eshy76

Thank you Olly for the kind words! On the background, my star mask (I used DSO Mask in Pixinsight) did not quite fully cover the haloes of some of the larger stars - for eg the big red one above the galaxy...so when I tweaked saturation at the end, some of them reddened, despite being masked...maybe I need to blur or apply convolution or something similar to the star mask slightly to avoid this!

Thank you for the kind words - I did my usual 2 passes of DBE on each filter stack and one on the RGB combination...I'm not surprised that there maybe gradients still there given my location...thinking back I used "subtraction" instead of "division" for one or two of them where the gradients were more circular in appearance (vignetting maybe)...perhaps not the right approach. On the denoising - a TGV and MMT on the linear Lum, another set on the linear RHaGB and an ACDNR and another MMT on the non-linear LRHaGB combination...maybe an MMT too many, even though the last one was less intense. Thank you for the kind words and feedback - I really want to keep improving, so I appreciate it from everyone!

Thank you! I try not to push my data too hard when I process, going for as "natural" a look as possible (I don't always succeed). To be fair to the other poster, almost as soon as I brought the Ha-enhanced red into the RGB combination in I could see those regions were a little deeper than my previous efforts, so I had to go easy on overall saturation. And I've seen the blues elsewhere...I'd have to selectively saturate the blues a lot to get close to that...but I don't think I would avoid artefacts doing things that way. I really like the image as you say - a good 10 hours of data in basically new moon conditions. I'm definitely going to give the overall 3 year data combination a go - I would have an integration of 30 hours or so!

Thank you for the feedback! Yes there is a bit of red clip going on - I brought the Ha in at 50% of the overall red channel very early on in the processing. I might have lost a bit of control that way - in the past I've brought the Ha at a later stage.

(An update - this image has been published in the November edition of Astronomy Now magazine...a first for me and incredibly humbling...and a motivation to keep making the most of every clear night! It's taken me almost 4 years to get to this level, but so worth it!) Hi everyone - me again.... Another year, another M31! I got a pretty decent result last year in pretty bad sky conditions - this year, I was back in my Bortle 7 garden (Bortle 8 last year) and the moon was almost non-existent this time around...so in theory superior conditions. Something new I tried for this image was to drop the gain values for my broadband filters from their usual values and increase sub length to 60 seconds instead of the usual 30 seconds...the idea was to increase dynamic range and also lower the number of subs on my hard drive! Intriguingly, I now have collected decent data on M31 over the last three years...it might be worth combining them all for a definitive image...hmm... ...thanks for looking! Shot on September 6th and 7th using WO Z73/Rainbow Astro RST-135 mount/Astrodon L,Ha, R, G, B filters. Captured in Voyager, pre-processed in APP and post in PI. 10 hours integration time. Full details here

And here's the "natural palette" version. R = 76%*Ha + 24%*SII, G = OIII, B = 85%*OIII + 15%*Ha

Hi everyone! I've had a crack at this image before, but the previous effort was hampered by focusing issues. This time, the clouds severely limited my imaging time, but the show must go on! This version is in a Hubble palette colour scheme...I'll include a "natural blend" palette version in the next post. Captured using Voyager, pre-processed in APP and post in PixInsight. Setup was Willam Optics Z73, Rainbow Astro RST-135 and Astrodon filters. 4 hours 20 mins integration time. Full details here Thanks for looking!

Thank you! Yes that was a late-night vague comment...to be specific the Askar lens was perfect - I am very happy with this result and the number of adapters included in the box made it a doddle to set up and use. I usually have to fiddle with backspacing with new scopes and lenses, but this one looks good straight away when following the recommended spec. My issues came with the focuser and my capture software not getting on first time out - the unit itself seems well made and fits well onto the lens. However, my capture program of choice, Voyager, just couldn't get an initial v-curve during the setup. It could obviously be the software, the focuser or both...but more likely user error - I'm thinking I have not configured Voyager correctly for this to work. So I lost a couple of hours trying to get that to work to no avail. Luckily NINA autofocused straight off the bat and that led to the image you see above. There were still a couple of times where the v-curves failed, but mostly autofocusing on changing filters worked fine. When it went wrong, what would happen is that the autofocus readings would keep going in one direction to the point where the focus star/stars would be so defocused that they would disappear, and then the software would get confused and the autofocus failed - that happened every time in Voyager, but maybe 1 in 20 times with NINA. The DSD focuser is clearly capable of focusing this lens, so maybe it's just teething troubles. I think I have to tweak something like step size or maximum/minimum limits in the ASCOM setup to eliminate the issues. I hope this helps.

Thank you!

Hi there - I used 56mm spacing overall. The lens (with reducer) requires 55mm backfocus and I added 1mm to account for the Astrodon filters. I think the imaging train was camera 6.5mm + ZWO filter wheel 20mm + M42 male spacer 2mm + 11mm spacer + 16.5mm spacer = 56mm I hope that helps.

For me, the Veil disappeared behind my trees at about 1am, so I managed to get 10 subs in on the Heart and Soul nebulae...only Ha though, maybe I'll stack those and post it anyway...the subs were dramatic! I also captured 3 subs of the Sadr region on the second night before the clouds kibboshed the fun...alas the weather's looking glum over here for the next week at least, so I'll settle for the Veil as a finished image. The Askar lens is a keeper!

Thank you! Yes - I also was "cloudwatching" during this capture, as well as babysitting the autofocus in case the V-curves failed. I must say I am enjoying the wider field of view compared to my usual 430mm focal length. I look forward to seeing your finished image - it looks like you're getting some solid integration time.

Hi everyone, I managed to get some imaging time in the last week - a couple of partial nights, but enough to produce an image - hooray! This image also represents first light for my Askar FMA180 lens as well as the DeepSkyDad focusing solution. Both more or less performed well - nice to get the whole nebula in a single frame! Due to some focuser setup issues, this was captured with NINA instead of the usual Voyager, using the ASI1600MM Pro camera and the Rainbow Astro RST-135 mount. 4 hours total integration time. Full details here Thank you for looking!

Hi everyone, It feels like it's been an absolute age...the weather just has not cooperated... Anyway, this is first light for my ASI 2600MC Pro camera and why not go for a composite image right off the bat?! I've always wanted to capture these two nebulae together in the same image and the larger sensor of the new camera enabled me to do this in just 2 panels, which was great! I've taken a number of NGC7000 images before, including in narrowband with more details, but something about this true colour image just wows me all over again. Taken on warm summer nights in astronomical twilight. APP was used for all pre-processing, including combining the panels. Captured in Voyager and post-processed in Pixinsight. 9 hours total integration. Full details here Thanks for looking!

Hi there - I only saw this message today - sorry for the late reply. Unfortunately the roof obsy project has been mothballed - the builders have framed the ceiling of that room in case I want to go ahead with it in future...about 1.1m2 of clear aperture... ...what is ironic is that I recently picked up an RST-135 before seeing your post! But the motivation was very different - I'd resigned myself to having to set up and tear down in the garden every clear night for the foreseeable future...so the Rainbow Astro appealed by being very quick to set up and very light, while performing pretty well. And, now that I think about it, and after reading your post, it could well end up being stationed in the "Observatory" (as the room is still called) and would be perfect for it in terms of compactness! I would probably keep the focal length to below 500mm if I were to go ahead with that...probably pair with a RASA 8 or something like that.... ....but that's a few years away - thanks for the suggestion! Great minds, etc...

Thank you very much!

Hi everyone! I had this data in various folders on my hard drive for a while - I collected M42 photons about a year ago almost as a side project, in between subs of other DSOs I was capturing at the time. A bit like finding pound coins down the back of the sofa! The core is blown as usual for me on this object...next time will need more than the 20 5 second Lum subs I tried to incorporate for a HDR image! I also only used my Ha data in a 30% weighting in the Red channel, because the Ha image was very blown out! Nothing added to Lum. A redder M42 than my previous effort. Full details here Thank you for looking!

The postman brought me...a Rainbow Astro RST-135 mount! I've had an iOptron CEM25P pretty much since starting the hobby in 2018 and have been battling with DEC backlash issues for over a year. So once the last paycheck went in I fully intended to get a CEM70G as the upgrade to hopefully solve my issues and also use my EDGE 8 HD for imaging, but then I thought about having to set up 17kgs of mount every clear night...and plumped for the RST-135 instead! No mount balancing, no counterweights needed for my widefield rig and light (3kg)! I hope to get first light tonight and I'm hopeful it can cope with the EDGE too, but I'd be more inclined to sell the EDGE than the mount if that doesn't work. Of course on ordering the RST-135, I somehow managed to tighten the DEC belt on the CEM25P properly...but no looking back. The Rainbow Astro is a beauty...

Hi everyone! It's been a while for me due to a house renovation, so great to finally get back to the house and in the garden imaging. A full moon night meant that I was always going aim for something that was transiting North, so the Heart fit the bill. This could also be the last time I use my iOptron CEM25P mount for a while as I've recently upgraded my mount. I added Ha to Lum using a 35:65 ratio and also added Lum to the Red channel using a 70:30 ratio. I masked the stars, so they would stay RGB. Imaged using CEM25P/ASI1600MM-Pro/Astrodon filters...captured using Voyager, processed in APP (pre-) and PixInsight (post-). 7.8 hours integration time. Full details here Thank you for looking!

Thank you maw lod qan and bottletopburly for the kind words! I don't know about talented, but maybe experienced! I'm approaching 3 years into this exhilarating hobby and, certainly for the widefield refractor setup, I have a process for capture and processing steps that I've settled on which gives nice results! As you know, a LOT of trial and error needed to get up to that point! SCTs are a different matter...

Thank you!

Hi Andrew, Just as a follow up to show the improvement on the CEM25P Edge combo, here was my second attempt at a galaxy, M81...with further refinement and improvements to the overall rig, this scope can definitely work on the CEM25P...you've got to want it though! Thanks for the kind words!

Hi there - sorry to take so long to get back to you. Moving from a refractor to the Edge has been a massive challenge - lots of new things to learn. Very fussy with the reducer and spacing. Needed a more sensitive guide cam when using an OAG at 2032mm! All of the above! My mount has had DEC issues for a while, but if it didn't I think I could get it to work on the CEM25P. However, a new mount is my next priority, probably something like the CEM70 to get the most out of the scope. With the Edge HD on the CEM25P, you would need some extra counterweights and as long as your mount is mechnically fine, it should work. This focal length does amplify errors in your imaging train or any mount issues though, so if you have any backlash like mine does, I would probably upgrade the mount. I hope that helps!

Thank you Paul and Crackabarrel...yes a pretty satisfying result from a not promising location! Also not helping is my mount which is struggling now, next to no South movement in PHD2...will need to open it up and try to tighten the DEC belt...but thankfully, this focal length is very forgiving!

Hi Everyone! This has been a disruptive year for me (even apart from the pandemic) resulting in a house move right in the middle of nebula season! But while temporarily staying at my mother's house with my equipment, I managed to get a couple of nights' worth of data of M31 from her garden in Tooting, South West London. I lost quite a few subs to...foxes triggering the neighbour's security light! But got a good amount of data. This year I managed to get more Ha into the image by masking the stars and blending it with the red channel. 8 hours of LHaRGB data - captured in Bortle 8-9 skies. WO Z73/ASI1600/CEM25P combination. Full details here Thank you for looking!