oldannie

I like everything about this image.  The colours are lovely to my eye and the whole image very striking.

Annie

Yes it does look bad. It's not obviously out of focus on the original subs but will have another look.  I don't normally have a problem with focus.  Bit of an aberration this time - very embarrassing!

Cheers

Annie

This is 8x900secs each of RGB with Atik 460 and Takahashi 106.  Eventually I would like to combine it with 11x900 sec Ha exposures.  Am finding Pixinsight confusing but as Olly Pence aptly put it have decided to continue torturing myself with it a bit longer🙂.

Have used WBPP and CosmeticCorrection before applying MureDeNoise. The data did not seem to need DBE so have combined the RGB in ChannelCombination and used STF with the channels unlinked to get a basic starting point.  Photometric Colour Calibration turned the data blue!  Should there be more colour at this point and what should be my next move? Should I consider trying to boost saturation using curves using a luminance mask?  Am getting increasingly uncertain and wondering about the quality of my data🤔 This is a jpeg version of a the cloned RGB  with a permanent stretch.

Annie

Just started to be interested in lunar sketching and love this one of yours Achim.

Annie

Yes Olly I am inclined to agree with you about falling into the trap of trying a bit too hard with the colour, especially blue and I do like the way you've presented colour in your M33.  I think it's back to the drawing board with mine.  And no I did try saving as an 8 bit!

Many thanks Olly.

Annie

I agree - live and learn 🙂

Annie

I take your point about the dominant greens .  I did apply SCNR but think I have overstretched it so back to the drawing board for that . I also think I could be a bit more careful with DBE though I do take care not to have too many markers  and to avoid stars and the galaxy itself - try, try and try again I think🙂  The Tif version is better, not so much green but when I tried to save it in Photoshop as a jpeg it would only save as jpf? which I then couldn't open on my laptop - any thoughts about that Olly?  Am afraid I've never really got on with photoshop so happy to continue to try with Pixinsight - enjoying it at the moment 🤔  Yes, plate solving has not proved to be a major inconvenience and if I were to collect some Ha data it would be for the detail not the red.  Thanks very much for your response Olly .

Annie

Having not long been using  Pixinsight I haven't yet created a basic workflow.The challenging thing about Pixinsight is that it's not formulaic and having only just started it's quite confusing. Lots of choices depending on what your data is like.   However like you I use WBPP initially together with cosmetic correction and  use the same luminance file for all subs.   I have been using DBE after channel combination but will try it before.  Have begun to use MureDenoise before DBE and before channel combination but not sure how effective it is yet.  At some point I use photometric colour calibration and SCNR.  ArcsinhStretch is also a process I have used.  I have experimented with MaskedStretch on Luminance master using cloned images and blending using PixelMath a la Adam Block.  Have yet to get to grips with masks which seems important.  I hope however that shortly I'll be able to at least create a basic workflow - hope it's as clear as yours.

Annie

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I think confusion has set it on my part as there was no Ha!!  Just 16x900sec Luminance.  So used to doing Ha.  You're right about the need for cropping.  I took the images over three nights and don't have the benefit of plate solving . I didn't apply DBE to the RGB  until after channel combination which is what I normally do but will try applying it to the separate channels and then on the combined rgb if necessary.  I have now applied photometric colour calibration before stretching and then a saturation boost using curves but with a luminance mask so my image is less washed out - am new to Pixinsight so it's very much a work in process!!  I have some Ha rgb data of the Crescent nebula waiting to be combined but haven't worked out how to do it yet.

Here is my latest version - jpeg.  

Thanks very much for your comments.

Annie

I think something went wrong in saving this as a jpeg .  I've only just looked closely at the image I posted and there is a mass of green in which  wasn't initially there as I did use  SCNR and the result I got was very similar to the two above so sorry about that not sure what went wrong. It's almost looks as though I've added green!!  My main concern was the lack of colour in the stars in the arms.

Thanks

Annie

Have only just started using Pixinsight for anything other than basic pre-processing and am about to start again with my attempt to process the Triangulum Galaxy.  Is it possible to tell from this LRGB  jpeg image whether the lack of colour other than blue is down to my data or poor processing or both!!  11x900sec exp each of red, green and blue and 16x900sec exp Ha, Chroma 3nm.  Takahashi 106 and Atik 460.

Thanks Julian and 'discardedastro' - hadn't thought about the swarf! 200/400 it is and it will be done with the mount on its side.

Thanks again

Annie

Am swapping my NEQ6 for an EQ6-r and the latter doesn't fit flush on my pulsar pier adapter plate.  Should I just carefully sand the base of the mount or the adapter plate?

Cheers

Annie

That makes sense Dave. Have already been looking at Astro Baby's videos about this and have an engineer friend who will help with this issue.  Thanks for the clear explanation.

Annie

My NEQ6 is now some six years old and whenever I image a target high in the sky, when near the zenith, 2 or 3 images are spoilt because of star trailing.  Over the duration of these 2/3 images often  10/15 mins exps everything goes back to normal but it's become a waste of time imaging targets high in the sky.  My setup is Takahashi 106, Atik mono 460 plus filter wheel and stand alone guider, MGEN 11. Observatory based.   I have assumed it's a bad case of backlash and the worm gears showing their age but not at all sure?

Annie

I'm not very technically minded so bear with me if this is irrelevant .!! My old NEQ6 had worm gears and I had problems with the azimuth adj bolt, it just wouldn't hold and eventually got an NEQ6 wedge which made a world of difference though had to add an extra washer!

Annie

Yes Malcolm a standard DIY service may well improve matters.  At the moment when I'm anywhere near the meridian I lose three or four frames with bad trailing and for 10/15 min subs that's proving very frustrating😢 I am going to go back to basics as well - again  - and make sure I get everything as accurate as I can.

Dammed hobby 🤔

Annie

I think that's right 'Tomato' though my NEQ6 is now like me showing it's age and I can at least change the mount 🙂

Cheers

Annie

I agree with you about being realistic about your own imaging skills and situation and I have been delighted and surprised with what I have managed to achieve especially since I didn't start imaging until my mid sixties. My first mount HEQ5 was brilliant but  the NEQ6 I bought for my observatory has never quite lived upto expectations.  Hopefully the EQ6_R will.   I use my HEQ5 for lunar/planetary outdoors and love it.  It remains accurate and efficient and so far trouble free. I don't think it would be comfortable with my deep sky set up: Takahashi 106, Atik 460, filter wheel and MGEN guider.  And am of an age where I want to treat myself 😀

Annie

Yes I suddenly realised that it would void my warranty but thanks for reminding me.  Only problem left is waiting for the EQ6-R to come back into stock!!!!

Annie

Have just had a feedback for a friend and as a result have decided not to go ahead.  His reply would certainly fit your description of a 'contentious subject' !

Thanks for the reply

Annie

Am intending to buy an EQ6-R to replace my old NEQ6 as my observatory mount.  Am hoping that a standard tune or stellar drive by DarkFrame will enhance it's performance.  Just wondering whether it's worth doing when the mount is new or waiting for a while?

Annie

Glad you asked those questions Simon as the reply from Vlaiv is really helpful - so thanks for that.

Annie

Steve - in the manual that came with my MGEN  it says " on the CCD there is the protector film by default.  You must remove it before the first use!"

Tring Astronomy have the MGEN 2 for sale at just over £560 I think.

I haven't yet decided whether to go for another 11 or the new 111.

Cheers

Annie