Lee_P

54 minutes ago, Nik271 said:

I think it has peaked now, most visual observers put it at 11mag or just below for the past 2 days. It is expected to fade very slowly, giving us many opportunities to observe it. I could see it in my 20x80 skymaster bins last night.

Any idea how long it will take to fade completely?

This is M81 and M82 captured using an OSC camera and no filters from Bortle 8 Bristol city centre. Eagle-eyed @tomato and @ONIKKINEN spotted some IFN -- something I thought impossible considering the imaging location!

* 7 to 20 April 2023
* Bristol, UK (Bortle 8 )
* Telescope: Askar 130PHQ Flatfield Astrograph
* Camera: ZWO ASI 2600MC-PRO
* Mount: Sky-Watcher EQ6-R PRO
* Guide: William Optics 50mm Guidescope with 1.25″ RotoLock; ZWO ASI 120MM Mini
* Control: ASIAIR Plus
* Software: PixInsight, Lightroom
* Filters:
– No filter 600 x 120 seconds (20 hours)

Total integration time: 20 hours

By Lee Pullen

Thanks for the heads-up, I'm currently imaging M101. I wonder if I caught it!

A great result, and I like how you've coupled everything together into a small package.

6 minutes ago, SamAndrew said:

You need to pitch it to your other half as an investment.

Buy 2nd hand, buy good gear, look after it, and hopefully it will hold its value.

Some of it may even go up in value, in which case you're actually being paid to do AP; it's a no brainer 😄

Haha, put like that, you can't afford not to get into astrophotography! 😂

I think that the nebulosity looks punchier in the original, although there's some blotchyness in the background, particularly around the edges and corners, that you've fixed in the second attempt. Both are excellent, of course!

3 hours ago, imakebeer said:

Fantastic image @Lee_P 👍

By coincidence I just posted yesterday my latest M81 / M82 pic, taken from a Bortle 5 area.

I'm pleased with the progress I'm making but I'm still some way behind your effort.

Can some of you experts help explain where the differences are coming from, and what changes might deliver the most bang for buck? E.g.

Integration time: 20hrs vs. 2.5hrs. This I can fix for free, with a bit of dedication on my part and maybe a bit of luck with clear skies.

Camera: ZWO ASI 2600MC-PRO vs. modified Canon 450D. I think both are OSC (right?). The ZWO has a slightly bigger sensor but not than double the pixels, and small pixels at that. But does this mean a big difference in images vs. the difference in cost?

Scope: Large diameter ED refractor vs. low cost reflector (SW150PDS in my case)? Again, there's a big difference in cost but does this necessarily translate into a big difference in images quality?

Post processing: I can practice for free. And Siril and GIMP certainly don't seem bad for free software, but maybe paid for software like PI and the various xXterminator tools offer that little bit more???

Thanks in advance for any tips you guys can offer 👍🔭

I agree with everything @tooth_dr said.

A cooled astrocam (OSC or mono) will be a big step up from a DSLR. I you want to splash some cash, that’s where I’d be looking. Your telescope is good, no need to change that.

Longer integration times will give you much better data to work with. I’ve written an article with tips about how to get long integration times. It’s not just about dedication and being lucky with the weather; there are kit choices that help. For example, having a cooled camera means you can use a library of calibration frames, which makes things much easier. An electronic autofocusser will keep you in focus all night long. And I’m not sure how you’re controlling your system, but a method of remote automation (I use an ASIAIR Plus) is highly recommended. If I can be forgiven for plugging another of my articles, you might like this one about top upgrades.

As for post-processing, this is as important as all the data acquisition that comes before it. I really like PixInsight and can recommend it, but everyone is different and some pieces of software “click” with people more than others. So, give it a fair try but if you hate it then don’t feel you need to stick with it.

The image you posted is very respectable and shows you’ve got a good grasp on the fundamentals. I don’t think you’re far off taking it to the next league!

7 hours ago, ONIKKINEN said:

You definitely have some IFN!

The lower part will look like it connects to M81 as an extra spiral arm if given more time. But that might require a really unhealthy dedication to one image from Bortle 8. But still, IFN is IFN and you absolutely do have it here which is an accomplishment on its own from inner city conditions.

Oh wow, thanks ever so much. Looks like @tomato was right! I kinda assumed I'd never be able to capture that from my location.

4 hours ago, tomato said:

Nice result, is there a hint of IFN in there? I guess it will be hard to capture from a Bortle 8 location, even with 20 hrs integration.

Ha, I wish I'd caught some IFN! One day... 

20 hours of integration time on this. I probably should have nabbed some L-Ultimate data too, given how much h-alpha there is! Details under the image, and more info -- including comparing this Askar 130PHQ data with a previous attempt using an Askar FRA400 -- on my website.

* April 2023 (2 weeks)
* Bristol, UK (Bortle 8 )
* Telescope: Askar 130PHQ Flatfield Astrograph
* Camera: ZWO ASI 2600MC-PRO
* Mount: Sky-Watcher EQ6-R PRO
* Guide: William Optics 50mm Guidescope with 1.25″ RotoLock; ZWO ASI 120MM Mini
* Control: ASIAIR Plus
* Software: PixInsight, Lightroom
* Filters:
– No filter 600 x 120 seconds (20 hours)

Total integration time: 20 hours

By Lee Pullen

1 hour ago, carastro said:

What flaws? 

It looks quite noisy to me, and I think overall lacks sharpness / clarity. Quite "soft" compared to something like my Soul Nebula. It's OK when viewed small, but I'm not sure it holds up too well when viewed large, or zoomed in at all. Still, I'm always amazed it's possible to image anything through the haze of light pollution!

2 hours ago, Ouroboros said:

I think you do yourself an injustice. I think that’s a very attractive image, nicely framed.   

Thanks, maybe I've just spent too long staring at the flaws. After a while they're all you see!

1 minute ago, simmo39 said:

V nice Lee, Glad you managed to get it done!

It won't win any awards, but I was just relieved to get it over the finish line! 😂

This was a real challenge! The weather was so bad that it ended up taking me 12 weeks to complete the project, with the object being low in the sky toward the latter end that the data quality was rather low. Oh well, I think I squeezed out a passable image. Details under the image, and more info on my website.

Imaging details
* January – April 2023 (12 weeks)
* Bristol, UK (Bortle 8 )
* Telescope: Askar 130PHQ Flatfield Astrograph
* Camera: ZWO ASI 2600MC-PRO
* Mount: Sky-Watcher EQ6-R PRO
* Guide: William Optics 50mm Guidescope with 1.25″ RotoLock; ZWO ASI 120MM Mini
* Control: ASIAIR Plus
* Software: PixInsight, Lightroom
* Filters:
– Optolong L-Ultimate (Ha / OIII): 600 x 120 seconds (20 hours)
– Askar D2 (SII / OIII): 480 x 120 seconds (16 hours)
– No filter (for RGB stars): 45 x 120 seconds (1 hour 30 mins)

Total integration time: 37.5 hours

By Lee Pullen

I've ordered one (direct from ZWO) and will write up a review once it's arrived and I've put it through its paces. 

I've placed an order on the Seestar too. Will write a thorough review of it!

ZWO new product showcase:

https://youtu.be/q3hzQpb7u_g

Can we infer from this that there's no successor to the 2600-series on the horizon? That camera's actually getting on a bit now, but I guess chip shortages and the like are delaying new developments. If a new camera were coming soon, I'd expect ZWO to launch it with this guiding sensor, giving more reason for current 2600-users to upgrade.

1 hour ago, Elp said:

What's wrong with the L-Extreme?

L-eXtreme is a solid choice, and the OP should be able to find a second-hand one for a good price. The catch is that it does feel a bit "last generation" compared to new models like the L-Ultimate (which, to be fair, it is!) Specifically, the L-eXtreme gives halos around bright stars, and is 7nm. Excellent results are still possible of course. I used an L-eXtreme extensively before the L-Ultimate came out. 

Tighter bandwidths do make a difference. See my review of some dualband filters here for examples. The Optolong L-Ultimate is possibly the best available right now (Ha / OIII dualband, 3nm) but it's 2" only and expensive!

Very respectable images!

Cracking image!

I've actually got the update and am planning another test on the next clear night. Your result is good!

16 hours ago, Richard_ said:

Cracking image Lee! The difference from your previous attempt (per the website link and adjustable slider) is amazing and it's not like the first version was bad to begin with. The colours are much more vibrant in this version and I think the core is perfect: nice and bright without blowing it out! 

Well done! 

Thanks Richard, I think it's mostly down to improved processing skills, but the Askar 130PHQ deserves some credit too

15 hours ago, ollypenrice said:

The sense of energy in this rendition is potent.

Olly

Haha, perhaps fitting considering how much energy I had to put into the whole project 😂

Another photo taken under light-polluted skies. It's mostly L-Ultimate data (Ha/OIII) with a little bit of RGB (no filter) mixed in as well. Capture details after the image, and more info on my website.

* January – March 2023 (six weeks)
* Bristol, UK (Bortle 8 )
* Telescope: Askar 130PHQ Flatfield Astrograph
* Camera: ZWO ASI 2600MC-PRO
* Mount: Sky-Watcher EQ6-R PRO
* Guide: William Optics 50mm Guidescope with 1.25″ RotoLock; ZWO ASI 120MM Mini
* Control: ASIAIR Plus
* Software: PixInsight, Lightroom
* Filters:
– Optolong L-Ultimate (Ha / OIII): 337 x 120 seconds (11 hours 14 mins)
– No filter: 212 x 30 seconds (1 hour 46 mins)

Total integration time: 13 hours

By Lee Pullen