Rodd

A bit of success in my long range goal of processing this data set to its fullest potential. I revisit it periodically and if my processing skills have improved, the image usually does as well0--though the increments are getting smaller and smaller. Still, the results are noticeable, from slight resolution gains in the galaxy to a smoother background. I have included my last image so the improvement can be seen. I think there may still be a smidgeon of sharpness left to reveal in the data set. TOA 130 with ASI 1600-HaLRGB. About 24 hours, Bin1 New Old

I was finally able to process this Deep Sky West data set! Wow, of all images I have tried them on--RCs Blur exterminator and star exterminator had the most profound affects on this one. I would have said noise exterminator as well, but there was almost no noise in this data. This is one of the free downloads DSW offers. Its taken with a TOA 150 from Chile. Cant recall the hours. Its probably a bit to saturated, but there are a lot of great crops in this image., have a look at full resolution . Original provided below.

Thanks

This is one image I really regret not finishing. It was collected with the C11Edge and is the red channel. Conditions deteriorated and the target passed from my sky. I have since changed scopes (about to change again) so this one is done. I cropped a bit off the edges of the image to accentuate the target. I am not completely happy I did that. Anyway--I am torn between using the TOA 130 or back to the C11Edge for galaxies. The season is here and I am undecided. C11Edge with .7x reducer and ASI 1600 117 120sec red subs

Not in a high Bortle area (6 and up). I find L to be the filter most susceptible to LP.

No, but it sure beats the cliff notes

I am glad the bicolor is off the first page. Here is a SHO palette. I find the closer I get to being done, the harder it is to complete. Its like getting halfway to the wall with each step.....You'll never get there FSQ 106 with .6x reducer and ASI 1600 17 hours Ha, OIII, SII

Thanks Adam--indeed, I have a labyrinth of cushioned cells to contain me! I am glad you like the second one.

I reprocessed the data. I think its more representative of the nebula--more gaseous, better balanced with a better background (there is a lot of Ha in the region. The first image didn't include much of it--signal dropped off pretty abruptly instead of gradually subsiding). Anyway--unless I am crazy..... I also cleaned it up a bit. I finally got a handle on the noise. It still may be a tad bright. Hard to say as all my screens are different.

That may be true. However, what is thd color of nebulae in RGB? Red. So I like mapping Ha to red becuase nebulae ARE red (for the most part).

This may be true to the eye. But did you measure the pixel values before and after calibration? Even a small difference makes it worth doing, as many small differences add up and in the cumulative can improve the data. I know I need all the help I can get……and the some

This is very well done.

I thought I was getting a full clear night last night, which would have meant about 5 hours of OIII to add to about 6 hours of Ha. But a night forcasted to be cloud free somehow ended up mostly cloudy. I was only able to collect about 2.5 hours of OIII. So, patients not being one of my virtues, here is a bicolor image of IC 2177. I will collect more OIII and Ha--but I am not sure about SII. I really like red based nebula--cl;oser to RGB. Still trying to decide if I should go with the TOA 130 and new flattener or the C11Edge for galaxy season. My poor sky makes it a tough choice. I was not aware that this nebula contained such dramatic structure. More data will smooth out the roughness (without the bloody finger prints of noise suppression). We'll see about SIi, though I have never been sorry I captured it when this discision was upon me. FSQ 106 with .6x reducer and ASI 1600. 69 300 sec Ha; 29 300 sec OIII.

Thanks Roy. Doesn’t it stink? Going 3 weeks without imaging is no fun. And having to choose between posting an inferior image or waiting 2 months to post a decent one is no choice at all

The blue nebulosity and adjacent yellow feature are among the best I have seen. The detail over all and the cleanness of the image are excellent. You have captured your typical depth of field as well; the structures almost seem like they will topple out of the screen, and yet one has to peer deep to appreciate what little background there is. Too bad the FOV is so limited.

Thanks kirkster. Thanks for looking. I am looking forward to adding SII and OIII.

The final image with teh FSQ of the season. The weather has been brutally cold lately, making the prospect of changing scopes a daunting task since there is an OAG in the mix. I wont be able to shoot OIII and SII for a couple of weeks, and if the weatherb does not cooperate, this image may well not be completed. The target never rises above 38 degrees-so its quite low in part of my sky prone to LP and clouds. Fingers crossed. FSQ 106 with .6x reducer and ASI 1600. 69 300 sec Ha subs

Thanks Max.

Thanks Olly. The computer screen I am on now is quite dark; the image looks way to dark-plus the room is fairly bright. But on my processing screen it looks just about right. This makes it tricky to decide how much stretch is too much and how close to clipping is the background. That is one of the more frustrating aspects of this venture - knowing how the image really looks. With print, it's much easier; one is left with only reflected light as a variable (once its printed). With digital images, it is much more varied, as every screen is different. I hop.e it looks to you as it does on my processing screen :)!

I don't think there are more disparate examples of before and after for one image. The Ghost Nebula is one of the images that I could not process decently at all--I blamed it on exposure time, my sky, LP, guiding, and, of course, rudimentary processing skills. After 5 years, only one variable has changed for this data set. SWtill not satisfied. I am looking forward to shooting this target again. TOA 130 and STT 8300. LRGB about 18.5 hours New Old

Those spikes are microlensing artifacts of the sensor. I hope to upgrade at some point

I know. Now that all images are THAT much better. I probably should not post such things. I need some clear nights

Ha! You got me Goran! BlurXT anyway. I find I do not need starXT as much now that I use BlurXT. I do not have the noise XT tool.

Thanks tomato. Mine as well.

Thanks Paul