HunterHarling

Yes, the first one does look good now that you mention it...

IC 1318 or the Butterfly Nebula is an emission nebula in the constellation Cygnus. It is one of my favorite targets because of its location in the sky, and the fact that it look great with RGB or SHO. This image has less exposure than I usually have, about 7 hours, but I think it turned out well. This is an LRGB image with a combination of the RGB and Hydrogen channels in place of L.

Coordinates of this exact location for those who are interested: RA: 306.8 degrees    DEC: 40.2 degrees

Exposure info:

FSQ106 EDX    ASI1600mm    Atlas Pro AZ-EQG

RGB each: 10x300s

H: 45x330s

Total=6.6 hours

Hydrogen-alpha channel:

Thanks for looking.

Clear skies,

Hunter

Even more changes... I'm not sure which I like.

Some adjustments...

I finally added more data to my Trifid Nebula image and I believe I'm done adding data, although I'll probably have a few more processing revisions🙃

I used a stack of all my data for the L channel (this really helps with noise).

FSQ106 EDX     ZWO 1600mm     Atlas Pro AZ-EQG

L: 30x150s

R:16x150s

G:16x150s

B:16x150s

The stars were very difficult to control, but this region always has tons of stars.

Thanks for looking, processing advice is much appreciated.

Clear skies,

Hunter

Thanks everyone. 

9 hours ago, alan potts said:

A really nice image, I like the Only 7.3hrs, that's more time than I spent the last 3 nights, last night we had a lightning show, massive storm.

Alan

The weather here has been pretty good, but it's going to be cloudy for a few days...

4 hours ago, Kaliska said:

Great image! Can you share your ASI1600 settings (gain/offset) as this target is on my to-do list for this year?

I'll have to check, I believe it is gain 10 and standard offset. Also, I once did a comparison between different gains, and there was no difference in the image.

Hi all,

This is my first stacked image of the Iris Nebula that I have taken. I'm surprised by the amount of processing it took, definitely one of the hardest I've done.

 FSQ106 EDXIV

ASI1600mm PRO

L: 22x300s

R: 22x300s

G: 22x300s

B: 22x300s

Total=7.3 hours

To show how much it has changed in processing, here is my RGB  channel at the beginning of processing:

My processing workflow:

#1 DBE several times on each channel

#2 Color combination, color calibration

#3 Noise reduction on both L and RGB using this method

#4 Deconvolution on L

#5 Histogram transformation + Arcsinh stretch

#6 Star reduction and mask processing for the background

#7 LRGB combination

#8 Multiple curves transformations

#9 Re-sample and crop

I may be adding more data as this is only 7.3 hours.

Processing comments/questions always appreciated🙃

Thanks for looking

Thanks, Rodd and Tom.

It turns out that the adapter I was using was not suitable for a 43 mm sensor. The adapter extended into about 3mm of the light path causing the strange spikes, vignetting, and possibly the pinched stars. Anyway, I have switched back to my ZWO sensor and the stars are perfect. I'm going to stack some images and keep looking...

12 hours ago, alan potts said:

oddly and correct as you are the second night I did start shooting with part of a tree in shot

Did you include this data? If so, I think this caused the spikes.

Here is a different field after stacking:

It looks acceptable to me, but given that the FSQ has an 88 mm imaging circle, should this be better?

I finally got a chance to test my scope with full frame, and it looks like there is some coma or something. Here is an aberration spotter image...

The brighter stars have spikes also. Does anyone know what this is, or is this normal?

Thanks

It looks like there was a tree or something in the way. Maybe the observatory roof/dome was partially in the light path?

2 hours ago, Gina said:

Lovely! 

Thanks!

1 hour ago, rickwayne said:

Star color much there? :-0

Bravo!

Thanks, I made a special effort for star color this time.

This is my first image with the Tak, and I am quite happy with the results. 

FSQ 106, ZWO 1600mm, Orion Atlas pro

R: 150s*5

G: 150s*5

B: 150s*5

L: 150s*5    Total=50 minutes of exposure

Closer crop for details:

Thanks for looking

9 hours ago, Allinthehead said:

I refocus if i rotate or if i slew to another part of the sky. I've found focus is changed by both actions.

1 hour ago, Rodd said:

I have to agree with this--unfortunately (unfortunate that its true--not that I have to agree 😃)

Rodd

I ran another set of images, this time with the ZWO, and the stars look fine. At this point I'm going to say the issue was the focus.

Thanks

3 hours ago, Xplode said:

Could you tell more about your setup?

It's not easy to say for sure what the problem is from your images, to more easily tell i think you should take a sequence of subs and stack them, problems will easier show up then.
Also do a 2nd sequence where you rotate your camera 180 degrees, this will make it much easier to compare as the FOV will be exactly the same.

I'm working on a stack now...

2 hours ago, Allinthehead said:

First one looks fine to me. Second image has slight star elongation in the top right. Did you re focus when you rotated?

I didn't refocus... could that affect the image?

Here are images from my first light with the Tak. The stars look slightly oval across the whole image, and I am trying to decide if this is collimation or sensor tilt. Also, the stars at the corner of the image have some coma or something, and this is only with aps-c! I am still waiting for my adapters, so I was only able to use a canon vs the asi.

The first image is at 0 degrees, and the second is at 270 degrees. It may have to load for a bit because they are large files.

How does it look?

Thanks

1 hour ago, michael8554 said:

48mm T adapters are recommended for Canon full frame cameras when attached directly to a scope, I guess to allow for the divergence outward from the 42mm diagonal of the sensor. 

What size focuser does the scope have.?

If it's 2" I'd say 48mm.

Michael 

I believe the scope has a 3" focuser. But the issue really is that I don't know how to attach the camera with the m48 adapters unless I buy a Tak adapter. And Tak adapters cost $150...

I believe it is this: https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/484079-calculating-light-cone-diameter-at-different-distances/

5 minutes ago, Davey-T said:

Can't remember how to do the maths, half arc tan or some such, how's your maths ? it's a long time since I was at school 

Dave

I could probably do it but I don't even know how to calculate something like this...

The scope is f5.0... so is that steep enough to adoid vignetting? 

I'm going to attach a full frame Nikon to an FSQ and I'm wondering if an m42 adapter will cause vignetting.

Thanks

4 hours ago, Gina said:

Superb.

Thanks 

1 hour ago, Datalord said:

Worthy of print and a spot on the wall. Well done.

Thanks, I just might.

I finally added the L data. I made a super luminance using all 40 hours of data. I think it looks better... there is definitely more ifn.

How does it look?