geeklee

Thanks Brian. It was stretched and denoised to within an inch of it's life so perhaps isn't a close representation of the data 😕. Here's two more - one a low level DDP from APP and one working with Levels and Curves and few minor tweaks (thanks again "Making every Photon Count") in GIMP. While showing less, they've had no serious noise reduction, stars are tight(ish) and there's still some nice structure in the top left. Astro Pixel Processor (APP) - 10% BG, 5 Sigma, 0% Base. GIMP levels, curves, false luminance layer

Just before Christmas, I managed ~3 hours of data of IC 443 (threw out some subs due to cloud). I was planning more data but I made such a mess of my first meridian flip that I started getting paranoid that the flipped images wouldn't be any use... so packed up 😕 Of course, some daylight (warm) reading and testing proved APP (and likely all other software) deal with these flipped images no problem 😄. Equipment - Sky-Watcher 80ED DS Pro, 0.85x FF/FR, ASI533 MC Pro. Software - PHD2, Captured in Apt, integrated and lightly processed in APP and Affinity Photo. IC 443 55 x 180s (with Flats, Darks, Dark Flats, BPM), -10degC, defaults in camera - Gain 100 (unity) & Offset 70, Bortle 5/6 While showing more Ha structure, it was getting really noisy with some additional curves, so back tracked a bit. While it's missing loads of structure from some others, I really like the top left of the "jellyfish" and the "folds/curves". As for Eta Geminorum, it's a lost cause for my processing at present 🙂

Yeah, the core might be blown out a bit, but there's so much other great detail to concentrate on in the image. It looks brilliant. 😀

Great tip @ollypenrice Thank you. Here is a quick (little OTT) low res comparison. While the main area is obviously richer, it was nice seeing more of the surrounding Ha. Thanks again.

Mmm 6 panel mosaic sounds interesting... look forward to seeing that.

Thanks for sharing, that's a cracking image. When you said 35 minutes of data, I couldn't believe the image that appeared as a I scrolled down (gives me hope!) The full size version just seems so clean as well. Nice one 🙂

Awesome 😃 Various pop science books, another Apollo 11 one and an interesting approach to solar photography...

Well, as a novice and someone who loves that palette, I think it's superb. Chasing 34 hours of integration over month(s) is admirable 👍

Nice wide field North American nebula and also cool seeing IC 1396 wide field and "close up" . Some colours I haven't seen before in these targets too. 👍

I really enjoy imaging clusters. Coming from the observation side, it's fascinating seeing the deep, rich star field view of imaging.

Thanks Olly, I've definitely come across Selective Colour in Affinity Photo (and I'm sure APP has a similar function). I'll pull out the old stacked data and try this out ... and also keep it for future sessions too.

Yep, that weather sounds about right - especially recently. Tag me if you end up hitting the same targets with the 183 - be interesting with the smaller pixels and wider FoV. Should turn out lovely. Agreed on the jump from a DSLR (admittedly not modded). One of my frustrations was the lack of computer control as it was an old, entry level Nikon. Lee

I haven't used a duo-band filter yet, but it's on the wish list. Very nice image here from Ivo with the 533 and ZWO duo-band:

Hi Andy - I'm not sure if there's any useful info in this thread: This was purely with the native driver though. With the ASCOM driver, I only tried Apt and no problems - capture and cooling were fine. It may be that SG Pro and NINA haven't updated their ZWO SDK yet so the native driver support isn't there for the 533. Both SharpCap and Apt have both updated now and I've not seen any issues yet although I think I had already just started using the ASCOM driver. Did you browse through the settings in SharpCap to change the default formats: https://docs.sharpcap.co.uk/3.2/#Preferred Video Format (mentions .fits)

All of those are images look great, but those first two are my favourites - excellent 👍

19 minutes?! Tough to pick between them, but second one just shades it for me for the additional contrast and (perceived) sharpness. Nice one 🙂

Thanks everyone for your kind comments. In hindsight it was perhaps best this post sat in the Getting Started in Imaging. I've had (and continue to have) plenty of frustrating and comedic moments - in equal measures - but that feeling when you finally capture data, integrate and do first stretch... The imaging (previously I'd been solely observing) started with the Back Garden Astronomy week in S@N magazine. I did some sloppy wide field stuff with a DSLR and a tripod and was hooked...

First light on 17th Dec and my first dedicated astro camera with the ASI 533 MC Pro. The moon was starting to rise when IC 410 was capturing and my inexperience with Apt has got poor framing 😕, but some faint data is coming through for a low integration time. Equipment - Sky-Watcher 80ED DS Pro, 0.85x FF/FR, ASI533 MC Pro. Software - PHD2, Captured in Apt, integrated and lightly processed in APP and Affinity Photo I started imaging Deep Sky in October with an old DSLR although have some experience with Lunar - all comments and advice very welcome. I'm conscious of the low integration times - the constant clouds and desire to get *something* captured made me plough on🙂 M35 60 x 30s, 110 x 60s (with Flats, Darks, Dark Flats, BPM), -10degC, defaults in camera - Gain 100 (unity) & Offset 70, Bortle 5/6 NOTE: I noticed that something had gone very wrong with the stacking of the previous. While comparing it to one with more data I saw it seemed to have duplicated parts of the image elsewhere. This one should be more accurate. IC 410 24 x 300s (with Flats, Darks, Dark Flats, BPM), -10degC, defaults in camera - Gain 100 (unity) & Offset 70, Bortle 5/6

Let us know how you get on. They definitely sound different, but it's the official Skywatcher firmware so must be OK... right? 😄

That'll be quite something - good luck! Lee

The cropped version is great, but when you scroll down to the full version it has so much more impact (for me). The colour differences, the layers of structure, the contrast... 👍

😁 Awesome, I'm glad that's all it was!

Just to cancel out something else... I'll apologise in advance as I'm sure this isn't the case but I've got mixed up on my DEC before and loosened it then thought I was tightening it and loosened it to the max thinking it was locked (as the clutch was "locked") but DEC moved easily as I'd obviously gone in the wrong direction. This isn't what's happened here is it, but with RA? I just see in the picture the bolt looks all the way over the right, but IIRC the locking direction is to the left then moving the bolt along the right and going left again.

Hi Ivor. I have the same mount but I don't think I've even really loosened up the RA clutch a lot. Do you mean you've kept loosening, then undoing the bolt, moving it back to the bottom left of that picture, screwing it into new hole, then loosening again - and kept doing that? Sorry, just trying to get a feel for what might have happened. I know when I first got mine, after I loosened the RA clutch by moving towards to the top right of that picture, the tightening wasn't enough going back the way, so I unscrewed the bolt and moved it round to the right and tightened it a little bit more (towards bottom left)

I've had mine for a week or so - still waiting for some decent clear skies! 🤔 I've started to build up a Dark library but from what I'm reading (and seeing around) it might not always be necessary (as I have BPM too). Also using Apt to determine the right exposure for Flats 👍 Did you add on the duo band filter? It sounded like orders direct from ZWO in the US were getting this included? 😮