DaveS

I work on the same length of Lum as the total RGB, but collect the Lum as Bin 1 and the RGB as Bin 2, working on the principle that the Luminance is where the detail is, while the RGB just paints a colour layer over the top.

I schedule my RGB as either RGB or BGR depending on how bright the background sky is likely to be. I may also split the RGB to go RGBGR as 1:1:2:1:1 if the Blue is going to be collected when the target is highest in the sky.

I've watched a few of Claire's videos, she's one tough woman, and some kind of wonderful, great that she had such a brilliant experience..

I probably wouldn't bother with a near full moon anywhere in the sky unless I was doing NB H-alpha, and even then would use a 3nm filter. Anything else is just wasting time and storage space.

I normally start a run when the altitude reaches 25 degrees, but can push that to 30 degrees if the obsy walls are likely to intrude, and set the end for when the target drops below 25 degrees, again dependent on the obsy walls. I live in a nominally SQI 21.66 area, but do have areas of LP around the horizon.

Globular clusters could cut through the nautical dark if you can resolve the stars into point sources, otherwise wait until the summer NB targets become doablee.

This a (Not very good) image of the Lagoon and Trifid that i did with my old Fuji XT-1 on a Star Adventurer. back in 2020.

I'll either be moving to Narrow Band, which will mean changing the camera and filter wheel, or else Globulars which I can do with the current setup. The brighter / smaller globs should be able to cut through the nautical Dark, which is all I'll have between the 25th may and 16th July

Thanks Olly and tomato. No more data for this year but very definitely on my target list for next Galaxy Season.

In stretching I could see traces of tidal structures between the galaxies, but far too noisy to keep in the final stretch. More data, more better!

Oh, and I'll add that I used SPCC in PI for the colour calibration,

Oh the horror! lol

This is definitely Work In Progress, and is a placeholder for next year

As a counterpoint to @geeklee's humungous Virgo Cluster mosaic, this is just The Eyes, done with the ODK 12 and ASI 533 camera using Baader Luminance and Bessel filters.

I set out to  collect 4 hours of Bin 1 Luminance in 10 min subs on the 6th May, but only 2 1/2 hours were useable, mostly due to cloud. 3 Hours of RGB ( Bessel B, V, R) in Bin 2 and 10 min subs were captured on the 9th.

Calibration and Stacking were carried out in AstroArt 8, as was the initial RGB synthesis. The files were passed to PixInsight for BlurX, NoiseX, Gradient Correction (To take out a bit of RGB gradient) and GHS. The LRGB synthesis and slight Saturation Boost were carried out in AstroArt 8, saved as a PNG. I tried to apply a touch of Unsharp Mask but the data is too thin to take it, even at the lowest level.

I need more data, and more importantly better data, as many of the subs were below what I would normally accept. It's just barely enough to make a LRGB image. I would say 12 hours minimum, with 24 hours the target. But that will be for next year as I'm closing Galaxy Season for this year.

It's overhead even here on the south coast. Purple visible naked eye.

Very few clear nights, but I've lost count of the times a forecast clear night has disappeared. I'm not far from Chesil Beach.

I think I had four nights in January, but missed two at the end of the month due to injuries, nothing in February, two or three in March, one or two in April, and just one so far this month.

We're rapidly losing Astro Dark and soon I will likely have to switch from galaxies to Narrow Band.

The graph (Which I've seen before in your earlier post) and table validates my own empirical eyeball observation that below a Sun altitude of -16.5 degrees my sky doesn't become noticeably darker. My sky is a nominal SQI 21.66.

About as long as the camera takes to cool down, 5 mins with the ASI 533, 15 with the G3 16200.

On the other hand about 6 months to go from bare ground to operational obsy, bad weather and lockdown didn't help.

Oh my, that's well worth the time and effort expended on it!

The SX combined Autofocuser and Active Optics does look very interesting but probably very expensive. it would be interesting to know the bore.

I thought the 75 mm had a distinct Takahashi vibe about it.

The Coma Cluster is a fabulous region and you've done it proud!

Oh my God, it's full of stars GALAXIES! Amazing image! My current FoV just about encompases the Eyes!

Ooh, do I see a new SX camera? Looks like the IMX 571 sensor.

Last night (16/4/24) I managed to collect 4 hours of RGB in Bin 2 despite the very bright moon. Initial stacking and Gradient Reduction in AstroArt 8. One of the Blue subs didn't make it into the stack, but the rest were combined and sent to PixInsight for SPCC, BlurX, NoiseX and GHS (Which I'm still getting to grips with). Graxpert was used on the resultant RGB to knock down the very bright halo around the star at bottom left. Brought back into AA8 for LRGB synthesis, and slight Saturation Boost. Saved as PNG and JPEG. JPEG posted here as the PNG is a bit big.

Work very much in progress.

This is just 4 hours 40 mins (28 x 10 min subs) with the ODK 12 and ASI 533MM. I'm posting because I don't know when I will get the chance of collecting any RGB data, it may be next year now.

Initial Sigma Stacking and Gradient Reduction in AstroArt 8, then BlurX, NoiseX and GHS in PixInsight. I didn't like the huge gradient from the bright star bottom left so threw it into Graxpert which got rid of the gradient, but may have left a hole around that star, not sure. A final Histogram Stretch on AA8 to bring the range down before saving as a PNG.

I need a shed load more data, but when I'll get it is anybody's guess.

I need to stop looking at the RASA 14.

Crikey, that's DEEP! Tidal structures i've never seen before.

Ooh, I do like that, very much do I like that!

Masses of detail from such a close crop, and some lovely blue in the distorted spiral arms.

it's on my target list but with several unfinished HCG targets and the current rubbish weather it may have to wait until next year. I think "Galaxy Season" is effectively over for this year.  .