This image was taken at the prime focus of my 8" f10 LX 200.    Three 20 minute exposures were taken using the MX-5C and the STAR 2000 Autotracker.  These images were processed and combined and then finished in Photoshop.   I was able to get slightly better color results with the AstroArt processing, but at the expense of the background stars.   

M-57 is a very popular nebula for amateur scopes.  You can see the distinctive smoke ring shape easily in a 6" scope.  A 3 inch scope will show the nebula as a small patch of light or slightly fuzzy looking star. You may be able to see the ring outline as well.  The central star is not visible unless you have a large 17-20 inch scope.   At about the 2 o'clock position in this image you can see a dim (magnitude 14.8) galaxy IC 1296.   I had hoped for a better image of the galaxy, but the night I took these images the sky was very hazy.  Even near the zenith, it was difficult to see the constellation Lyra with the unaided eye.  Total exposure 60 min.   Click here to go back.