Setting up my new Sky-Watcher Evostar 72ED for imaging

I’m Ian and I live in Surrey in the UK. In this video I’ve aimed to show my new Sky-Watcher Evostar 72ED DS-Pro telescope, from what’s included in the case when you open it, to additional accessories you might need to be able to attach imaging equipment to the telescope. I also show my set up for my initial session with this telescope and finally the M31 – Andromeda Galaxy image I took on the first night.

I will show you the equipment you will need to connect both a DSLR camera and a CMOS cooled colour camera to the telescope. I will also demonstrate how to attach the Sky-Watcher 0.85x Reducer/Flatterer and my personal set up for imaging.

The telescope is excellent value for money (I bought it from First Light Optics of Exeter, which provided excellent service) though you do need to spend extra on additions like the 0.85x Reducer/Flattener, or the Camera Rotator to best frame your image, and I bought a longer dovetail plate to better balance the set up on my Sky-Watcher EQ6 R-Pro mount.

I’m extremely impressed with the Evostar 72ED from my first session using it. It was easy to get focus even though my ‘backfocus’ was not the required 55mm but just a little longer at 57mm (I’m getting new spacers to correct this).

The field of view was of course much larger than using my Celestron Nexstar 6SE as the focal length of 377mm (the telescope is at 420mm but with the 0.85x Reducer/Flattener this comes down to 357mm, though my ASIAir Pro plate solved at 377mm) is much smaller than the 1044mm I was getting with imaging the 1500mm Nexstar 6SE with it’s F/0.63x reducer. In addition, with the 0.85x Reducer/Flattener the f-stop moves from f/5.8 to f/4.9 which is very helpful to imaging as well.

The first image I captured was M31 and I processed this through Deep Sky Stacker, Pixinsight and Photoshop. I’ve learned a lot from Shawn Nielsen at VisibleDark on processing this type of image through Pixinsight. It’s a great channel.

I have included details on the equipment and processing software I used and the settings for the image capture.

This channel also reflects the element of time we are looking at when we see these images, hence the Channel name. I find it amazing we are seeing light from thousands and millions of years ago, and to me it is interesting to think what was happening here on Earth as this light we are only now seeing left its origin.

I will be doing further videos during this year as I develop my skills so please subscribe if you wish to see this progression. My next video will be on using the ASIAir Pro, which I think is fantastic. You merely need to aim towards Polaris, plate solve, and then it helps you Polar Align and set up guiding and imaging. It makes this whole process so easy.

Main Equipment:
• Sky-Watcher Evostar 72ED DS-Pro (Doublet Refractor)
• Sky-Watcher 0.85x Reducer/Flattener for the EVostar-72ED Pro
• Sky-Watcher EvoFrame Camera Rotator for Evostar-72ED DS-Pro
• Astro Essentials M48 Camera Adapter (to attach DSLR Cannon)
• Astro Essentials Dovetail Bars (Short 18cm)
• Astro Essential M6 Bolts (x2) suitable for Sky-Watcher 72ED Tube Rings
All above acquired from FLO

• Sky-watcher EQ6-R-PRO equatorial mount
• ZWO ASI 294MC-Pro single shot colour camera
• ZWO 60mm Finder/Guidescope
• ZWO ASI 120MM Mini
• ASIAir Pro
• Optolong L-eNhance Filter

Music:
Isolated by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...)
Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-...
Artist: http://incompetech.com/