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A Rare Astrophotography Window: Three Moonless Nights in
South Devon
Clear, moonless nights have been almost mythical across the
UK this winter — rarer than golden hen’s teeth. So, when the forecast hinted at
not one but three clear nights along the South Devon coastline, I could
hardly believe it. March 17th arrived with that rare combination of clear
skies, no moon, and a real chance to finally stretch the imaging gear
again.
Planning the Session:
As always, the prep began with the usual suspects:
- SkySafari,
Clear Outside, and PhotoPills for sky conditions
- AstroBin
for inspiration
- Telescopius
for framing simulations (highly recommended if you haven’t tried it)
After running a few targets through the simulator, one
object stood out:
The Rosette Nebula (NGC 2244)
https://telescopius.com/telescope-simulator
The Rosette Nebula (NGC 2244)
It’s drifting lower in the sky now, and this week is likely
my last chance to capture it at a decent altitude. With luck, I’d get around 3.5
hours of usable imaging time before it sank into the murk above the English
Channel.
If you want to learn more about this beautiful emission
nebula, Sky at Night has a great overview.
https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/astrophotography/nebulae/the-rosette-nebula
Choosing the Location: Wembury Beach
Wembury Beach remains my most reliable local spot for long
sessions, but it comes with limitations:
- I
can only shoot NE to SW — Plymouth’s light dome dominates the north
and northwest.
- Astronomical
darkness didn’t begin until 20:15.
- The
Rosette would drop into low, hazy air by around 23:30.
Still, it was the best chance I’d had in months.
Gear for the Night
- Astro‑modded
Canon 800D
- William
Optics Zenithstar 61II + field flattener
- Sky‑Watcher
EQM‑35 Pro
- ASIair Mini, ZWO 120mm Mini, RVO 32mm guide
scope
- Sky‑Watcher
Star Adventurer 2i for Milky Way shots
- Celestron
Lithium Pro + Sky‑Watcher power tank
- Three
small power banks
- Dew
heaters
- MSM
green laser for polar alignment
- Samsung
Galaxy tablet for flats (white‑screen app)
If you’re curious about any of this kit, I’ve written detailed reviews:
Night One: A Tough Start
Let’s just say the first night didn’t go to plan.
What went wrong
- I
misjudged tripod placement and had to tear down the entire rig to
realign with Polaris.
- Polar
alignment took 30 minutes instead of the usual 10–15, with repeated
plate‑solve failures.
- The
wind was stronger than forecast.
- Guiding
hovered around 1.20", but fluctuated unpredictably.
Lessons learned
- Position
the tripod accurately at dusk — use a compass and wait for Polaris
to appear.
- Level
the tripod properly.
- Choose
a target that stays higher above the Channel haze.
Despite everything…
I still loved it. Hot brews from the Primus stove,
calibration frames done, and a great chat with a fellow astronomer who let me
view Jupiter, her moons, and two shadow transits through his 10"
Dobsonian. Magical moments like that make the frustrations worth it.
Night One Settings
- ISO
1600
- 20 ×
360s subs
- 10
darks
- 30
bias
- 50
flats
- Guiding average 1.25"
Night Two: Better Setup, Worse Wind
Night two was a different story — and a much better one.
Improvements
- Tripod
orientation was spot‑on thanks to waiting for Polaris and using a compass
app.
- Polar
alignment was smooth and accurate.
- Imaging
began at 20:15, a full hour earlier than the previous night.
A note on the MSM laser
Tightening the securing screw seems to nudge the laser point
slightly off target. It’s subtle, but enough to throw off alignment. Something
to rethink.
The wind… again
Guiding was chaotic:
- Best:
1.20–1.70"
- Worst:
25.50"
- My
friend’s identical setup hit 40.30" at times
Despite the conditions, I salvaged 20 good subs,
giving me:
Total so far
40 × 360s exposures — around 3.5 hours of data.
Night Two Settings
- ISO
1600
- 24 ×
360s subs
- 10
darks
- 30
bias
- 50
flats
- Guiding:
1.25" low → 25.50" high (average ~1.75" when wind eased)
A great social night
My friend brought his new portable GOTO Celestron SCT, and we spent time hopping between Jupiter and deep‑sky objects. It reminded me that I should take my Sky‑Watcher Star Discovery 150i out more often to keep my visual observing skills sharp.
The windchill was brutal, but the raised boot hatches made a
decent windbreak, and the Primus stove kept the tea flowing — even if the piezo
ignition finally gave up the ghost.
What’s Next?
I’ll be stacking and processing the combined data over the
next few days and will share the final Rosette Nebula image along with a full
workflow breakdown in a separate post.
It feels brilliant to finally be back under the stars after
such a long run of poor weather. Even with the frustrations, these two nights
reminded me why I love astrophotography: the challenge, the problem‑solving,
the community, and the quiet joy of watching the sky unfold above the South
West coastline.
