🌌 M13 and the First Field Trip

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This was a special night — my very first field trip with the telescope rig. I had arranged to meet a good friend far away from city lights, deep in what felt like the middle of nowhere. The goal was simple: escape the glow of urban life and capture something meaningful under a darker sky.

It was the first time I packed up my gear, loaded it into the car, and set it up in unfamiliar territory. But that brings a whole new set of challenges. Where’s flat ground? Where’s north? Is the power cable from the car long enough? Are we even allowed to be here?

Eventually, we found a lonely stretch of farmland with a bumpy access road and a clear patch of ground. Polaris was located, tripods leveled, gear aligned. All set. And then — out of the darkness — a white van approached.

We froze.

The driver turned out to be the farmer who owned the land. Much to our relief, he was delighted to find stargazers instead of, as he said, people setting fires — something I didn’t even know was a concern in rural Germany. He gave us his blessing to continue, saying we were practically guarding his property. A strange but heartwarming moment.

Unfortunately, clouds rolled in earlier than expected, and we had to pack up around midnight. All that effort for a relatively short imaging session. Still, it was worth it — I learned a lot about setting up in unfamiliar locations and what to prepare for next time.

Was the trip worth it?
Honestly, no — at least in terms of imaging conditions. Despite our escape into the countryside, the light pollution wasn’t much better than at home. That surprised me. But then again, we had met between two towns — both casting their light domes into the sky. If you really want dark skies, you have to go far — 50km or more away from even medium-sized cities. Always check the light pollution maps. Always.

đŸ–„ïž Post-Processing Notes

This was my first attempt at capturing a globular cluster — M13 — and although I didn’t have much data, it’s a bright enough target to work with. The main challenge was balancing the image: pulling out the faint stars around the edges without overexposing the dense core.

That required masks in GIMP 2, selectively editing the outer stars while preserving the core and background. I processed the data three times — the third version is my personal favorite for its more natural look, but the iconic „Mercedes star“ pattern in the cluster stands out more clearly in the first two. Feel free to pick your favorite.

🔧 Technical Info

  • Telescope: SkyWatcher 150/750 PDS
  • Camera: Olympus E-3
  • Mount: Unguided
  • Lights: 18 × 60″
  • Darks: 10 × 60″
  • ISO: 800

Conclusion:
Field trips are tough — logistically and technically. You have to double-check everything: power, positioning, permissions. Scout your location using light pollution maps, and always have a backup plan. And of course, if you’re on private land: ask first! Nothing cuts a night short like being told to get off someone’s property.

Still, one night under truly dark skies — that’s the kind of experience that stays with you.

Clear skies,
Chris