASP framework was delivered to the New Forest Observatory by the CEO of NTE Poole, Eric Kennedy, on Wednesday 5th December 2007.

If you have just joined us then make sure you read all about the mini-Wasp Array Project from the beginning.

The accompanying photos show the all-Aluminium black-anodised mini-WASP framework with the Megrez 80 mm guidescope, and one of the two Sky 90 imaging scopes attached. 

The fourth aperture will be used to house a Takahashi FSQ106 with reducer/corrector, camera rotator and filter-wheel.  The imaging camera for the FSQ will be the Starlight Xpress monochrome H36.

The next component I need for this project is the one that will cause the longest delay - it’s the mount!

Have you ever had the problem where the time indicated on one of your clocks (including your computer’s clock) is different to another one?  Well, I have and it can certainly cause headaches when trying to analyse the large amounts of data that we generate from our images. 

I now have one of those “radio-controlled” clocks that gives me the precise time via an atomic clock in the UK.  The clock broadcast signal is controlled and monitored by the National Physics Laboratory in Teddingtion and the transmitter was moved to Anthorn in 2003 - although everyone still refers to the atomic clock as “The Rugby Transmitter”.

So now the observatory computer is always giving me the correct time for the FITS data files and other astronomical programs that I might be running as I always “synch” it to my local atomic clock before each imaging session.

As I am located in the New Forest, you can imagine that for some months of the year, particularly from late September until late November, condensation is a major problem in the dome. 

I have always used a product called “Water Eaters” from Lakeland Plastics [I prefer the name "Water Snake" but I guess the marketing people at Lakeland didn't] around the gap where the dome rotates.  This product is basically a sausage-shaped piece of fabric filled with some water absorbing substance [possibly silica-gel]. 

I always place these in the gap around the dome edge [on the inside of the dome] after an imaging session and they keep the ingress of water vapour right down.  Unfortunately, on their own they are still not enough! 

I had a problem with the Hyperstar a couple of years back where halos started appearing around bright stars after about half an hour or so of imaging.  At first I thought this was atmospheric water vapour.  After quite a bit of investigation I found out it was actually water vapour in the Hyperstar itself - not good! 

I got rid of the trapped water vapour by placing the Hyperstar in an oven at 40C for about an hour, but I clearly needed to also do something about protecting the observatory. 

To this end I bought a dehumidifier which now runs full-time in the dome.  I typically need to empty the water container every three days [roughly a gallon I suspect] throughout the year. 

I also have a thermostatically controlled greenhouse heater in the dome which is used to keep the dome temperature a few degrees above freezing during the winter months.

So far, these precautions seem to be working - I’ll find out this coming winter 

Have you had similar problems?  If so, how have you deal with them.  Drop me a line and let me know.

The last RGB image of the Veil nebula has been significantly improved by adding some H-alpha and some OIII narrowband data as can be seen in the accompanying image. 

However, the project has turned into an even bigger undertaking. 

I decided that I needed to get the nebulosity south of this region, so I embarked on a full two-frame Sky 90/M25C mosaic to capture the whole of the Veil complex.  I now only need the RGB data of the southern region (H-alpha and OIII already taken) in order to have an extremely deep and detailed image of the whole of the Veil.

The statistics make frightening reading.  So far I have taken 142 sub-exposures amounting to 27 hours total imaging time and a 1.7 GB file size.  The addition of the final RGB data is likely to take this project to over 30 hours total imaging time with a file size in excess of 2 GB. 

I am not sure I will undertake such a mammoth task again without the aid of the mini-WASP array!

The original image is on the left and the improved images (with H-alpha and OIII narrowband data) is on the right:

For me, the imaging object of Summer 2007 has been the Veil Nebula region in Cygnus.  This is to-date the greatest amount of data taken by me on one object, during one period - ever.  I’m not too sure I’ll be doing this again

This image comprises over 17 hours of total exposure time including 3 and a half hours of narrow band H-alpha data.  Over 8 hours of Hyperstar data for the Witch’s Broom region was also included in this image [these 8 hours were extra to the 17 hours taken on the Sky 90/M25C].

Processing time more than equaled imaging time on this one and Noel excelled himself here managing to squeeze out the very last traces of the Veil amidst a mass of overpowering stars - and quite a lot of Moon glow!

Why is the project only 90% complete? 

I have only just ordered an OIII filter [from Ian King imaging] to try and boost the blue/green regions you can see in the image.  If I can add this data in before the Veil moves into an unfavorable region of the sky [only a week or two away now] then I may finish this mega-project off this year.

We seem to have more than our fair share of power cuts in Brockenhurst and this has resulted in damage to both my computer and to the Celestron motor drive boards, both of which are very unpleasant experiences as you can imagine. 

I now use the Celestron Power Tank to power the Nexstar 11 GPS scope, basically a 12 volt rechargeable battery, and this isolates the scope entirely from the mains.  For the computer I now use an uniterruptible power supply [UPS] which is again based on a rechargeable battery which in turn powers an inverter. 

Finally, as I am also worried about glitches down the mains as well as the power cuts, I use Belkin “power surge” extension sockets which are designed to take any damaging spikes out of the mains supply. 

Touch wood - so far things seem to be working o.k.

I’d be interested to know if any one else suffers from similar problems and how you have dealt with it. Drop me a line and let me know.