oymd

It shows that is IS detecting all the stars it needs, but there is a FAIL at the end no matter what?

Here is the log: Starting Linear iteration.docx

Tried all the database servers...ticked FORCE PLATESOLVE, always comes up with the error at the end. I took a screenshot

Do you know how to get plate solve to work? i simply cannot get it to work?

just tried it... Tried it like 10 times....Had no idea what I was doing. Got the data Starsbourg. Typed in M101, and clicked GET. I just changed the FL to 510, and pixel size to 4. It kept doing its thing every time, and eventhough it says at the end: successfully completed with no errors Every time I get the message: Photometric calibration failed: Got 2 sample something, when FIVE are needed?

I need to find a FEMALE SCT to a MALE M48 adapter, but I simply cannot find one on FLO? The 16.5mm ZWO extender is M48 on the reducer side. Also, with all the ZWO extenders attached, I will only have 55mm backfocus? How will I achieve the additional 50mm to reach the optimal 105mm back focus for the 0.63x reducer?

Thank you for your comments... Of course..sorry, forgot to mention my acquisition data: ED80 + .85reducer/flattener + OSC ASI 294MC Pro 60 subs @ 120s, 30 darks, 30 flats & 30 dark flats, stacked in DSS Agree...not sure why its so red?

Good evening everyone With the weather being terible these past few days it was the perfect opportunity to do some reading of the Inside PixInsight book, in addition to some youtube tutorials. I have been relying on helpful experienced forum members to process my data, so I thought I would go over some of my data myself, and have a go from start to finish with PixInsight. Please advise if this final image looks ok? I used: Dynamic crop Dynamic background extraction with 50 sample points MLT Co lour calibration and Histogram transformation lastly color saturation and TGVDenoise Many thanks...

Yes, they are all noisy when slewing at max speed, particularly Celestron mounts. I have a Nexstar 8SE, and it is pretty noisy. I have seen a CGX-L slewing at max speed, and it is very, very loud and noisy. I think Sky-Watcher mounts are a tad quieter. My AZ-EQ6 Pro is very silent up to speed 7, speeds 8 & 9 a clearly audible, but nowhere near Celestron levels. IOptron mounts are the quietest I think. I had a CEM25P, which I regret selling. It was very, very quiet even at max slew speed. On the other hand, if you want a totally SILENT mount, consider ASA, but then be prepared to sell a kidney!

wow Olly Those colors are beautiful!! Thank you so much. I shot this last Saturday night, from my back garden. I live in South West London, Zone 3, so fairly central London. I do not have a LP filter? It was shot stock from the telescope with focal reducer. Your comments are very encouraging, as I do not have a guiding setup, and this was just using the Sky-Watcher AZ-EQ6 Pro mount with the handset fixed on M3, no guiding. What would guiding then with say, a 290MM Mini had offered? That looks really nice. Love it!! So, I have my answer then! My acquisition and calibration methodology is OK, my image processing is TERRIBLE!! That will help me focus my effort on going through my PI book and reading it more.

thanks...will have a look at Startools

I think that is possibly where I got confused, and I think I confused the L & RGB subs that imagers take with Mono cameras with my situation....where I use OSC. Ok, got it, no more different subs durations to be mixed together. Attached is the cropped TIF! Many thanks Olly Autosave crpped.tif

Alacant...that is STUNNING!! thank you so much...!! Was that in PixInsight? And you took just a few minutes to do that?? Please...I need your steps?? a mini tutorial...??

Hi Olly I see on Astrobin, and various threads where imagers are combining different sub lengths, so I thought I can do that? Hypothetically, if I do have different subs, do I apply corresponding darks? Or is that a dead question, as I should not do that from the outset?

Thanks Alacante!! Can I ask you a quick question, while I am having your expertise on this thread! There has been a problem that is confusing me with regards to DARKS taken after my light subs. My understanding is that darks need to match EXACTLY the lights in duration, exposure & temperature. Since it is OK to combine Lights of different duration and stack them in DSS, how will I apply the darks? For example, say I have 30 light subs of 120 seconds each on M101, and on another night I took another 30 subs of 180 seconds each of M101. When I stack the lights in DSS, and then add DARKS, which ones should I choose from my Calibration Library? I have Darks @120s & 180s? Do I add BOTH sets of darks to to DSS? Many thanks Ossi

I've actually just opened the .xcf file, and it too does not show history...?

Thanks Alacant I will re-open in GIMP, and try to undo clipping.

Thanks Olly, advice noted... Yes please, it would be very helpful if you can have a look at the unprocessed file. I have attached the TIF file as it came out of Deep Sky Stacker, before doing any processing to it. Many thanks Autosave.tif

Thanks Olly A few questions please 1- Other than clipping the blacks which I agree I overdid, is the result acceptable for a ED80mm? Is the core OK, and did I get good detail of the stars in the center of M3? Should I have got a better result with the 294MC Pro and ED80? 2- Once you clip the blacks, can I go back to the TIF file and UNDO it in PixInsight or Gimp, or once the blacks have been clipped I need to REDO the image processing from scratch from the original stacked file? I am just trying to establish whether my main problems are in the acquisition of the image or in the processing? Thanks

Thanks for your reply. So without that drawer, there is absolutely no other way in the time being?

Good day everyone. Can you please advise how to fit a "2 filter in my imaging train? My setup is: Evostar ED80mm ===> Focal reducer ===> ZWO 16.5mm extender ===> ZWO 21mm extender ===> ASI294MC Pro I have been advised to get the ZWO 2" filter drawer, which is 21mm, and replaces the ZWO 21mm extender. With the virus outbreak, shipping times are forever, and it isn't in stock at FLO or 365, I would rather try another solution for the time being? I threaded the filter onto the back of the reducer, and threaded the 16.5mm extender to the other side of the filter, but it did not screw on properly, and it was a very weak connection, and might possibly damage the filter, so I did not proceed with it. Is there any alternative option to the ZWO filter drawer for 2" filters? (also other than a filter wheel) Many thanks

Hi Lee Thank you for your reply. When I zoomed in on the cluster in PI, the stars looked really hazy, even though the outer stars which are not part of the cluster looked sharpish and in focus. When I completed the PI processing, the sky had a weird pattern of blotched black, hard to describe, so I opened the final image in GIMP and played a touch with the curves and black point to darken the sky to conceal the blotches in the sky. I guess I over did it, which is why the sky looks too black. I will look up HDRMT in the book. There is just SO SO much to read in the book, and its very hard to find the time to give it a good read (and apply it to data), with everything going on! Do you think if i attach the stacked unprocessed TIF file it would help? I thought after 2 hours of exposure on M3, I would get a cleaner result? Or maybe I am not sure of what to expect with my ED80 ad 294MC.

Good evening everyone Not sure what went wrong here? This is the result of 60 x 120s subs @120 Gain, -10C, darks, flats & dark flats. EVostar 80mm and ASI 294MC Pro. Stacked in DSS and Processed in PI. I used a tutorial kindly offered to me by @geeklee on processing in PI, but it was for processing M51, so I think it shold only be used for galaxies? Since I am still taking my first steps in PI, I used the same steps. Please give me some feedback if the result is good, otherwise, where did I go wrong? Many thanks

Nice setup... And stunning pictures!!!!

Agreed, wide at the top and very narrow base. Possibly it’s just a final prototype and the production model will have a wider base?