lastsnap-orion_m42

Orion Nebula, M42, taken with the SCS Astrocam & 4 inch Skywatcher 102 piggyback refractor at f/5, through a Celestron off-axis guider attached to the 102. The diffraction spikes on the stars are due to the rectangular-shaped prism of the off-axis guider, which diverts light into the Astrocam. Although the off-axis guider introduces this unwanted diffraction, it does mean we can attach a ccd camera to the Skywatcher and obtain simulataneous views through a ccd camera as well as the Astrocam (the live sky camera). We might be able to improve the quality of the image to the original standard, by fiddling with the position of the pick-off prism inside the off-axis guider.