Details

• Rig: Player One Ares-M Pro + Sky-Watcher 200PDS + EQ6R-Pro
• Software: NINA/PixInsight
• Filters: Astronomik LRGB
• Constellation: Cepheus

    Integration time (running total):
    * IR_PASS 12 X 180s (36m)
    * L 19 X 180s (57m)
    * R 38 X 180s (114m)
    * G 32 X 180s (96m)
    * B 28 X 180s (84m)

    * Total: 6h45m

    Integration time target
    * Target: 10 hours
    * L/IR_PASS 100 X 180s (150m)
    * R 100 X 180s (150m)
    * G 100 X 180s (150m)
    * B 100 X 180s (150m)
    * Progress: 65%

17th October 2024

Seeing index: Good (4)
Jet stream: Good (9 m/s)
Transparency: Ave (3)

Integration time:
    * IR_PASS 10 X 180s (30m)
    * R 10 X 180s (30m)
    * G 11 X 180s (33m)
    * B 9 X 180s (27m)
    * Total: 2h00m

12th October 2024

Seeing index: Very poor (1)
Jet stream: Ave (60 m/s)
Transparency: Ave (3)

Integration time:
    * IR_PASS 2 X 180s (6m)
    * L 6 X 180s (18m)
    * R 7 X 180s (21m)
    * G 5 X 180s (15m)
    * B 5 X 180s (15m)
    * Total: 1h15m

10th October 2024

Seeing index: OK (3)
Jet stream: Ave (12 m/s)
Transparency: Good (4)

Integration time:
    * IR_PASS 1 X 180s (3m)
    * L 5 X 180s (15m)
    * R 6 X 180s (18m)
    * G 5 X 180s (15m)
    * B 4 X 180s (12m)
    * Total: 1h03m

3rd October 2024

Seeing index: OK (3)
Jet stream: Ave (12 m/s)
Transparency: Good (4)

Integration time:
    * IR_PASS 4 X 180s (12m)
    * L 8 X 180s (24m)
    * R 15 X 180s (45m)
    * G 11 X 180s (33m)
    * B 10 X 180s (30m)
    * Total: 2h24m

Notes

I discovered by a failure of the filter wheel setup that the IR pass filter gave a much more contrasty and distinct luminance channel. So, from now on I will use that rather than the standard luminance filter. It is also closer to the RGB filters in offset making the parfocality better. I have had problems with the off-axis guider when the offset of one of the filters compared to the luminance filter caused the guiding stars to become too bloated to track precisely.

The seeing conditions on 12th October are the worst I have seen since I started keeping records. Strangely this did not translate into terrible results though undoubtedly guiding was negatively affected with the consequent issue of larger, bloated stars than ideal.