fireballxl5

7 minutes ago, vlaiv said:

do give StarNet v2 a go. I think it will be useful for this image.

I used Starnet2 to extract the nebula and StarXterminator for the stars - I've found that StarNet2 can give pixelated/poor stars,  at least when working with binned data. On your advice I've started not to bin my subs and so this may no longer be necessary. 

As is commonly known,  separating allows me to more easily control and de-emphasise the stars. Hopefully when my star shapes are sorted I can ease off the heavy processing. 

14 minutes ago, vlaiv said:

I think that you maybe made target too bright.

Spot on @vlaiv, maybe I was a little over zealous using the GHS script after watching the YouTube tutorial 🙃 but I wanted focus on the nebula to distract from the poor stars. Also, I'm a sucker for strong colours.

I've spent some time this afternoon optimising my scope configuration including install of motorised focuser and checked/adjusted the backspace from the flattener so will try harder for a more realistic look next time🙂 

Thanks for the feedback👍

M57, the Ring Nebula, many observer's favourite Planetary? Captured on Wed 1st June after M16 had gone from view.

48x120s using the RC6/ASI533MCP with IDAS D2 LPF.

Processed in PI, with close-up shown. 

CS, Andy

Impressive image, particularly the background sky as I often struggle with this.  

I've been a convert to StarX and now NoiseX for a couple of image processes now and so very much convinced.  One thing I've found though is that sometimes the output stars from StarX have poor cores, they seem to be pixelated or similar.  So I now use StarX to extract the main target, galaxy / nebula, and Starnet2 for the stars when this arises. Use the best tool for the job,  as they say. 

Couldn't waste an opportunity to capture M16, the Eagle Nebula on Wednesday evening, 1st June. Just 40 minutes exposure (20x120s) with some heavy processing gives this image of the open star cluster and the central region of the nebula, including the famous Pillars of Creation. Still fairly noisy but the window of opportunity is short from my back garden, with the object's low altitude (~22 degrees) & my local horizon. Looks like my RC6 needs some collimation magic to improve star shapes if anyone can offer advice for this😉

CS, Andy

4 minutes ago, Clarkey said:

The 8" is flat for an APS-C size sensor

Yes,  FLO also confirmed this but I already had the RC6. Love the scope btw

16 minutes ago, teoria_del_big_bang said:

So is THIS the flattener you use ?

yes, this seems to be the same part. It is listed on the TS website here.

I expect that you will need one to use the whole field of view with your QHY268M.

Good luck and CS, Andy

PS my Border Terrier is from Skipton 🙂

I have the StellaLyra RC6 and use a flattener, the TSRCFlat2, with my ASI533MC. 

50 minutes ago, Clarkey said:

You shouldn't need a reducer / flattener - the RCs have a pretty flat field.

This may be widely believed but is certainly not true with the RC6. I thought the same but had to crop my earlier APS-C shots without the flattener. FLO told me that the limit with the RC6 was a 4/3 sensor and so the ZWO1600 may be ok without flattening, but I've seen poor corner stars with the 1" 533 on AstroBin, hence why I leave it in place with mine. 

Also, I no longer BIN2 but image at BIN1 nowadays, as this seems to give better final images. 

Thanks for the heads-up on this SN @Littleguy80

So, early this morning I still had motivation to image this brightening supernova and I'd estimate a brightness of mag 12 at the time of my imaging run (between 1:30-2:45).

15x300s (1.25h) OSC BIN1 subs with IDAS D2 LP filter on the RC6. Captured using ASIair-Pro, processed in PI.

CS, Andy

With the presence of Moon increasing over the next couple of weeks I thought that I would try for one more galaxy last Friday evening (8th April) and so here is NGC3628, the Hamburger.

A little short of exposure time (only 4 hours) but it seems that I have caught a couple of QSOs in this image, possibly including SDSS J112018.38+132620.0 @ RA170.076612, DEC 13.438880; Type: QX; Rmag 19.31; Bmag 20.27; z=3.82 (approx 12B ly away!!!), but this may be an adjacent star? This determination is from the AnnotateImage script within PI using the Million Quasars (Milliquas) catalogue. The script does identify the object in my image precisely (to the pixel) though I am not wholly convinced as there is a dim star also in the vicinity in the corresponding Simbad image. Does anyone know this QSO neighbourhood or if the AnnotateImage script within PI is accurate and can be relied upon? 

CS, Andy

Scope: StellaLyra 6" f/9 RC

Camera: ASI533MCPro

Filter: IDAS D2

Mount: RST135E

Guidecam: ASI462MC

Subs: 48x300s (4 hours)

13 hours ago, Elp said:

I've got a lower power lithium LT which powers pretty much exactly the same as yours fine via the 12v out only, everything else runs from the asiair (pro).

Steve,  same here but using a 12V 16Ah LiFePO₄ Tracer battery. ASI071MCP, ASI462MC and GTi all powered through the Airpro, powered by the battery.  Works a treat for my needs.  

4 hours ago, Vulisha said:

I do have OVL FF for APO, would that be theoretically usable? 

I don't know though I see that TS offer dedicated flatteners for both refractors and RC's, implying that they are different designs. I have only used the TSRCFlat2, https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/language/en/info/p4006_TS-Optics-RC-1-0x-Flattener-Bildfeldkorrektor-fuer-Ritchey-Chretien---2--Anschluss.html

11 hours ago, Vulisha said:

so I see, too big of a second mirror and it would be like f10 and there would be vignetting on full frame ir even aps c.

Your comment here seems to be regarding the suitability of using a hypothetical 5" RC with a larger sensor.  From my experience with the 6" RC, this needs a flattener even for an APS-C sensor. I also considered a full-frame flattener but this was impractical for some reason now forgotten.  

Same need here,  533MC + two filters, LP and NBZ so will follow.  Good luck!

I've only been using my RC6 for a couple of months but I did start imaging with an OAG. This was with an APS-C camera and so the guider star shapes were very poor even with 'sacrificing' some of the sensor area to allow the diagonal to be positioned closer to the optical axis of the scope.  Use of a flattener wasn't much help as although it allowed fuller use of the sensor, star quality still wasn't great further out of the image circle. 

 I've now moved on to use of a 70mm guide scope, actually an f/4 finder. Much easier and reliable guiding based on the single opportunity last weekend. 

I've been imaging with the StellaLyra f/9 RC6 this year and I do like it, mainly as it allows hi-res imaging in a easily transportable package.  Natively it does *not* cover an ASP-C sensor though.  I've recently got hold of the TS flattener but not had much opportunity to try it out properly,  however it does seem to work well.  In any case I've also got hold of a smaller sensor,  ASI533, that better matches my target imaging resolution and covers many of my preferred targets. I have the benefit of a fixed rig for wider fields. I'll likely be trying the 533 without the flattener as well. 

1 hour ago, tomato said:

Great detail and colour, I have never thought to use the OSC and NBZ on this target, but M1 would be quite small in my FOV.

Thanks🙂 Yes, my fixed rig has an image scale of 1.7"/pixel, this mobile setup is too much at only 0.7 but great for PNs and galaxies🙂

My image of M1 captured over the recent period of clear weather around the time of the bright Moon (16th-20th Jan) using my RC6 scope, OSC camera and a dual-band filter. Approx 5 hours of data.

Scope: StellaLyra 6" f/9 RC

Camera: ASI071MCPro

Filter: IDAS NBZ

Mount: RST135E

Guidecam: ASI462MC

Subs: 59x300s

Yes, I like the colours in this very much and good detail. I shot the same target with my RC6 though using OSC with dual-band filter so a different colour combination.

Second image from my  StellaLyra 6" f/9 Ritchey-Chrétien Telescope, capturing NGC2359 Thor's Helmet or the Duck Nebula down in Canis Major. More info on Wiki...NGC 2359 - Wikipedia

52 useable subs captured over 3 nights last week though this time I used a dual-band filter (IDAS NBZ) with the OSC camera to capture the Hydrogen Alpha and Oxygen emission lines as the bright Moon was about. NGC2359 transits at only 23 degrees above the horizon here and so I have around 2 hours to catch it between the local roof & tree lines. I'd like more time to improve signal levels but this seems reasonable for just 4.5 hours.

Scope: StellaLyra 6" f/9 RC

Camera: ASI071MCPro

Filter: IDAS NBZ

Mount: RST135E

Guidecam: ASI462MC

Subs: 52x300s

CS, Andy

3 hours ago, Len1257 said:

I would be over the moon (!) if that was my first image from a new scope.

Thanks @Len1257🙂

3 hours ago, Len1257 said:

I did notice the extra diffraction spikes around the bright stars? Are they caused by the scope design like the edges of the primary mirror in a Newtonian?

I'm not expert but I think they show that the edges of the field are out of focus when compared with the centre of the field (where focus was set). This is the main reason for the need of a flattener when using an APS-C sized sensor. In fact FLO have confirmed that a fours thirds sensor is best suited for use with the RC6.

Here's a crop of the target that I feel makes the most out of the image.

2 hours ago, iantaylor2uk said:

There's some discussion of flatteners that work for these telescopes at: https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/560592-rc-field-flattener/

Thanks @iantaylor2uk, useful read.

After reading one user note that their '6" RC + APS sensor looked absolutely awful without some kind of corrective optics' it makes me appreciate how satisfied I am with this first light image! 🙃

1 hour ago, iantaylor2uk said:

You can adjust the tilt on the 071 MC Pro camera if you need to.

Yes that's true but I use the camera with other scopes and lenses so would prefer not to 🙃

11 hours ago, geeklee said:

Great first light Andy.  Very nice star field and plenty of detail in the Bubble.  I haven't dusted off my RC6 yet for this year.

Thanks🙂

I've mentioned the suspected tilt but I'm also unhappy with the star shapes.  Guiding wasn't consistent owing to intermittent cloud and very elongated stars in the OAG, with the guide star being lost many times.

I'm now wondering which upgrades are standard or needed with your typical RC6 when imaging with an ASP-C sensor🤔

Focuser,  tilt plate,  flattener? 

Any advice appreciated,.

CS, Andy

9 minutes ago, UKDiver said:

Won't that find 11C 101C etc?

no, but DIR *1*C*.* would