GraemeH

Like some others have already done, I'm posting this image as a starless version to meet the requirements of the competition. I do have RGB data for the stars, but including this would disqualify the image. Image Details: Imaging Camera: QHY294M Pro Scope: Evostar 72ED Flattener: OVL non-reducing flattener Mount: HEQ5 Pro Guiding: ASI178MC through 9x50 finderscope using PHD2 Filters: Antila EDGE 4.5nm SHO using QHY 7 position filter wheel Subs: 30 x 300" Ha, 21 x 300" OIII, 20 x 300" SII Capture software: APT Stacking software: APP Processing software: Adobe Photoshop and Starnet++ v2

It feels like forever since I shared any images here, but I was able to get a couple of sessions last week to capture some new data. This image is from 2 nights (14th and 17th January) and all details are given below. I've tried to use selective colour adjustments from a starting SHO combination that was very green (unsurprisingly) but I'm not sure if I've gone too far with it - I welcome any constructive criticism. Narrowband data had stars removed using Starnet++ v2 for Windows, and the stars in the image are from the RGB data. H-alpha used as luminance after adjusting colours. Image Details: Imaging Camera: QHY294M Pro Scope: Evostar 72ED Flattener: OVL non-reducing flattener Mount: HEQ5 Pro Guiding: ASI178MC through 9x50 finderscope using PHD2 Filters: Antila EDGE 4.5nm SHO, Antlia V-Series RGB, using QHY 7 position filter wheel Subs: 30 x 300" Ha, 21 x 300" OIII, 20 x 300" SII, 12 x 30" each of RGB Capture software: APT Stacking software: APP Processing software: Adobe Photoshop and Starnet++ v2

Been reprocessing this image a few times today because I thought I'd overdone it a bit with the colours in the previous version. Appreciate any comments on whether this new version is better.

Thank you. I had a read through that thread, but I don't think it's the same issue that I'm seeing. My flats show a much stronger vignette than my lights, and when I use them for calibration my calibrated lights look like the vignette is increased instead of reduced. I don't understand what's happening, but will continue trying to take flats that work. I don't disassemble my kit at all, so hopefully if I do find a way to take better flats I'll be able to reprocess my image with them included.

Scope: Skywatcher Evostar 72ED Mount: Skywatcher HEQ5 Pro Camera: QHY294M Pro Wheel: QHYCFW3 Flattener: OVL Field Flattener Filters: Antlia EDGE 4.5nm SHO, Antlia V Series LRGB Guide scope: Skywatcher 9x50 finder Guide camera: ASI178C Captured over 4 nights, this image has 45 x 300" Ha, 37 x 300" OIII, 36 x 300" SII, 32 x 30" R, 33 x 30" G & 30 x 30" B, all with the camera at -10°C. Calibrated only with darks, because for reasons I can't quite understand I don't seem to be able to get good flats with this new camera and filters. Never had a problem with flats when I was still using my DSLR. SharpCap used for polar alignment. PHD2 for guiding and EQMOD for scope control. APT for capturing. APP for stacking and initial processing. Starnet++ V2 to create starless narrowband masters for combining into a colour image in Photoshop, and RGB stars added on top. Thanks for looking, and comments welcome.

I was dithering every frame during this capture, with a dither distance around 20 pixels on the main camera. I don't see the pattern noise you mention, but I'm very much aware that I might just not know what I'm looking for.

Martin, thank you very much for your kind comments. You're completely right about the dark background - I did that to hide the fact that I can't get my flats to correct properly due to some strange reflections. I think I'm going to try again though because I can't help thinking that poor flats must still be better than no flats.

Second ever narrowband image for me, so I'm hoping for some constructive feedback. This was captured in a single session on January 2 between around 8pm and midnight in my Bortle 5 back garden with the ambient temperature around 1°C Mount: HEQ5 Imaging scope: Evostar 72ED Flattener: OVL non-reducing flattener Other accessories: Gerd Neumann CTU between flattener and filter wheel, adjusted using N.I.N.A.'s Hocus Focus routine Imaging camera: QHY294M Pro cooled to -10°C Filters: Antila EDGE series 4.5nm SHO and Antlia V Series LRGB (all 36mm) in QHYCFW3M wheel Guiding: ASI178MC and Skywatcher 9x50 finder Subs: 12 x 300" for SII, Ha & OIII, 40 x 15" for R, G & B for stars My subs were calibrated with darks but no flats, because I'm having difficulties with reflections in my narrowband flats - I have ordered some filter masks that appear to have been successful for others experiencing the same issues with very similar gear. APT used for image acquisition, APP for calibration and stacking, Starnet++ V2 and Photoshop for processing. The starless narrowband stacks were processed as HaSHO with a lot of selective colour adjustment to get something like the Hubble Pallet, and then the RGB star layer added after using a colour preserving arcsinh stretch. Hoping for some pointers for any areas I can look to improve for future images (addition of flats is obvious and will be addressed soon). Thanks for looking.

I've spent a bit more time today on some slightly more considered editing (although I still haven't had a chance to take any flat frames yet). I like this colour palette better than my first attempt, but I'm aware it still won't win any awards. Comments and suggestions for improvement welcome. Thanks for looking. Graeme

Thank you Carole - everything is still assembled, so I'll take flats before I remove anything to add my newly acquired tilt adjuster and spacers. I wasn't expecting much with only 25 minutes each of OIII and SII, but it actually turned out quite nicely.

Excited to share my first image from my new QHY294M Pro camera. It's not exactly Hubble quality as I only captured a couple of hours in total, and haven't yet taken any flats. Calibrated with darks only for now. I will over the next couple of weeks be trying to adjust my optical train to find the best backspacing between my flattener and camera and correcting the tilt. I was very impressed by the tool in N.I.N.A.'s Hocus Focus plugin which has highlighted just how bad my backspacing is currently. Scope: Skywatcher 72ED Mount: Skywatcher HEQ5 Pro Camera: QHY294M Pro Filter wheel: QHYCFW3 Filters: Antlia Edge series 4.5nm Ha, OIII & SII, and V series Pro RGB (all 36mm) Capture software: Astrophotography Tool Guiding: PHD2 Processing: Astropixelprocessor, Starnet++ V2 & Adobe Photoshop

Congratulations all round. Outstanding images by the winners, and some pretty good ones by many others too.

I know I had said I was finished with my attempts, but the data is so go that it's just so enjoyable to keep coming back to. I've also rotated this time to have North pointing up. I've made with and without stars versions this time, and just for fun there's a GIF looping to show the stars appearing and disappearing - I'm not completely sure if this is within the rules, so apologies if it isn't.

One final attempt at this from me, this time in HaSHO.

Attempting a different colour blend this time, hoping to get a more 'natural' feel. Red channel is 50:50 SII:Ha Green channel is 75:25 OIII:Ha Blue channel is all OIII Some further adjustments in Photoshop to get to this final result.