Kinch

Three nights this week I had clear skies - and although this target has not yet reached its best position for me imaging it - I had it in my sights and went with it. Just to make the final image a little different...I blended HST palette with Foraxx palette....at least to the point where the detail is OK. Not a close in....but a wide field shot - which is what my gear does ..but good enough (I think>) if you want to zoom in.

12 hours SII, Ha & OIII using ASI 2600MM camera with FSQ130ED on JTW P75 mount.

I, as usual, jumped straight in with an early rendition. I have reworked the data again today and feel this one much better and worth posting. Not as colourful maybe but for sure, more subtle...and to my eyes, better than my original post.

23 minutes ago, Clarkey said:

I am part way through imaging this at the moment using a remote rig in Spain

Thanks Clarkey....I had intended doing more time on this but the weather forecast where I am in Cartagena persuaded me to call a halt and then go mix what I had with data I had from 4 years ago. That worked OK.....but yet may try processing it all again; it is hard to make this area "eye catching" in an image.

Sh2-54 is an extended bright nebula in the constellation of Serpens.
In its core there are many protostars and many infrared sources; some of these sources, like IRAS 18151−1208, are most probably very young high-mass stars. The older star population in this region has an average age of 4-5 million years, and its components are grouped in the open cluster NGC 6604.
This is approx. 11 hours recently acquired SHO data (FSQ130 ; ASI2600mm; Trident P75) mixed with approx. 17½ Hours SHO & RGB data from 2020 (FSQ130; FLI16200; Tak EM400). I made an HSHO image and blended it with Foraxx Palette image - just to be different 🙂.

I like the colour on this one (top)......looking back on my own from some years back, I now think I oversaturated it. I much prefer yours - rich but subtle in its own way.

29 minutes ago, Rusted said:

Being hypercritical I would suggest your positive image is slightly over-sharpened.

You are 100% correct. I had done the negative earlier today and had no intention of doing the positive. I rushed it then, when doing it for my above post as a reply to yours. I can see it quite clearly as being much inferior (in processing) to the negative version. No worries here about positive criticism....it my earlier processing days, it was a remark about my stars that changed my processing for the better ... so your comments are are welcome and well understood.  I may very well reprocess the positive version if I decide to post elsewhere - but in truth, I had planned not to post beyond what I have done already today, until I get a bit more practice under my belt......when I can be a bit more self critical and not be so amazed by what my new scope is showing me.   🙂

4 hours ago, Rusted said:

Where negative images are posted I like to see a positive for comparison.

I am not sure this 2nd one is as good as the first (Data acquired during the same session)....but with practice....hopefully I WILL improve. Both versions here...but I think I still prefer the negative for the effect. (I should add that these two images were processed independently of each other).

"I hope you will forgive my meddling with your artistry."

I wouldn´t call it artistry. This is my 1st effort at both capture and processing....all done within maybe 14 hours. I have lots to learn but find it encouraging to know that the image has stood up to your "meddling" as you put it 😄. (The fact that you even took time & played around with it, is appreciated).

Thanks Dave 👍

1st Light

I had the chance recently to buy a second hand good quality solar telescope at a very good price. Solar imaging has been on the back of my mind for some time and when this scope came on the market at what really was an exceptional price I just had to go for it. Twice I had it set up last week and those two first days were very frustrating...I was getting nowhere.

Yesterday, it was 3rd time lucky. It all came together and finally I had data to make a picture. 

I make it 27.7 cm between pin centers......and 27.0 cm from any apex to middle of opposite side.

Changed out computers lately - my 12 yr old kept crashing with all the proceessing I was asking of it...   🙂         never got around to posting my last image:

What later became known as the Whirlpool Galaxy was discovered on October 13, 1773, by Charles Messier while hunting for objects that could confuse comet hunters, and was designated in Messier's catalogue as M51. William Parsons, 3rd Earl of Rosse, employing a 72-inch (1.8 m) reflecting telescope at Birr Castle, Ireland, found that the Whirlpool possessed a spiral structure, the first "nebula" to be known to have one. These "spiral nebulae" were not recognized as galaxies until Edwin Hubble was able to observe Cepheid variables in some of these spiral nebulae, which provided evidence that they were so far away that they must be entirely separate galaxies.

The Whirlpool Galaxy, also known as Messier 51a or NGC 5194, is an interacting grand-design spiral galaxy with a Seyfert 2 active galactic nucleus. It lies in the constellation Canes Venatici. It is 7.22 megaparsecs (23.5 million light-years) away and 23.58 kiloparsecs (76,900 ly) in diameter.
 
The galaxy and its companion, NGC 5195, are easily observed by amateur astronomers, and the two galaxies may be seen with binoculars. The Whirlpool Galaxy has been extensively observed by professional astronomers, who study it and its pair with NGC 5195 to understand galaxy structure (particularly structure associated with the spiral arms) and galaxy interactions. Its pair with NGC 5195 is among the most famous and relatively close interacting systems, and thus is a favourite subject of galaxy interaction models.

Imaging telescope: Takahashi FSQ130ED
Imaging camera: ASI 2600MM
Mount: JTW Trident P75
Guiding telescope: Takahashi FS60CB
Guiding camera:  QHY 5 II
Focal Extender / Reducer:  None
Software: Sequence Generator Pro SGP (for capture) PHD 2 (guiding), Astro Pixel Processor, PixInsight.
Filters: Astrodon LRG&B & Astrodon Ha (3nm)

Accessories: Robofocus Focuser controlled by Lunatico Armadillo,  ATIK EFW 3, RB Focus Gaius, RB Focus Excalibur. 

Dates:   10th. - 11th  Apr. 2024

Frames: 
Astrodon Blue  15×120″(30′)
Astrodon Blue  60×60″(1h)
Astrodon Green 15×120″(30′)
Astrodon Green 60×60″(1h)
Astrodon  Lum  60×60″(1h)
Astrodon Red   15×120″(30′)
Astrodon Red   60×60″(1h)
Astrodon Ha     30×120″(1h)

Total integration  = 6 Hour 30 minutes

Yes....understand completely. I have not actually tried this yet but sure looks nice (& simple to use). I am looking forward to giving it a go when next I have data to process. I think you are OK in PixInsight now....... fingers crossed.

Thanks for that.....just installed it in PI. I am sure you have seen this....sent out today.....

Hi Rodd....as usual I have many different versions done over several days. I think the final one on my website is slightly better than this one....not so much contrast and very slightly better resolution of stars in the core. Not too much between them though...just slightly better.

Thanks very much for the comment - appreciated.

I can't say that I am "over the moon" with this one........but it looks OK on Facebook 🤣

Tak FSQ130ED with Extender (FL 1040) and shot at Bin 2 (1.2 ArcSec/Pix). Total 96x60sec LRGB (1 Hour 36 Mins)

M3: This cluster is one of the largest and brightest, and is made up of around 500,000 stars. It is estimated to be 11.4 billion years old. It is centered at 32,600 light-years away from Earth.

It was discovered on May 3, 1764 and was the first Messier object to be discovered by Charles Messier himself.

HDW 3 :    This one took some time - a total of 37 hours which I know is even more difficult for those of you in the British Isles....but still a challenge in itself here in Cartagena. (NB: 24 hours Ha & 13 hours OIII)

I have made a version with RGB stars (on my website) but in keeping with the rules for this challenge - this one is purely Ha & OIII data 

Indeed - All the info says to use it on unstretched images only......but I find, one can also use it on JPEG images with reasonable success.

I see the helping hand this way....an outstretched arm + an open hand 

1 hour ago, SwiMatt said:

Stunning image!

Thanks very much 👍

I have updated my image - used R Crowman's BlurX to sharpen things up some. I cannot see how to just replace the above image - but maybe no harm.....so that a comparison can be made between the two.

Lovely work - great processing resulting in a fabulous image.

My backyard is not a dark site for imaging - but from time to time I will give an RGB target a go.....just for a change. This one is not so easy at the best of times and from an urban location....well I can only do so much!

SH2-263, sometimes called the Strawberry Nebula or Raspberry Nebula, is an emission nebula that lies in the Constellation Orion, near the "head" or Orion and right next to the bright star Bellatrix. Sh2-263 is the red emission nebula (upper left quadrant) and vdB38 is the blue reflection nebula. The central star is HD 34989.

(5 Hrs Lum + 4½ Hrs total RGB + 1½ Hrs Ha = 11 Hours). I used ASI 2600Mm with FSQ130ED on Trident P75 mount.