Captured M16, The Eagle nebula last night. 19, 5 minute exposures for a total integration of 95 minutes.

https://scontent-sea1-1.xx.fbcdn.net...e8&oe=5BEA3F7C

Thanks to you guys energizing this thread, I’ve dusted off my Celesteon 5 SE and started stargazing again. I picked up an optical imager and a Barlow Lens to try and contribute on this thread.

Right on!

can you tell me where to get an owner's manual? I believe I have the same unit and need help in understanding its operation.

I’ve got a digital copy. PM me your email address, I’ll send you the PDF

Eric, thank you. RN, thank you for the offer

This one makes me feel small. Just a tiny portion of the sky in Cygnus.
https://cdn.astrobin.com/thumbs/UIJQ...0_wmhqkGbg.png

Andromeda last night. 2.2 hours of exposure.
https://cdn.astrobin.com/thumbs/Lhf3...0_wmhqkGbg.jpg

I took a ride to a place with good southern exposure to get a look at Mars. Guys you have got to see it.

If you managed that shot of Jupiter, you can manage a pretty spectacular image of Saturn on the right night. It seems like my best nights out viewing (seeing-wise) were always hot, muggy, still nights with tons of mosquitos. The cold winter nights that were really dark with no haze were nice and dark and contrasty, but often had lousy seeing.

I've seen Mars before when you could see the dark areas and I once saw a polar ice cap on Mars. I wasn't able to see its moons though. I've seen Saturn and its rings and Galilean moons and Jupiter and it's moons and the big red spot. Those two and the moon are some of the most spectacular things in the sky. But I've also marveled at clusters and asterisms and nebulaea and galaxies. Honestly, most of my view has been done under fairly light polluted skies. I did some viewing under moderately dark skies once and was able to see more stuff, more easily with a really cheap pair of Bushnell 10x50 binocs than I was able to see at home with my 8" telescope.

In astronomy, the bigger your instrument the better, but what REALLY matters is how dark your skies are. The way they say "there is no substitute for cubic inches" for motors to make power, for astronomy, "there is no substitute for dark skies." A giant instrument comes a close second.

Duck! Here it comes!

/\ Probably don't have to duck just yet. Give it 2.5 million years or so. :)

Couple of captures from last night. First is the Cygnus wall, a small portion of the North American nebula. This is 2.2 hours of exposures.
https://cdn.astrobin.com/thumbs/SRWw...0_wmhqkGbg.jpg

Next one is M33, the Triangulum Galaxy. 2.8 hours of exposures.
https://cdn.astrobin.com/thumbs/m0kc...0_wmhqkGbg.jpg

Was testing different capture software settings and exposure values on the Elephant trunk nebula. Didn't realize it was gonna be grayscale. Oh well, I learned quite a bit last night.

https://scontent.fsnc1-1.fna.fbcdn.n...bc&oe=5BEA0629

Got a new camera. Shot the Elephant trunk and Garnet Star area last night.
https://cdn.astrobin.com/thumbs/nRwN...0_wmhqkGbg.jpg

Good stuff! Thanks for the update.

Eric you sure do have your gear dialed in!

Thanks guys. I learn a little more each time out. Still lots of room for improvement.