tomato

I can’t argue with any of the above it’s just getting my head around that this set up: can produce small galaxy images comparable to this set up: The latter costing well over 3 times the RASA rig, took the best part of a year to trouble shoot and optimise, whereas the RASA can be set up on the lawn in half an hour, and takes widefield images to boot. There, I’ve just torpedoed any hope of selling some of the refractor rig.☺️

It feels strange radically cropping a widefield image as a way of imaging small galaxies, but then other time honoured imaging methods (like taking long subs) have recently gone by the wayside so its just a case of embracing the change. I’m looking forward to hopefully collecting enough data before the season ends to compare the approach to the traditional method.

Great result from 90 mins of integration.👍

Very nice, I like the silvery tones in the spiral arms.

As far as imaging goes, I think the trend for software fixes on the image instead of expensive precise mounts and optics to obtain top notch data will continue, which IMHO can only be a good thing, as a software license is never going to cost as much as a top quality mount or optics. Will there be increased growth in remote imaging services as the UK skies go further downhill due to LP and the weather? I think there has to be a breakthrough in pricing for it to really take off and I currently can't see how that can happen. I also think the majority of imagers do like to be 'hands on" with their kit. The days of "you can't do all types of DSO imaging with just one scope" might also be numbered, with the increasing popularity of F2 astrograph systems and super sensitive small pixel CMOS cameras, but I can't see that mantra going quietly, there are just too many moderate FR imaging rigs already out there.

Thanks for making my mind up Olly. With the usual vagaries of the UK weather I might only get a couple of hours, at least with the RASA8/OSC combination, I should get something. Hmm, a RASA11/ASI678 for small galaxies, it's about time I purchased another scope...😉

Excellent M106, really great dust detail, have you used BlurXterminator in the processing?

There is this one at ENS optical, it is where I purchased my ASC lens from. https://ensoptical.co.uk/index.php?route=product/product&path=3_5&product_id=12149

And here was me thinking the RASA was only good for imaging galaxies like M31, M33 and Markarian's Chain but after seeing your image and the wonderful Arp 94 image posted by @ollypenrice maybe I should think again. I'm not ready to give up on the Esprit 150/ASI 178 combination, but next galaxy season I might just take one of the refractors off the mount and put the RASA8/268 alongside it. At least I would get some side by side results to help me make up my mind, and scope alignment would be a breeze! But I'm off to a holiday location soon with a good Southern horizon, with the specific aim of imaging Arp 244. I might get two nights with a 2 hr window on each. Should I pack the Esprit 150 or the RASA8?

Great results, the Antennae galaxies show a lot of detail given the short integration and they must be low down on the horizon from your location. I would really like to image them but I would need to travel to an unobstructed site, they just don’t get high enough to clear the neighbour’s houses from my back yard. I had put this project on the back burner but I might just give it a go after seeing your result.👍

Just to make your decision more complicated, you could retro fit a temp controlled Peltier cooler and fan to the outside of your uncooled camera. It won’t get the sensor down to sub zero temperatures but it will stabilise the temperature hence giving you more consistent calibration frames. This has worked well on ASI 178 cameras that I use for small galaxy imaging. Down side is applying thermo conductive paste to your camera body will probably invalidate the warranty, but it’s ~£30 as opposed to £300 extra for the ZWO cooled version.

I’m not going to Kelling but I am staying near Aylsham for a few days the week after, and the forecast looks good for there too! There, that’s put the kibosh on it.🥴

Are these rebranded scopes from an existing manufacturer?

I pretty much follow the methodology already outlined. I use APP which sorts the the subs on quality. I reject the obvious poor outliers (usually 3 or 4 in a stack of 100) but blink check every frame as APP can allocate a good score to a ‘knocked scope’ frame because of the double stars generated. APP assigns a weighting to each sub if in AUTO mode, so I let the software do the work.

Well we know where it is located, the RASA8/QHY268 would cover it nicely, just need to wait for Autumn…

So after my last effort and with the moon still quite obtrusive I went for something bright and big, M51, the Whirlpool Galaxy. This is 18.3 hrs captured over 3 nights, based on FWHM values, seeing was good on the first session (which was impacted by the moon) and poor on the final session (no moon, wonderfully transparent but highly turbulent atmosphere). Captured with the Esprit150/ASI178/LRGB/Mesu dual rig, all data binned 2x2, so at 0.94 arcsec per pixel. I tried as far as possible to image on every night before and after the meridian transit to maximise the elevation of the galaxy. Channel details as follows: L 281 x 2 mins R 93 x 2 mins G 88 x 2 mins B 88 x 2 mins Calibrated and stacked in APP, LP removal and colour calibration applied. The processed in PI with BXT, SXT, then Histogram and Curves applied to the star and starless images. Recombined with PixelMath then adjustments made in Affinity Photo. NXT applied with quite conservative settings, 18 hrs of data helps with the noise.

I have collected some 18 hrs of data on M51 for this year's SGL Galaxy Challenge but I thought it would be interesting to combine this with another 8.3 hrs from 2021. So this is 26.3 hrs integration using the Esprit150/ASI178/LRGB/Mesu dual rig, binned 2x2 so imaging at 0.94 arcsec/pixel. My framing was as usual not consistent across the two data sets so a lot of work was needed with the Clone and Inpainting tools in Affinity Photo on the starless image to achieve a smooth background without the joins showing. If you are wondering why IC4277 looks so razor sharp, SXT identified this as a star so I assume it has been stripped of its fuzziness. I'm not sure why, but on earlier iterations with less data, it was identified as a galaxy. Processed in PI with the RC toolset very much in play. The tidal tails are not as prominent as I thought they might be, but at lot of the 2023 data was collected under a prominent moon. Thanks for looking.

I suppose it wouldn’t make sense to market a camera that’s out of step image circle wise with most OTAs that are out there. Like @DaveS, I remember the SBIG version, but it never really caught on. If you are setting up a rig then it could be a cost effective and simpler alternative to an OAG/guide camera but if you already have the kit set up and working it might be hard to justify. But all credit to ZWO for bringing new stuff to the market place.

Crikey, what imaging circle would you need with that one?

Here is my first effort M91 in Coma Berenices, not exactly a good choice with the moon up at 50 degrees elevation and ~95% illuminated at the beginning of April, but there you go. This is 11.8 hrs integration with the dual Esprit150/ASI178/Mesu rig made up of: L 187 x 2mins R 62 x 2 mins G 47 x 2 mins B 58 x 2 mins All binned 2x2 so imaging at 0.94 arcsec per pixel. Calibrated and stacked in APP, processed in PI with the RC tool kit. I don't think M91 has the popular name the "Tie Fighter Galaxy", but this rendition bears a resemblance.

Great image, may I suggest posting the un-annotated image so we can view the galaxies without the text intruding.

I think you have made significant progress across the 3 images, for me the core colour and outer arms on the RHS is spot on in image 2 but you have the strong magenta dust lanes on the LHS. You have done a great job on controlling this in image 3 but have lost the core colour somewhat. M31 is a very popular target for obvious reasons but IMHO it is a real challenge to process the colour and get it somewhere close across the entire galaxy. Still, our constant supply of cloudy nights gives us plenty of time to have another go.

Great processing, and a first class image.👍

And I was just getting started.... I think the next challenge should be did anybody in the UK manage to image anything in March 23, the weather is getting beyond a joke.

When does the challenge end, 12 noon on 1st April maybe?😉