50° 16' N · OBSERVATION LOG · 2022—2026
Dual-Core Gallery / solar & deep-sky.
A Few Stars from M13
BROADBAND OSC · 2H 29M · 61EDPH III · ASI2600MC PRO · 2026
Comet Lemmon (C/2025 A6)
BROADBAND OSC · 44M · 150PDS · ASI2600MC PRO · 2025
Western Veil Nebula
DUAL NARROWBAND · 1H 24M · 150PDS · ASI2600MC PRO · 2025
Cygnus Wall
DUAL NARROWBAND · 7H 20M · 150PDS · ASI2600MC PRO · 2023
SH2-199 · The Soul Nebula
DUAL NARROWBAND · 13H 45M · 150PDS · ASI2600MC PRO · 2024
NGC 281 · The Pacman
DUAL NARROWBAND · 13H 25M · 150PDS · ASI2600MC PRO · 2024
The Wizard Nebula
DUAL NARROWBAND · 9H 55M · 150PDS · ASI2600MC PRO · 2024
IC 1396A · Elephant's Trunk
HOO PALETTE · 4H · 150PDS · ASI2600MC PRO · 2024
M31 · Andromeda
BROADBAND OSC · 18H 30M · 150PDS · ASI2600MC PRO · 2023
Eastern Veil Nebula
DUAL NARROWBAND · 10H · 150PDS · ASI2600MC PRO · 2023
BORTLE 5 SKIES · VERNON, BC · DATA STREAM ACTIVE
[ 03 / METHOD ]
The Observation
/ Pipeline
Six phases from backyard planning to final image—worked around trees, powerlines, city light, and the occasional lost night of sleep.
[ 01 ]
PRE-PLANNING
Choosing a target that's actually reachable from a city backyard. Stellarium on the desktop narrows the candidates, then Stellarium mobile in the yard—using AR to trace where the target will sit, and when—around the trees, powerlines, and light domes that frame the usable sky.
[ 02 ]
SETUP
Polar alignment on the AM5, focusing with the EAF, and guide calibration. A harmonic mount forgives a lot, but the night goes better when this hour goes right.
[ 03 ]
TEST EXPOSURES
Short subs to verify focus, check backfocus across the frame, and dial in exposure times before committing the whole night. Star shapes in the corners tell the truth.
[ 04 ]
IMAGING
Once everything checks out, the ASIAIR takes over on autorun—usually all night. Then it's hoping clouds (or animals) don't end the session early, and waking up every few hours to check status. The sleep is bad. The data is worth it.
[ 05 ]
MORNING FLATS
Calibration frames captured before teardown to remove dust motes and vignetting from the optical train. With the ASI2600MC Pro, bias and flats are all it takes—no darks required.
[ 06 ]
EDITING
PixInsight only—the dedicated astrophotography suite trusted across the community. Calibration, integration, and processing turn a night of raw subs into the finished observation.