Nothing is the bridge between the future and the further future. Nothing is certainty. Nothing is any definition of anything.

— Peter Hammill

M51

M51_2hrExposure SN2005cs

M51_2hrExposure SN2005cs

Took your advice Joe and image M51 for 2 consecutive hours, guiding did not work again, so I did it the OLD FASHION WAY, 120 one minute combined images in MaximDL/CCD.   Was a great night until the Moon came up causing a hazy sky throughout the East and Southeastern skies.  Tried guiding with the software that came with the mount after completing the above image, it showed that it was guiding, star did not go outside the crosshair.  I did not image as it was already 1:30 am Monday and I was tired.

M51

M51

Again M51 (seems to be popular on this site) taken on Saturday evening when the sky was clear. I notice some dust mites on image, need to clean camera. Just over one hour exposure. Also note that there is another galaxy in the lower right hand corner, 14.5 magnitude IC4263, faint but large.

m51 again

m51 again

80 minutes on IC-4277 (spiral galaxy edge on, bottom left) and IC-4277 (Irregular galaxy, bottom center) and M51 (the big thingy in middle of the picture)

m51

m51

M51 one hour may 20th.

M51 on a clear night

M51 on a clear night

Another night of perfect skies, just before the muggy weather comes in this weekend.  Tuesday evening I took M51 combined one hour exposure.  Orion 80ed on Vixen mount.  There is another galaxy lower left hand corner, 14 mag I.C.4263, highlighted in dim circle.