My Image of Orion Nebula

[noideasteve]

Hi guys, I'm still fairly new to astrophotography and where i live Orion is nice and high in the sky for me so it's been my main target for learning and i'm having a ball doing it from my back yard!
I've noticed my first images of Orion the centre was very bright and over exposed so i've been working on solving this. Until 4 months ago i had never done photography or had a good telescope so i'm still learning. To get this image i took 4 photographs all at different ISO and Exposure times, each image also has a dark shot applied to it via my camera settings. 
I use a Nikon D5100 camera mounted to my Celestron HD 8" guided using an Orion SSAG and 80mm Short Tube with a Celestron Advanced VX mount. I believe my telescope needs to be collimated as i think it's a little out. 
Any advice to make my photographs better is appreciated, also should i modify my camera? Would it make the image look better? or would it be better to get into photographing using the colour filters?
 

[PeterCPC]

Great image after only 4 months - better than my early efforts.

You say that you took 4 images. First I suggest that you take way more images for stacking. You should take them at varying exposures so that you get a mixture of the centre being exposed correctly and the nebulosity being exposed correctly. You can then combine them so that the centre is not burnt out. I would not use colour filters as this will give false colour to your images.

I think that you just need to get more data to improve your images. I use a Canon so cannot comment on the camera.

Peter

[PeterCPC]

Meant to also say that I think the focus is a bit off as well.

Peter

[noideasteve]

Thanks Peter i will work on achieving a better focus and try more images for stacking

[Rico]

Great effort steve. How are you focusing the camera? I use a Bahtinov mask, and its proving to be a good addition to my setup. I'm new to this as well, so haven't had a chance to image orion yet ... its too low in the sky at the moment. I agree with Peter, the more images you take the more pleased you'll be with the outcome. 

[noideasteve]

At this stage i'm focusing using the the real time display through my camera. I'm wanting to purchase a feather touch focuser to help with focus and i have been looking at those Bahtinov masks so i think i will purchase one of them too when the funds become more available.

My Image above compose of 4 images as follow
1 @ 2min ISO 800
1 @ 5min ISO 640
1 @ 10min ISO 500

1 @ 4min ISO 500

I wanted to try a mixture of long and short exposures to see what the outcome would be and see what more is needed. I guess for newbies like us it's hours under a nice clear sky trying new things and writing the outcomes out and progress. It's also great to come on here and get constructive advice, so thanks guys....Hopefully my images will continue to improve and amaze my friends

[Dave_D]

At this stage i'm focusing using the the real time display through my camera. I'm wanting to purchase a feather touch focuser to help with focus and i have been looking at those Bahtinov masks so i think i will purchase one of them too when the funds become more available.

My Image above compose of 4 images as follow

1 @ 2min ISO 800

1 @ 5min ISO 640

1 @ 10min ISO 500

1 @ 4min ISO 500

I wanted to try a mixture of long and short exposures to see what the outcome would be and see what more is needed. I guess for newbies like us it's hours under a nice clear sky trying new things and writing the outcomes out and progress. It's also great to come on here and get constructive advice, so thanks guys....Hopefully my images will continue to improve and amaze my friends

you can quite easily make your own bahtinov mask with stiff black plastic sheet and a good sharp scalpel or craft knife. i made one with the split end cap of my 10" newt

. i used this page

http://astrojargon.net/MaskGen.aspx?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1

here's the mask

and this is what it looks like in use when focus is good

total cost... zero, nada, nowt, zip, ziltch

[AstroAndy]

Good picture. The Orion Nebula is one of the few targets where you have to shoot a few short exposures (like 30s, or 1min) for the core (they then get overlaid on the main img w/ masks and such in Photosh. and blended in.)