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.

1 hour ago, Elp said:

That's a great image.

The 294 sensor is notorious for generating uneven flats, it was touched upon in this thread (as well as many others on the internet):

 

 

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.

44 minutes ago, SiriusDoggy said:

I'm curious if you dithered while capturing your data? I'm seeing some consistent vertical pattern noise when viewing the image at full size. Not sure if it's walking noise or something else.

Otherwise, very nice. I like the colors.

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.

4 hours ago, MartinB said:

This is a lovely image.  It looks dark and moody on account of the low black point.  I had a look in PS and the average background value was 14.  I think this is too low unless you are using it to cover up some background cosmetic issues.  I think a background value of 25 would show a little more outer nebulosity and the image would appear a little bit less "constrained".

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.

I kind of feel like I shouldn't be entering here being still something of a novice, but here goes anyway.  Using the RGB combine tool in APP, playing with the multipliers to get what looked to me like a nice colour balance.  Then made a starless version using Starnet++ for Windows allowing me to stretch the nebula quite far in Photoshop, and then overlaid the stars back on from a less stretched version with stars still in.  I have to say though, with data this good the trick is just trying not to ruin it I think.  Hopefully I've not butchered it too badly.

1 hour ago, johninderby said:

There are no threads on the end of the drawtube. To connect anything you would need to use a 2” adaptor to fit into the drawtube to connect to whatever you want to attach. Or upgrade the focuser to a better one.

OK - thank you for the information.  I guess the 2" compression ring is glued in place then?

I may be interested in the 6" F9.  What threads are on the end of the focuser drawtube to enable all threaded connections please?

Updated version following Olly's advice for some Selective Colour adjustment in reds - a lot of cyan removal (maybe too much?) and a little magenta increase.  The difference is amazing.

Thank you so much Olly for taking the time to offer feedback. I will certainly try your tip of the selective colour adjustment - it's not something I've ever attempted. 

As for avoiding black clipping, I really must give you most of the credit for that - I always pay close attention to your comments on any images posted, and it's a common theme I think, particularly with less experienced images (which I still consider myself to be). 

This is my first new image in many months, and I'm slowly learning to resist posting the first version from my novice (but hopefully improving) processing skills.  Comments and criticism very welcome. 

Scope: Evostar 72ED with OVL flattener - Mount: Nexstar Evolution on wedge - Camera: Canon 6D - Filter: Baader UHC-S - Guidescope: Skywatcher 9x50 finder - Guide camera: QHY5Lii-c - Software: APT, PHD2, CPWI, APP, PS CC

40x300", ISO 1600, 50 Flats, 100 Bias

Image scale: 3.1"/px

Just tried it again after your comment, and it's working this time. I'm sure I didn't do anything different, but maybe I did. 

5 minutes ago, Altocumulus said:

Why convert ser to avi? AS3 works with ser files - Just wondered.....

Nice start, though.... I use the AltairAtro version of this 178 - still early days but my version seems a little slow....

I did try to put the ser file straight into AS!3, but it wasn't having it. Could have been me doing something wrong though - this was my first time with anything other than a DSLR. 

I treated myself to a new ASI178MC recently to pair with my EdgeHD8 in an effort to acquire some high resolution lunar images (and maybe some planetary ones).  This was also my first use of a new ZWO EAF attached to my EdgeHD8, so although I'm not 100% happy with the image I think it was OK for my first use of the equipment.

ASI178MC, EdgeHD8, HEQ5
~2500 frames captured via SharpCap @ Gain 0, Exposure 125ms (I suspect I would be better with higher gain and shorter exposure)
PIPP used to convert ser to avi, Autostakkert 3 to stack the best 25%, and Registax 6 for wavelets then some minor adjustment in Photoshop CC 2020

Tips for improvement always welcome, and thanks for looking.

Graeme

I shot the Rosette Nebula almost exactly a year ago using a Baader UHC-S filter, which I was quite happy with at the time.  Having seen many other versions since, I realised that one of the (many) things detracting from my image was the lack of star colour.  I decided to grab some shorter exposures unfiltered last week, and have now combined the 2 data sets.

Both sets used my Evostar 72ED on a wedge-mounted Nexstar Evolution with an OVL non-reducing flattener.  The filtered shots were taken on a Canon 6D (24 x 300", ISO 1600), and the unfiltered data was on a Canon 1100D (30 x 30", ISO 1600).  Flat and bias frames for each set were used to calibrate and integrate in APP.

Comments and constructive criticism are very welcome.