My first DSO image

[Rza]

Hi all,

Thought i would share my first image taken last night of M51. Nikon D60 - 29 x 1min lights. 14 Darks. DSS and Photoshop used. Not really sure what im doing with the processing yet so just slid some sliders around haha!!

[Rza]

Hi all,

Thought i would share my first image taken last night of M51. Nikon D60 - 29 x 1min lights. 14 Darks. DSS and Photoshop used. Not really sure what im doing with the processing yet so just slid some sliders around haha!!

Might help if i actually attach the file!!

[PeterCPC]

What was the equipment used other than the Nikon?

Peter

[Rza]

What was the equipment used other than the Nikon?

Peter

HEQ5, Skywatcher 8" f750mm

[PeterCPC]

Great start and a good result for 1m subs but you would get much more detail if you could increase the length of the subs. 

Peter

[Rza]

Great start and a good result for 1m subs but you would get much more detail if you could increase the length of the subs. 

Peter

Thanks im happy with it for a first attempt

Im not guiding at the moment, how long do you think i could go using just polar alignment and the mount??

[PeterCPC]

I don't know much about your mount but I can get 4min subs unguided with my AVX mount.

Peter

[Rza]

Wow really.. I shall try longer on the next clear night. Maybe in a few weeks with the weather here

[buikimaging]

Nice image, mine looked really similar to yours actually!

I started to get tracking issues with a HEQ5 at 2,5 minutes but that is to be blamed on slight polar misalignment.

We are shooting on the 200PDS and looks like you have the Quattro, so if you polar allign very well and get at a real dark site you should be able to get 4 minute subs indeed!

[Rza]

Cheers!

Yeah I tried 4min sub's last night but the light pollution came in as well as other things!! Got more detail in the galaxy but the rest of the image looks pretty Rubbish.

Steep learning curve!!

[PeterCPC]

You need a light pollution filter everywhere but dark sky locations.

Peter

[buikimaging]

That.... Shouldn't be really nessescary because I live in a highly populated town near the port of Rotterdam and I shot a fantastic image. I am surely saving up for a nice LP filter: the Hutech IDAS P2, overall the best one on the market but at a price, if light pollution is a big deal then a LP filter would be your viable option, or a dark site of coarse. Unless that is not an option, I heard people never take their LP filters out of their imaging train at all except for narrowband CCD imaging.

The learning curve is very steep indeed, I am learning new things every day when I thought I knew a lot of stuff in astrophotography.

Keep up the good work and: experiment! The key with learning your setup quickly is Experimenting!

[Rza]

Yeah I'm hoping to get one of those clip in LP filters when I upgrade my camera. Hopefully to a 70d

I also have a lot to learn with the processing as think there is probably lots more data to get out of the shots I currently have

[buikimaging]

Those Clip in filters are indeed a great solution!

I have my eye on a mono 450D, would be a great solution for Narrowband imaging and getting lots of detail!

As you say: you might be able to tweak some more things in order to get everything out of that data, your worst problem is light pollution I think, so don't stretch the histogram too much or else you will flood it with LP.

You might be able to try taking flats next time and take away any vignetting and dust bunnies.

[ollypenrice]

Are you familiar with Levels and Curves in Photoshop? This is a good tutorial by RobH on here. http://www.middlehillobservatory.co.uk/articles-primers/Levels%20and%20curves.htm

This would help you get lots more out of the image.

Olly