Finally got a decent shot of the Horsehead Nebula after 3 clear nights in a row of my mount drifting like crazy

Turns out I forgot to tighten the declination clutch on my HEQ5 after a polar alignment check, so my 5-minute subs were all stretched into little star trails before I realized what was happening around 2 AM.

2 comments

2 Comments

ward.jamie12d ago

Forgot to tighten the declination clutch" is the kind of mistake that makes you want to swap your HEQ5 for a brick on a stick. I've lost a few nights to the same thing, just a loose thumbscrew laughing at me from the tripod leg. Nothing like 2 AM regret and a memory card full of squiggly light trails to remind you why we do this.

logan_mitchell12d ago

Tape a pre-session checklist to your mount head.