Gerr

Hi Vlaiv,

When I processed the Tiff files the difference was more obvious.  The final image used astro pro flat filter at end of process. I’ll have to look back and see if it clipped some edge detail off.

I liked the way that drizzle and region of interest box on DSS helped Ito upscale the DSO without losing the detail I perceived from  a cropped non- drizzled image of the same DSO.  The undersampling I noticed at the nebula edges became a lot less noticeable. I didn’t demonstrate that properly in these images. 

What is drizzle (the usual weather outside)!!!???

I found this stacking technique very useful in processing M57 which I obtained with my Zwo ASI 294MC pro camera recently.

The target appeared small on the image sensor and I knew it would have to be cropped significantly to appreciate its colours and detail better.

I acquired 2hrs 20mins on this target (300sec lights) with the SW200P Reflector and just a UV filter on the colour camera.

Stacked in DSS and processed in photoshop CS2. The final version included more careful colour saturation and sharpening.

I have included the standard non-drizzle stacked image which was then cropped to better view M57.

The stack was then drizzled (x3) on a rectangular selected region of interest in DSS (about the same size as cropped version mentioned previously).

I think you will appreciate the difference in image quality this achieves.

CC's welcome.

M57 Original Image:

M57 Cropped Image (note blocky pixels when zoomed in on nebula edges):

M57 Drizzled x3 (much smoother - can be better processed):

Just now, Leo S said:

Too widely observed. This was in orbit for sure. It was almoast directly overhead for me here just south west of Derby city center.

Yes - you're quite right. Brain fog here too!!!! It was  high, steadily moving North and had a constant glow. As you say multiple sitings now across a wide geographical area - not a lantern!!! 

I think I saw this too. It looked like a large light orb with a diffuse glow around it but this was likely due to the haze that is in the night air on Anglesey. It was slowly drifting due North. No sounds from it - couldn't tell how high it was - one of those candle lanterns????

Hi AstroNebulee,

Thanks and I reckon you are quite right! I've just applied HLVG filter (medium strength) to my image and it now looks much better.

Hope you agree?

Last Friday night and the moon was 98% illuminated putting to rest my normal DSO targets!

I have a new camera (Zwo ASI 294MC Pro OSC) and decided to try it on obtaining a colour shot on the Moon.

I used my SW200P Newtonian and Firecapture software to take 1000 frames. Frame rate was slow (1.5/sec) as I was using USB2 and the ASI294MC Pro is not a fast planetary camera but atmospheric conditions seemed good and there was not much wind. The camera had a UV / IR filter in front of the sensor.

The best 200 were selected in Avistack and stacked for a TIFF image.

Final image was processed in Photoshop CS2 with subtle tweaks of saturation levels and colour balance to bring out the 'mineral' look!

For my first image of this type I'm quite happy.

CC's welcome.

Mineral Moon:

Hi,

Is your DSLR modded?

The HEQ5 mount is heavy and not very portable. Have you considered Star Adventurer type mount?

If you plan to work from your heavily light polluted back garden then your astro kit will become very expensive to produce decent results!

You may be better using DSLR plus prime lenses (14mm to 100mm) to capture constellations with nebula and galaxy content on a portable mount like the Star Adventurer? You can get great Milky Way shots too!!

Gerr.

Weather window opened up for a few hours last Saturday night which gave me opportunity to go for two targets:

M13 - The Great Hercules Cluster and the Hickson 44 Galaxy Group in Leo.

Again it was the Zwo ASI 294MC Pro in action coupled with an Astronomik UV/IR Filter in my Bortle Class 5/6 back garden.

The 8" Newtonian was utilised on the HEQ5 Belt driven mount and guided by PHD2 run through APT.

Images stacked in DSS with usual calibration frames for dedicated OSC and processed in Photoshop CS2.

The 294MC Pro was cooled to -10 with default unity gain and offset.

Never done the Hickson Group before and I did struggle trying to tease the detail out!

1st Image: 63x60secs (~1hr)                          2nd Image: 60x180secs (3 hrs)

CC's welcome.

1. M13 Great Hercules Cluster

2. The Hickson 44 Group (NGC 3190, 3193, 3187 & 3185)

Addendum to Image NGC 2403 & 2903

Both images were made up of 180sec lights (approx. 60 of each) - Not 300 as written above!

Camera gain 120 and offset 30 (camera defaults). Cooled to -10 degrees.

NGC 2403 cropped 30%, NGC 2903 15%.

These two spiral galaxies were the last DSO's I was able to image last week with my new Zwo ASI294MC Pro camera.

Still trying to find the sweet spot for this camera so if you have any suggestions I'd be happy to here them?

Previously I ran 300sec subs using the IDAS LPS-P3 light pollution filter from my Bortle 5/6 back yard to get the Sunflower and Whirlpool galaxies.

I felt that I could achieve more subs using shorter times so swapped the IDAS for an Astronomik L-2 UV+IR filter instead.

I was able to see a difference straightaway - the stars were more obvious and my subs showed a bit more of the DSO without too much initial image stretching on the APT program.

I decided to acquire lights of 180secs duration - about 3hrs worth on each target. 20 calibration frames also used (Flats, Darks & Dark Flats).

I used my 'galaxy hunter' SW200P on HEQ5 mount guided by PHD2. Results stacked in DSS and processed solely in Photoshop CS2.

Any positive comments please?

NGC 2403:

(62x300secs)

NGC 2903:

(60x300secs)

Another galaxy imaged by my new camera last week - really starting to like this Zwo MC Pro.

The amount of data that can be extracted is a magnitude above to what I could do with my old DSLR (Canon 650D) before noise destroyed the details.

This galaxy took 3.75 hours (45x300secs) at 1x1binning, unity gain (120) and offset of 30 (camera defaults). Cooled to -10 degrees.

Heq5 Mount (Rowan modded).   SW200P Reflector and guided by Zwo 120mm mini coupled with 50mm refractor (APT controlled). IDAS LPS-P3 filter used.

Stacked in DSS with Darks, Flats & Dark Flats (20 of each). Then processed in Photoshop CS2.

I couldn't find my old DSLR version but I know this one to be much improved. Hope you like.

Uncropped Image:

Cropped Image:

I made the jump from DSLR (Canon 650D) to a dedicated OSC camera > Zwo Asi294 MC Pro.

We've had some good nights with moon not rising till 6am last week.  A good opportunity to try out my new purchase!

I matched the Asi294 with SW200P telescope on HEQ5 belt driven mount. I used an IDAS LPS-P3 light suppression filter to help in my Bortle 6 class back garden.

APT controlled the show with Zwo 120mm mini guide camera keeping total RMS error to less than 0.3.

This was one of my longest integration times at 5 hours (60x300secs subs - 1x1 binning) using default unity gain (120) and offset (30). The camera was cooled to -10deg.

Calibration frames included Darks, Flats and Dark Flats.

Stacked in DSS (RGGB matrix) and processed in Photoshop CS2.

I think this is an improvement of my DSLR version - also included below.

I hope you agree and am looking forward to imaging a lot more DSO's with this new camera.

Zwo Asi294 MC Pro

M51 Whirpool Galaxy:

Cropped Version:

DSLR version:

These nebula (also known as the Christmas Tree Cluster) are about 2600 light years distant in the Monoceros constellation.

They are reflective and emission nebulas - the Foxfur nebula is formed by interstellar dust reflecting light from the brightest stars which glows blue.

I managed to capture 60mins of RGB data (no filter) and 45mins of 'H-alpha' data (using the L-eNance filter) over two consecutive nights with the moon at first quarter in mediocre weather conditions. Bortle class 6 back garden.

Equipment: HEQ5 mount    Canon 650D (ISO1600)   SW200P

Stacked in DSS and processed in Photoshop CS2 (two images into one).

Hope u like.

Had a couple of decent evenings lately to have a look at the Orion constellation but not with the telescope.

I have wanted to try out my Canon 50mm and Sigma 105mm prime lens on this target for sometime!

I set-up the Heq5 and piggybacked the DSLR and above lenses on my refractor and shot off 30 images of Orion with both lenses.

I used f2 aperture and ISO's of 800 and 1600 on the Canon and Sigma respectively. Each shot was of 30secs duration.

Usual calibrations frames were taken and integrated with the lights in DSS and processed in Photoshop CS2.

For such short integration times I was very happy with the result - hope you agree and CC's welcome.

Canon 50mm Image:

Sigma 105mm Image:

Another brief period of quite clear skies (so rare lately) but under a near half moon last night - beggars can't be choosers!!!

A bit windy so guiding was a struggle, hey ho, at least refractor doesn't sail as well as a Newton 200P.

Canon 650D  SWED80 and 1hr 20mins of useable lights. Darks, bias and flats too.

The result:                                             Hope u like                                             CC's welcome

A small break in the relentless clouds allowed a brief opportunity to image this classic in Orion.

I aimed for 6 hours but only got 90minutes!

Enough for a stack!!

Acquired 30 useable lights of 180secs duration with a Canon 650D set at 1600 ISO.

The SW ED80 and L-Pro optolong filter helped with the result.

CC's welcome.

My best 5 - all shot with my Canon 650D in the first half of the year with SW200P and SW Evostar 80ED.

Thank you Mike.

Yes - normal equipment and what it is capable of!!! I found that using starnet to produce a starless image really helped in the processing.

I would like a dedicated ‘Astro’ camera but the chronic bad weather puts me off such an investment. 
Gerr.

Cocoon Nebula (IC 5146) is a reflection/emission nebula located in Cygnus 4000 light years away.

It spans 15 light years across and is an interstellar nursery where many new stars are being born.

The bright star at the centre of the nebula illuminates the concentrated molecular gases present that allows astrophotographers to capture its structure.

This was taken two days ago in my Bortle 6 skies when clouds parted for a couple of hours (they have since unexpectedly and annoyingly returned).

Lights: Two hrs worth (4 min subs). Dithered on PHD2. Darks, flats and bias frames also integrated into DSS for image processing - then Photoshopped (CS2).

Canon 650D (modded). Optolong L-eNhance filter. SW200P on HEQ5 Mount (Rowan belt) - guided.

CC's welcome.

Can you not place an aperture type mask at the front end of the telescope? I'm wondering whether putting something like draft excluder foam around the inside edge of the front of the telescope would have a similar effect to the methods outlined above?? Or is this idea too simplistic / ineffective??

First clear night in like forever!

A full moon (18th) put my usual DSO's to bed but I wanted to capture something!

Never tried my guide camera at imaging so the ZWO 120mm Mini was aimed at the big white disk and 12 videos were taken in conjunction with my SW200P.

The vids were processed and stacked in Avistack. Images were then sharpened in Registax.

Hugin was used to stitch the images into a mosaic which was further tweaked in photoshop.

I'm quite happy with the result.

CC's welcome.

No clear nights whatsoever in North Wales past 6-8 weeks. Any promising windows of clear weather were all too quickly dashed. Fortunately this weather has stopped me from spending ££££'s on new astro gear. Every cloud has a silver lining!!

Hi, this is my first attempt at the heart nebula in Hubble pallete colours.

Not had much else to image in past two months so I thought I'd give it a go.

Equipment in signature - about 3.4hrs of image acquisition. 

Hope you like!!

And this is the original image:

Yeah - I faked the Hubble colours by splitting the channels in the original image and re-constructing a new RGB image.

Until I can afford mono and get nice clear skies this will have to do!!!

The Heart Nebula (IC 1805).

This lies in the constellation of Cassiopeia about 7500 light years from Earth in one of the spiral arms (Perseus) of our Milky Way galaxy. 

The atrocious weather in the past 2 months has allowed for two brief imaging sessions allowing for 3.4hrs of total imaging time only!

Lights: 51x240secs  with flats and bias frames.       Imaging Camera: Canon 650D.   Processed in DSS and Photoshop CS2.

CC's welcome.

20 minutes ago, The Lazy Astronomer said:

I would say the 1600 is 'old hat' now. If your choice is only between that and the 2600mc, then go for the 2600mc (and I say this as a mono guy).

As a side note, I never really understand the weather argument against mono. With an autofocuser and filter focus offsets, you can run through the filters in a loop, rather than in blocks, and you end up with full colour data from each session.

My imaging session is usually interrupted and cut short by weather but with OSC I can at least process the captured data to produce an image even if I have only 60minutes acquisition time.  Can you say the same with Mono? I'm thinking interrupted filter loops would be more hassle to restart on other nights to reacquire data useable to process an image. With Mono you'd need to acquire data through all the filters to make it a worthwhile pursuit (esp. additional costs associated with mono and auotofocusers). 

Don't get me wrong - I like the mono images but I think if I went that route then I would want clear uninterrupted imaging sessions for it to work effectively as Mono is more involving where more things can go wrong than with OSC.

Just my opinion.