M33: A Work-in-Progress Astrophotography Project with Askar 71f & ATR585m

Hello fellow stargazers! Today, I'm excited to share a glimpse into a personal astrophotography project that's been capturing my attention: the Triangulum Galaxy, also known as M33.

While this is still a Work-In-Progress (WIP), I wanted to give you a look at the journey so far and the equipment that's making it happen. My goal is to accumulate a substantial 30-40 hours of Luminance data, but the current astronomical conditions mean I'm limited to 2-4 hours of imaging per night. Patience is a virtue in astrophotography, as they say!

The Setup:

Achieving a detailed capture of deep-sky objects like M33 requires a precise and well-tuned setup. Here's a breakdown of the gear I'm currently using:

Camera: Touptek ATR585m
Filter Wheel: Touptek 8x1.25'' AFW
Autofocuser: Touptek AAF
Mount: EQM-35
Filter: Touptek LRGB
Telescope: Askar 71f (490mm focal length, F/6.9)
Guide Scope: SVBony SV165 30mm Mini Guide Scope
Guide Camera: ZWO ASI120MM Mini

Acquisition Details:

Every hour spent under the stars counts. Here's a look at the data acquisition process:

Automation Software: NINA and PHD2 are my trusted companions for automating the imaging sessions and ensuring precise guiding.
Total Integration Time: Approximately 15 hours so far.
- Luminance (L): 303 subs x 120" (estimated 10 hours)
- Red (R): 57 subs x 120" (estimated 2 hours)
- Green (G): 42 subs x 120" (estimated 1 hour 30 minutes)
- Blue (B): 41 subs x 120" (estimated 1 hour 30 minutes)
Sky Conditions: Bortle 6

Processing Workflow:

Bringing out the subtle details in deep-sky images is a multi-step process:

Stacking: DeepSkyStacker (DSS) is used for initial image calibration and stacking.
Post-Processing: I then move to Photoshop for further enhancements, including gradient removal with GradientXTerminator and noise reduction with NoiseXTerminator.