@PhilipPugh
That's great.

I've tried to catch the Helix with the publicly available #MicroObservatory but it doesn't allow long enough exposures. I worked out some software that lets me download a batch of target exposures that I can stack. This is the best #Helix image I've been able to get with that equipment. It's pretty faint, but visible.

@PhilipPugh
That's very good. I've had explained to me that M33 has a spread out and low surface brightness, explaining my difficulties in trying to observe it in the past.

Here is a photo of #M33 I produced by stacking images from the #MicroObservatory archive. It's a more difficult target than you might suspect.

@cafuego
That's a great photo, amazing with a Seestar. I don't have one of those (yet). But I used the publicly available #MicroObservatory made available by a joint Harvard-Smithsonian project.

They make a few 6 inch Mak-Newts available. At least for a time a couple were at a Southern hemisphere location. I got this image of 47 Tucanea with one of those. My contribution was the processing software that made the image.

@kellylepo
Must you use the online tool?

I written my own software for reducing #MicroObservatory data.

@kreegan99
Impressive equipment.

I see now why I cannot compete in star photography. I don't have nearly good enough equipment, nor can I afford it.

So I put it to you. I've made use of the 6 inch Maknewts of the Harvard - Smithsonian #MicroObservatory to get some star photos. I apply my skill at the software level, writing my own code to process and sometimes stack images.

Is that cheating in some way?

An example of what I can get this stack of images of the #OrionNebula .

@catherinerhyde
Maybe a bit better framing would be nice, but a super image anyway.

When I make use of the Harvard-Smithsonian #MicroObservatory I get to pick targets from their moderate list, but I have no control over the framing. This #Andromeda image illustrates the problem.

@world_beauty
Fantastic.

Being in the northern hemisphere, I've never seen it. But I became aware of the #microobservatory a couple of years ago. It's composed of a half dozen or so 6 inch Mak-newts, mostly in either Arizona or Massachusetts.

For a time though one was in Chile, and I was able to process an image of 47 Tucanae taken with it. Cheating in a way, as it's not my telescope, but a public one.

@catherineryanhyde
That's a terrific photo.

I tried the #RosetteNebula with the #MicroObservatory, and barely got an image. Their photo equipment is beyond most amateur astronomers' equipment, but is old. Plus the web site allows a max of a 60 second exposure. That just isn't sufficient for that target.

#StarGeezer