CDK17
Sh2-112 by Rod Pommier
Submitted by Chelsea Chin
Rod Pommier – Pommier Observatory | Portland, Oregon USA
CDK400 System
Submitted by Chelsea Chin
PlaneWave CDK400 System
“The new imaging system in the new Pommier Observatory is a PlaneWave CDK400 system. A CDK 400 system consists of a CDK17 (17-inch) telescope mounted on an L500 mount.
The CDK17 is a fantastic telescope. It is fast, at f/6.8. The optics are truly superb. It produces a completely flat field with stunning clarity and pinpoint stars from corner to corner of my 35 mm CCD chip. It has a fused silica mirror and carbon fiber trusses that resist expansion and contraction and hold sharp focus throughout the night regardless of how much the ambient temperature changes. The CDK17 has many built-in fans that help it reach ambient temperature quickly and blow air across the primary mirror surface to remove the boundary layer of air that can blur images. I added several accessories to the CDK17, like the IRF90 rotator/focuser, the Electronic Focuser Accessory, and the Delta-T Heater dew control system. See those pages for details on them.
The L500 is an equally amazing mount. It is direct drive, so it has no gears and therefore no periodic error and no backlash. Once it builds a pointing model, it precisely centers targets on the CCD chip. It tracks flawlessly for long periods of time. Although I usually still auto-guide when there is a suitable guide star (see page on the IRF90), I can also now image subjects with no available guides star by just letting the L500 run all by itself and I still get perfectly round stars even with long sub-exposures. This enables me to image subjects I never could with my Compustar C14 due to lack of a suitable guide star. The L500 has through-the-mount cabling to prevent cable wrap.”
Check out Rod Pommier’s PlaneWave page, here!
Rod Pommier – Pommier Observatory | Portland, Oregon USA
Horsehead Nebula by Rod Pommier
Submitted by Chelsea Chin
B33: The Horsehead Nebula in Orion
- Unguided
- Taken with a CDK17 on an L-500 Series Mount
- Total exposure time over 26 hours
Rod Pommier – Pommier Observatory | Portland, Oregon USA
M75 by Rod Pommier
Submitted by Chelsea Chin
M75 in Sagittarius
Rod Pommier – Pommier Observatory | Portland, Oregon USA
NGC 6960: The Witch’s Broom Nebula by Rod Pommier
Submitted by Chelsea Chin
NGC 6960: The Witch’s Broom Nebula, in Cygnus
NGC 6960, the Witch’s Broom (also Western Veil or Sharpless 103) Nebula is a remnant from a supernova about 10,000 years ago. Its amazing filamentary structure is due to compression of expanding shells of gas as they meet the resistance of the interstellar medium. That much of what we see as “empty” space is filled with dark dust is evidenced by there being more background stars visible below the nebula, where it has swept space clear of dust, than above it. The bright star, 52 Cygni, is a type K star and a foreground object with no physical association with the nebula but adds to the drama of the image. Please compare this image to my previous image of it taken with my Celestron Compustar C14, shown under Nebulae. The difference in sharpness, clarity, and detail is jaw-dropping.
Telescope & Mount: PlaneWave CDK17 on an L-500 mount
Exposures: Ha:L:R:G:B = 300:245:95:95:95 minutes = 11 hours, 40 minutes total exposure at f/6.8.
Rod Pommier – Pommier Observatory | Portland, Oregon USA
M33: The Pinwheel Galaxy by Rod Pommier
Submitted by Chelsea Chin
M33: The Pinwheel Galaxy, in Triangulum
Rod Pommier – Pommier Observatory | Portland, Oregon USA
NGC 7023 by Rick Schneider
Submitted by Chelsea Chin
NGC 7023: “The Iris Nebula”
- Sept. 25, 2023
- PlaneWave CDK17
- Paramount ME mount
- Apogee Alta U16M
- LRGB, 2.5 hrs integration
- Bortle 4 skies
Hercules Cluster by Tony Hallas
Submitted by Planewave Instruments
The Hercules Galaxies Cluster (Abell2151) taken with CDK17.
Abell 2151 (Hercules Galaxies Cluster) by Bob and Janice Fera
Submitted by Planewave Instruments
Abell 2151 – The Hercules Galaxy Cluster
by Bob and Janice Fera
Planewave CDK17 17″ f/6.8 Cassegrain
Apogee U16M CCD Camera
Astrodon Filters
LRGB Composite
L:460 R:100 G:100 B:100 minutes
Sub Exposures: L:23x20m R:5x20m G:5x20m B:5x20m
All exposures unbinned
Image acquired with CCDAutopilot
Processed in CCDstack and Adobe Photoshop
Taken June 4-7, 2016 from Sierra Remote Observatories, CA
NGC7380 by Bill Snyder
Submitted by Planewave Instruments
Scope Planewave CDK17
Camera SBIG STXL 11002 with AO-X
Mount Paramount
Filters Astrodon Ha3nm OIII3nm SII3nm
Exposures Ha 10hrs OIII 5.5hrs SII 7.5hrs 30min subs Total hrs 23 hrs
Location SRO Sierra remote Observatories CA. 2015
IC1795 Fishhead Nebula by Bill Snyder (APOD Dec 24, 2014)
Submitted by Planewave Instruments
Scope Planewave CDK17
Camera SBIG STXL 11002 with AO-X
Mount Paramount
Filters Astrodon Ha3nm OIII3nm SII3nm
Exposures Ha 7hrs OIII 6hrs SII 6hrs 30min subs Total hrs 19 hrs
Location SRO Sierra remote Observatories CA. 2014
Barnard 147 in Cygnus
Submitted by Planewave Instruments
© Snyder, BillCamera Apogee U16
Mount Paramount ME
Filters Astrodon Ha5nm OIII3nm SII5nm
Exposures Ha 4.3hrs OIII 4hrs
SII4hrs 20min subs
Location Sierra Nevada Mountains CA. Heavens Mirror Observatory SRO
billsnyderastrophotography.com
Corona Australis
Submitted by Planewave Instruments
© Bradley, GregCDK17, Paramount ME, FLI Proline 16803, Astrodon Gen 11 LRGB filters
LRGB 90 50 50 50
NGC 5395, Heron Galaxy
Submitted by Planewave Instruments
© Snyder, BillCamera Apogee U16
Mount Paramount ME
Filters Astrodon LRGB
Exposures RGB 2Hrs each L 8Hrs LRGB 15min subs Total time 14hrs
Location Sierra Nevada Mountains CA. Heavens Mirror Observatory SRO
billsnyderastrophotography.com
NGC 5921
Submitted by Planewave Instruments
© Snyder, BillCamera Apogee U16
Mount Paramount ME
Filters Astrodon LRGB
Exposures RGB 1.5Hrs each L 7.5Hrs LRGB 15min subs Total time 12hrs
Location Sierra Nevada Mountains CA. Heavens Mirror Observatory SRO
billsnyderastrophotography.com
M 1, Crab Nebula
Submitted by Planewave Instruments
© Fera, Bob and Janice
M1- The Crab Nebula in Taurus
by Bob and Janice Fera
Planewave CDK17 17″ f6.8 Cassegrain
SBIG STL11000M CCD Camera
Astrodon Filters
LRGB Composite
L:180 R:75 G:75 B:75 minutes
Sub Exposures: L:9x20m R:5x15m G:5x15m B:5x15m
RGB exposures binned 2×2
Image acquired with CCDAutopilot
Processed in CCDstacK and Adobe Photoshop
Taken November 14, 15, 2009 from Eagle Ridge Observatory, Foresthill, CA
Rosette Nebula
Submitted by Planewave Instruments
© Fera, Bob and JaniceThe Horsehead Nebula in Orion
by Bob and Janice Fera
Planewave CDK17 17″ f6.8 Cassegrain
SBIG STL11000M CCD Camera
Astrodon Filters
LRGB Composite
L:100 R:60 G:60 B:60 minutes
Sub Exposures: L:5x20m R:6x10m G:6x10m B:6x10m RGB exposures binned 2×2
Image acquired with CCDAutopilot
Processed in CCDstacK, PIXInsight LE and Adobe Photoshop
Taken December 17, 18, 2009 from Eagle Ridge Observatory, Foresthill, CA
IC 1396A, Elephant’s Trunk Nebula
Submitted by Planewave Instruments
© Trottier, HowardObject: IC1396A, “Elephant’s Trunk Nebula”.
Instrument: PlaneWave CDK17.
Focal Ratio: f4.5 (with PlaneWave focal reducer).
Mount: Paramount ME.
Camera: SBIG STL-4020M.
Dates: August 6-15 2010 (3 nights).
Integrated exposure: L (300 minutes unbinned), RGB (100 minutes each, 2×2 binning).
Location: Cabin in the Sky Observatory, South Okanagan, British Columbia, Canada.
Image Capture: MaxIm DL, TheSky6, FocusMax.
Image Processing: MaxIm DL, CCDInspector2, CCDStack2, CCDSharp, Photoshop CS5.
Website: http:www.sfu.ca~trottierobservatory.html
M65/66 by Bill Snyder (APOD June 15, 2012)
Submitted by Planewave Instruments
Scope Planewave CDK17
Camera Apogee U16
Mount Paramount ME
Filters Astrodon LRGB Ha5nm
Exposures R2hrs G1.5hrs B1.5hrs L 7.5Hrs Ha 3hrs Ha 20min subs LRGB 10min subs
Location Sierra Nevada Mountains CA. Heavens Mirror Observatory SRO