geeklee

For 28 minutes... 😮 very nice. At 1:1 there's some really good structure in the tadpoles too.

The lack of documentation makes it a challenge but there are some useful videos on the APP website that may help (while not being an exact match to your scenario). Performing star colour calibration can be a key workflow task for me. The stars are have a significant purple/magenta tint - was the first image just a direct stack in APP using RGB combine (just guessing from filters in your signature)? The stars also appear much tighter in that first APP image... if the colours could be corrected 🙂 Update: Meant to also say I've had excellent results with APP, with minor tweaks elsewhere.

@Swoop1 Hope you don't mind another processing of the data. Here's a little bit of work from APP (DDP, light pollution removal, very quick star colour calibration )

🙁 Hope you get this resolved Ken. If you're using the ASCOM drivers, this shouldn't matter but have you also installed the latest native drivers and tried these in Apt? https://astronomy-imaging-camera.com/software-drivers

Thank you @vlaiv for seeing this through for me 👍

Lovely Adam. Flaming star nebula especially. Is it calibrated? I ask because there's a few odd groupings of blue (and a few red) pixels to the right of the Tadpoles and dotted about - almost repeating. Sorry - not AT ALL criticism - I just see a few on my own images which are calibrated and wondered at their source. I wasn't looking at 1:1 for anything except to admire more detail!

Thanks again @vlaiv I think the penny has hopefully dropped. So, taking two final stacked images (short Vs long exposures)... If they were initially stretched in the same way (e.g. same levels/curves), the longer exposure stack would look "brighter" and "show more detail" but only because the image started off with higher values in the pixels? Putting it another way, the stacked image from the shorter exposures needs additional stretching to get it's brightness and detail to the same level, but presumably it can take this further stretching due to the related SNR? If I've got this all wrong, I think I can just lose all hope and just accept it 😁

Thanks @vlaiv for taking the time to lay this out - really appreciated. Fundamentally I understand the basic math you've stated and I think absolute Vs measured value regarding time. I'm just not clear on why the measured value that includes "per second" (for example) affects this. The quote above is definitely where my practical application of this is still falling down. In my head reading a 60s image will mean the pixel in question has 6e which converts to an ADU of X (for example). Reading a 10s image will mean the pixel in question has 1e which converts to an ADU of X/6. If you then take multiple exposures of each and average, the 60s exposure should have a pixel with an ADU 6x larger (and thus a brighter pixel). I understand that they will both received the same average e/s. I know this is wrong, but the penny just hasn't dropped as to why. 😐

I had a similar message and issue with the new ASI 533 and an update to Apt resolved it (although it was native driver related to SDK). Are you on latest version - 3.82? If so, it would be worth asking in the Apt forums (if you haven't already) as Ivo and others are quick to help.

In the presentations above from Dr Robin Glover he runs out of time so doesn't get a chance to discuss some "gain" related items. He did then post a separate follow up video covering this (Thanks!)

@vlaiv Typically stacking is an "average" method - a fundamental question that niggles on my general understanding is that long exposures must capture a lot more faint detail as you must be averaging a higher number of photons/electrons Vs a short exposure. If that question makes sense? Can you clarify where my thinking is likely going wrong?

That's nice @astro mick One I haven't really seen before - good colours and dust (?) and starting to see some depth too. Must remember to add to a future list as well 👍

For the couple I've posted up, it's what I did too. I like information when it's posted for other images as it lets you know how and with what the image is captured. Useful for a beginner like me. Some also add some bonus information on the object or processing 🙂

Given the reputation of the Esprit 80 in general, it makes it so surprising you'd have to return two 🙁 Hopefully your next Esprit 80 will be up to scratch and one you're happy with Andy. When you're spending any money, you want something that's 100% as advertised - especially when you're spending Esprit money 🙂 Look forward to seeing more images when you're back up and running.

The first one for me still holds up better. Zoomed in, full resolution, the second one has fallen apart on the blue edging - it's just pixels... but I think the first one may have some of that (it appears slightly lower resolution when zoomed in). Other surrounding areas don't look as smooth and showing artefacts. When viewed within the forum area - it's a close run thing and you can see the extra sharpening pop out though. Note, I have minimal experience here, just 2p worth. I'm a typical over-stretcher in the small amount of AP I've done 😂

Lovely structure. The very faint blue areas at the "front" are a great contrast while still holding lots of detail as well.

I had a similar challenge with DEC balance and got the 11inch version of this: https://www.firstlightoptics.com/adm-vixen-type-v-series/adm-vixen-style-universal-dovetail-bars.html I had initially opted for the 14inch but FLO advised the 11inch was a better length for the 80ED... and they were right. It came with a variety of bolts as well and allowed my green dovetail to mount on top - win-win. If you're looking at cost alone, obviously drilling out the holes is attractive 🙂

I can't un-see that now 😁

😁😁 Amazingly that top/bottom left edge has some decent definition! Probably not one you'll use to show off anything though 🤣

Brilliant. It's really enjoyable seeing more context to Orion (the belt and HH + M42 etc) as well as some of Barnard's Loop on the left (I think?) Not to mention the challenging conditions and low integration. Nice one.

No problem, if you have any other questions about the camera or setup, let me know and I'll do my best to help.

Hi Gary - I have the ASI 533MC Pro attached to a Skywatcher 80ED Pro (with 0.85 FF/FR). I've really just started imaging (October 2019) so don't have a lot of experience or guidance but I came from using an older, original Nikon DSLR. The FoV is smaller with the 533 after using the DSLR but I've not found it restrictive in any way yet on targets I've selected - just something to get used to after starting out with a high resolution, larger pixel APS-C format DSLR. I haven't seen any amp glow in the dark frames I've taken for the 533 (going up to 360s so far) and calibration has been straight forward when you understand the work flow. I've certainly found the data easier to process coming off the ASI 533, including noise (as you'd expect) and colour. Depending on your equipment, you may also need to consider an additional power supply / feed for the cooler on a dedicated astro cam. You've already got a modified camera with a high resolution and larger pixels so I guess it's looking at those differences between it and a dedicated astro cam and deciding if they're worth the money. I've got a few pictures in the "Imaging - Deep Sky" forum that you can check out and there a few more dotted about here and on Astrobin. Hope this helps.

Good write up again @paulastro. I had visions of the AZ5 being tightly held in the wind when I started the thread. I had a brief couple of chances to look up (just with the eye!) yesterday evening and the clouds really were moving fast (noticeably when looking at the moon anyway) Good luck with run of photos 😀

Those are new objects for me, targets I haven't seen imaged yet. Nice depth to the structure of the nebula. Were you planning to add further exposures or filters to this one? I'll add this to my list for a potential target of the future too - thanks.👍

Thanks everyone for the warm welcome 😊