fwm891

Are the filters the same optical diameter or are your older OIII & SII filters in heavier mounts? Some older filter mounts/holders have a smaller internal diameter than newer filter mounts - that may cause vignetting at the corners.

Just a thought

Not seen that one before 👍

I wish my first lunar images were that good - especially the eyepiece projected shots👍

Thanks ALL. Why the question? Well I've just spent money (too much of!) on an IDAS MBZ nebular filter for OSC cameras. I already had an IDAS NB-1 filter but I wanted to do a comparison between the two.

This is the first stage of the comparison as these images were captured through an Altair Wave Series 115 APO Triplet @ f7 with a Planostar x1 flattener, via the above filters to an ASi533 OSC camera cooled to -12°C gain to 100.

Capture via SG Pro, PHD 2 with multi star guiding, Processing in PI duplicating each process stage.

Image A is via the NBZ filter, image B is via the NB-1 filter.

Stage 2 will be using the same filters on a different subject with the RASA 8 to see how they handle the f2 image cone (I may not use A & B references next time...)

Who's BOB?

Like some comments please. These images labled A & B were taken on consecutive nights (moon details on images) at the same times each night.
Processing has been as identical as I can in PI (each process on one image copied to the other) then the pair put together in PS and a neutral background added.
Optics, camera and exposure details identical for each.

Preferances please...

Apols - I've reduced the image sizes

More details to follow...

Basically: Altair 115 EDT APO with x1 planostar FF, ASi 533 cooled to -12°C and an IDAS NB-1 filter.

12x 300s subs for each image. Processed in PI.

I use an ASi533 cooled OSC and it's a great m,atch to the ZS-73. Not sure now if I'll go back to mono again.

I have the same scope and use mine on a CEM25P with no problem at all. The CEM26 would be a fine choice and the extra cash would be put towards a astro camera (another minefield of choice!).

The 25P tracks well for unguided exposures or for longer it connects to a PC for guiding.

Great @MartinB. One thing though there were some previous Challenges that don't appear to have been judged or have I missed something?

Superb Peter

1 hour ago, PaulE54 said:

Nice capture Francis. How are you finding the NB1? 

Paul

Thanks Paul - re the NB-1, I'm really liking the NB-1 with the RASA 8, the colours are slightly more mutted (pastel?) compared with pure narrow band single filtered images. I guess that's because it's not quite suited to the f2 image cone produced by the RASA. It's combination with the 533 OSC though I can't fault.

IDAS make an NBX filter which would suit the RASA's f2 cone - but pricey!

ps: I used an IDAS NB-1 filter.

Image comprised of: 15x 300s subs with an ASi533 OSC Pro cooled to -12°C. With an IDAS NB-1 filter.

Celestron RASA 8 on an iOptron CEM60 standard, guided via PHD2 dev3 or 4?

Captures using SG Pro

Processing with PixInsight.

19 minutes ago, billhinge said:

I received a reply to say that the book was in transit, just leaving the US, also received the pdf version

However, I also bought  the Deep Sky Colors ebook and despite asking twice via the contact email I have had no response after 2 weeks  (I don't use facebook)

Hi @billhinge, Mine arrived earlier this week sent from the USA, the first copy was held by customs in the UK and I understand returned to the sender because the declaration was wrong (that one came according to the tracking link to have come from Taiwan)

Bootifull

General enquiry.

I ordered the books early December after downloading the electronic versions as I felt the book would be easier to work with.

I've emailed enquiring for updates but not heard anything?

Anyone ordered around the beginning of December 2020 and got their copies...

APP - not free but really great for muliple panel mosaics. There is a free trial version.

Just been processing what should be a 9 panel mosaic but currently just 7 processed using APP to stitch the panels together.

Update on the process - run the panels through a mix of PI and APP.

The separte subs for each panel were run through PI to first stack then DBE was applied to each stack, then saved as fit files.

The fit files were then loaded into APP in mosaic mode to be combined into the 7 of 9 configuration. Saved as both fit and tiff files, taken back into PI for colour work....

I had hoped to finish this last night but a short snow shower right at the start finished that thought. I had planned to get a mosaic of nine panels completed, 5 x 300s per panel. In the end I captured seven complete panels and 3 subs on one other which I've omitted at this stage. I want not only to capture the remaining panels but also to do this again and double up the sub count.

Details:

Scope: RASA 8

Camera: ASi 522 Pro cooled OSC (used with an IDAS NB-1 filter)

Mount iOptron CEM 60 standard ( guided via a TS 80mm guidescope and ASi 120mm guide camera)

Processing in PI for the individual panekl stacks and saving them as Tiff's, then into PS for assembly and a play with the colour.

Looks like hes got the same weather I've had for...

Superb

I made that decision too, sold the mono gear and invested in an ASi533 OSC. Looking out at a drab grey sky now...

Now I have APP working (for me) I've redone this 4 panel mosaic. Each panel comprises 6x 300s subs and these were initially processed in APP with no calibration frames and none of the tools options in APP used. This fairly raw mosaic was then opened in PI, croped to removed the stacking, frame alignment errors and rotated/fliped to give a fairly correct orientation.

Next, I hit the image with SCNR to remove any green, then a luminance mask was applied and repeatedly worked flicking between background and subject applying colour and density corrections with saturation and colour transformation tools before saving full size and smaller versions in tiff, png and jpg formats.

To me APP has produced a better integration of the 4 panels than my earlier attempt with processing the 4 separate panels in PI and then combining in PS CS3.