Gina

I've taken the images of the two DSOs in PixInsight and arranged them to match the image above and there's quite a gap.

Here's an image I found Googling which shows both DSOs in one image. I don't think my images overlap, unfortunately, so I'll see if I can capture the bit in between next time there's a clear night. Just a few 60s subs should be sufficient to capture alignment stars though I guess keeping the noise down on the joining strip would look better in the overall result. Had I realised these views were so close I might have been able to adjust the framing to give a small overlap.

Initial BPP on IC 405 completed and result put up beside the interim Simeis 147. Screenshot of PI auto-stretch.

The last few nights have been great for image capture but now I feel I'm drowning in data Data processing seems to be taking all my spare time! There are several projects that have taken a back seat and that I would like to progress. No!!! I'm not grumbling - how can an astrophotographer grumble at too much data??? Nooooo!

I've run the IC405 subs through Blink and have 259 60s Ha subs to use so that's over 4 hours of data - should be able to get decent results out of that Lens cap on and capturing 300 bias frames currently then I shall capture 80 subs each of 60s and 120s all with gain of 600. After that it's flats.

Currently downloading the overnight data - transmission speed has dropped again - may be damp as I found it foggy this morning and everything dripping. Closed roof and wall flap and switched dehumidifier on.

Pretty close - here's a screenshot of CdC showing the image rectangle for the Flaming Star (IC495) and the "Find" circle on Alnath. The big rectangle FOV is for the 28mm lens. If the two areas don't overlap I could probably capture an overlapping frame between the two. A small number of subs should suffice. Then I could make a mosaic. That would be good

Thank you Ken It's roughly 3 degrees in diameter or 6 moons - bigger than the Great Andromeda Galaxy, M31. Yes, it's BIG!! My Flaming Star Nebula image is roughly to the same scale - both are slightly cropped to remove registration funny borders. I don't think the two areas overlap but I'll check in CdC.

Simeis 147 Ha capture finished for tonight and now capturing Ha for the Flaming Star Nebula. 60s exposures look right for a gain of 600 and set up for 300 subs which should go on to around dawn. Just hoping there's no fog. Next clear night I'll see about OIII. Now off to bed Here's a single frame lightly stretched in Ps.

Another interim result, this time using 62 2m Ha subs so just over 2hr imaging time. Again PI result saved as TIFF and post processed in Photoshop. Result should be better with the correct calibration files and some new flats. That should result in a better background. but anything left can be corrected with DBE.

I don't know - I tried the plate solving script in PI but it didn't work - probably need to find out how to use it

I'll continue capturing this for an hour or so then see if the Flaming Star Nebula has passed the meridian so that I can set up capturing to continue while I go to bed.

Here's an interim result - 23 2m Ha subs g600 -30C pre-processed in BPP with slightly wrong calibration files - I need to capture bias and dark frames for a gain of 600 (nearest ATM is with gain of 550). Then saved as TIFF and post processed in Photoshop with curves, slightly cropped and saved in PNG format for upload.

Here's a single 2m g600 Ha sub post processed in Photoshop. No calibration just Photoshopped with levels, curves and "Enhance DSO and Reduce Stars" in Noel's Actions.

Found Simeis 147 but it's very very faint. This is 120s g600 -30C auto-stretched. Used you navigation instructions, Ken

May give this capture a 1hr run as for the NAN and then see where my other targets have got to.

H+S SII 4m g600 -30C is showing some image when auto-stretched in PI

Still nothing even auto-stretched in PI. Moving on then... Heart & Soul next...

Collected 30 2m SII subs g600 -30C NAN and decided to see if IC1396 had any SII nebulosity. Can't see anything with same settings as NAN so trying 4m subs.

One advantage of higher gain is that the read noise is reduced. Sounds counter-intuitive I know but that's what the ZWO graph says. Of course thermal noise increase but so does the signal. This seems to be saying the using maximum gain is beneficial on weak targets. Takes a while to get one's head round these new CMOS sensors

Here's a comparison of 2m and 4m with gain of 600. The 2m one has better stars.

Gain of 600 brings in a bit more of the image but I think I prefer the 500 version so I've gone back to that. Here's a screenshot of both gains, auto-stretched. Might try g600 with 120s.

Maybe something starting to show but I don't want to go to much more than 4-5m or I'll start to get oval stars. Instead I've increased gain from 500 to the maximum of 600 and see if anything shows then.

Trying SII on the NAN but nothing to see with 120s = 2m subs so I'm trying 240s = 4m and see if anything shows

Dark now and the stars are out. Checked focus and the difference from the tree was just one count. Seeing causes variation around 2 or 3 counts so it's a matter of watching and adjusting focus for the overall tightest pixel pattern at 400% zoom in SharpCap. At that zoom individual pixels are visible. Next to sort out a target. NAN is currently at the zenith but I've done that except in SI where I couldn't see any image. Might just try that again.