Gerr

Last night was another chance of doing these galaxies (this time with my coma corrector)!! Wind was nice to me. Guiding RMS error only 0.3. Did have some problems with dew and rowan belt (took some damage from a 'collision' night before!!) - was able to replace belt and start rig up again and used opportunity to switch filters. Lights: 65x60secs - ISO800 - Canon 650D - Optolong L-Pro Lights: 22x360secs - ISO1600 - Canon 650D - Optolong L-eNhance Total imaging time 3hrs 20mins. Images stacked in DSS separately and combined in photoshop. As usual CC's welcome. Gerr.

Thanks Lee and you’re going in the right direction too. Great attempt with your current set-up. All a big learning curve with this hobby!!

Wow, that is amazing for just one image! I may upgrade yet!!! 😂 I’m going to have another go at the triplet tonight - this time with Coma Corrector! I also noticed I had the Optolong L-eNhance attached and not the L-Pro. If tonight’s imaging goes well I will try and combine both filters for a hybrid type picture. Thanks for the positive comments everyone.👍😀 Gerr.

Hi All, Well last night I did indeed manage to get 51 useable subs of the Leo Triplet (4hrs 25mins total) each of 300second duration. The guiding stayed steady at about 0.5RMS with the wind having abated to a gentle breeze. Forgot to use my coma corrector though - but I don't think it effected the images too much!! This is what I got: The Leo Triplet (M66, M65 & NGC3628) CC's Welcome

Hi All, I believe anything that involves 3 hrs capture time is enough for a quite decent image! Our British skies don't usually allow for more than that!!! One reason why I haven't 'upgraded' yet!! I am still trying to maximise my results with what I have and where I image from! Love the challenge though Gerr.!!

Evening All, Tonight's challenge is this trio of galaxies in the Leo constellation. Wind is a bit of a problem as I'm using a SW200P reflector on a HEQ5 mount and unlike the forecast it is gusting to Force 5 (strong breeze on Beaufort scale). However the wind is dropping and I've got my PHD guiding to less than 0.8rms and I'm hopeful this is enough for a sharpish image!! The moon is a waning gibbous but it hasn't risen yet - things are looking promising. I've set APT to collect 50 images at ISO1600 - 5 minute duration with dither skipped on every other. I'm hoping my DSLR (Canon 650D) can bring in the goods (Optolong Pro Filter attached). This is a teaser but I'm confident after reviewing the first few images that something good is happening. I will reveal all in 24 hours (or thereabouts). Anybody else in for a real time challenge like this??? Good Luck, Gerr. Results will be published soon!!!!

Wow - what a belter (pardon the pun). Stunning image - wish it was mine!!!! Gerr.

Thank you Martin. I'll leave it alone for a while now and maybe look at the Triangulum - another toughie!!!! Gerr.

This galaxy maybe our closest, largest and one of the few brightest that can be seen with the naked eye but goodness me do I find it difficult to image and process!! I have tried several times to do it justice and in the end I stacked all the half decent data I had from previous imaging sessions into one big hit on DSS and hoped for the best. Total integration time is 8hrs thereabouts. Spread over several months (4 imaging sessions in all). Optolong Pro and L-eNhance filters were used on separate occasions dependent on moon state. Lights varied from 4mins to 8mins in duration. SWED80 Refractor Canon650D (astro modded) ISO1600 I think it doesn't look too bad and certainly is my best to date. CC's welcome. Gerr.

Nice images - don’t think I could attempt that with my set-up. Good to see what Ha can do to improve image aesthetics. Something I may try with my limited filters - HaRGB composite a possibility! Gerr.

Aha! Cheers - will follow hat up. Gerr.

That’s a great image! I love the star concentration and colours- beautifully presented. Nice galaxy top left too!! I have SW200P and I get some asymmetrical flare with star diffraction spikes too if that was what you were referring to? Gerr.

Hi Ken, Thanks for the reply and that seems like great advice as I did wonder about dedicated OSC v's Mono (+ filters). Your answer very much helps in my future direction. Gerr.

I agree with you - the California nebula is fantastic - never seen it like that. The elephant trunk is also a favourite of mine. Your colour scheme and level of detail is great - what camera / filter combination do you use?? I only have a DSLR but I would be interested in stepping up the game with results like that. Excellent imaging. Gerr.

It was a full moon and a spooky night when I went hunting for ghosts in Cassiopeia!! I was hunting with my Optolong L-eNhance filter and SW200P reflector to give me this chance beginning of March. A tricky target but I'm glad to say, 'I got one'!!! I hope you appreciate my efforts. CC's welcome. Lights: 37x300secs (185 mins) Canon 650D (astro'd) ISO1600

M78 seems quite a difficult target to me and one I haven’t had a go at yet (watch this space)! You seem to have nice composition and the promise of nice detail with sharp stars too. Not bad for only your third DSO. As stated earlier noise can be reduced by taking lots of images (60 plus) whilst keeping your camera cool!! Then there is noise reduction techniques in your processing. An acquired skill dependent on your image processing application (I use photoshop plus plug ins for this). Do you tick the median noise filter box when you stack in DSS? Gerr.

Good effort - Nice round stars with good colour too. I have a similar camera (650D) which is Astro modded so trying to achieve good and true star colour is a challenge for me. Always difficult to process without losing colour and bloating them. Then there are the halos!!! Gerr.

Appreciate the kind comments, thanks. This was processed entirely in photoshop CS2 (after stacking in DSS). Usual levels and curves adjustment, star and noise reduction, saturation boost with some sharpening for zoomed image and gradient field flattening for final results. Voila!!!! Cheers, Gerr.

This grand-design spiral galaxy is in the constellation Canes Venatici and is about 23 million light years away. What fascinates me is how this galaxy interacts with a smaller galaxy (M51B) in the way of ripping it apart. Amazing to be able to see this with our amateur telescopes. I managed this in just over 2 hours imaging time with a waning crescent moon on 6th March last week. My skies are Bortle 6. Lights: 92x90secs (ISO1600) Canon 650D Optolong L-Pro filter SW200P Reflector (no wind for a change) CC's welcome Widefield Image: Zoomed Image:

Great image and still no supernova!!! Cheers, Gerr.

I like everything bright in the night sky. You do get a sense of satisfaction having a bright properly focused star centred in your FOV. Gives me hope that my imaging session may go well!!! Reflectors do the best with diffraction spikes. Refractors need Bahtinov masks to get the equivalent. Alas my stars don't seem to be as crisp as yours (asymmetrical halos) and so I can't compete with your image but I very much would like to be able to!! I have taken images of clusters - the twins in Perseus was my last effort posted here - still a work in progress with me (need better star colours). Stars are not easy to get right - can love them in the Pleaides cluster but struggle very much with Alnituk in Orion HH Nebula. I agree with you, they can be as much as a target as DSO's like galaxies and nebulas. p.s. Do you have one of Betelgeuse??? Gerr.

Thanks for the kind comments. I think I am becoming better at noise and gradient reduction whilst maintaining object image quality as it has become more of a necessity in my relatively short imaging sessions. Cheers, Gerr.

This barred spiral galaxy (NGC 4631 / Caldwell 32) is in the constellation of Canes Venatici and is so called because appearances are not so dissimilar to those big mammals that are found in our oceans!! The image was taken two nights ago under a waning crescent moon in my Bortle 6 skies. This was my first attempt and I was quite chuffed to capture it (and the Hockey Stick galaxy) in just 45 minutes of integration time upon which the clouds rolled in and brought my imaging session to an end. CC's welcome. Lights: 30x90secs ISO800 Canon650D SW200P Optolong L-pro filter

Thank you. Star colour has never been my strong point - especially since I use an astro modded camera. Maybe my new L-pro filter is helping me out here.

I don't usually image star clusters but with the moon so full recently I thought that the stars would shine out bright still! I had heard that there were nice Twins in Perseus and decided that these open clusters (NGC 869 & 884) were worth imaging. I think it was worth the effort!! 60x30 secs (ISO800) SW200P Canon650D Optolong Pro Filter CC's welcome. Gerr.