BYEOS 3.0.3 used for an Imaging Messier Marathon

[s3igell]

For this year's All-Arizona Messier Marathon, I decided to up the challenge level by committing to an Imaging Marathon rather than the rather successful Visual Marathon efforts of the past few years.

 

I calculated that between Dusk and Dawn I could spend 5 minutes on each of the 110 Messier Objects, and still have about 30 minutes left over for chit-chat and the snacks table and the Porta-Johns.

 

I planned to use BYEOS for Image Capture, logging each Messier Object into a separate subdirectory based upon Messier Number with a Capture Plan of 3x 60sec 1600ISO exposures.  These images wouldn't be the sort of exposure sets from which one could create great Astro Art, rather a set with enough data that DSS could produce a basic Image to prove that I had indeed Imaged the intended Messier Object.  I'd also planned PHD2 Autoguiding with BYEOS Dithering, but later realized that the Dither and Calming times were eating too much of my precious imaging time.  BYEOS worked great for managing the Image Captures.

 

Unfortunately, the Weather Gods were more fickle than previous years, and the Messier Marathon turned into a Race Against The Clouds.  I was able to image 58 Objects before getting totally Clouded-Out about 3AM.

 

I've posted some of the images on my Flickr:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/s3igell/13900731255/

 

I've posted all the individual Messier Object Images and the full Messier Marathon story to AstronomyForum.net:  A Mostly Cloudy Imagers Messier Marathon 2014 

[fade2black]

Wow, that's impressive.  I don' think I have imaged 58 Messier objects in the past year!

[d6_6b]

Did you use the script to slew the mount and capture the images?

 

I did it manually more or less 10 years ago using ST-7E camera and Tak FS-60C (Refractor).

90-second explosure for each Messier object.  It was very busy manupilating the PC keys and save the images.

 

I wish I could write the ASCOM script to slew all messier object and save the images automatically.

 

Hirofumi Oishi

[s3igell]

No script was used for Messier Object slewing order, as coordination with BYEOS Target Names is not possible until "Multi-Target Capture Plans" are exposed as a Feature.  I knew that I'd have significant difficulty identifying several of the less distinct Messier Objects unless I manually updated the Target field for each new Object.

In any case, the weather disrupted any real plans of Object Ordering, as I needed to image as opportunity presented clear(er) patches of nighttime sky.