GiorgioF

On 25/01/2020 at 18:05, MartinB said:

thumbs up for Tiziana, the colours look great!

Thanks Martin. Glad you like

It's a team work.

Wonderful images! How did you managed the stars?

A detail of soul nebula HSO.

4+4 hours Ha and O3.

Mix of techniques in PI and PS.

This has satisfy me.

As usual, a special thanks to my "eyes" Tiziana. Her suggestions on colours are invaluable.

An experiment in tone map, with 4+4 hours in Ha and O3.

200mm Nikon and asi1600mm

Cropped.

Work in progress

51 minutes ago, vlaiv said:

When binning cmos images - don't do it while imaging - record as you normally record - at full resolution.

Then in processing stage, after you calibrate your subs and before you start stacking - bin them and stack them binned. Since you are using PI - binning is available as integer resample tool.

Here is documentation page explaining it:

https://pixinsight.com/doc/tools/IntegerResample/IntegerResample.html

Just set method to average when down sampling and down sample by factor of x2 or x3. You don't have to wait for additional data - you can do it on data that you already have.

I'll sure give a try on this! Amazing hint! This weekend, work in progress!

51 minutes ago, vlaiv said:

That is not true. Any sort of binning produces improvement in SNR - regardless if it is software or hardware type of binning. 

Uhm... You make me thinking.

I always got that cmos give no improvement but your explanation has some base to be considered.

As soon as weather will allow me, I will try to gather O3 (that is always weak) with bin2x.

Thank you!

On 14/01/2020 at 18:40, vlaiv said:

There is no much OIII in this target and you have captured it.

If you have 80 x 5 minutes in both OIII and Ha that would make it 6 hours and 40 minutes in each channel - that is plenty to make good image.

Since you attached 1600 x 1200 image - that means that you don't mind smaller image. You can boost your SNR by binning your data. Bin x2 will give you x2 boost in SNR and about 2200 x 1700 image, while bin x3 will give you x3 boost in SNR and something like 1500 x 1100 image. You can choose which one is better depending on how large you want your image to be.

Next - you can use Ha layer to be luminance layer and use Ha+OIII just for color. Background is a bit too light - it can be darker and there are noise reduction artifact - maybe ease a bit on noise reduction.

Thanks Vlav for the detailed feedback. I really appreciate.

I agree about binning but with my cmos there is no advantage unlike ccd.  I will try to darken a little the background.

Just a note, I explain maybe in a bad way. 6 hours and 40 is the total H and O together.

Again thanks for your suggestions.

Undecided if post it or not.

Let's say I'm satisfied about this image but not as much I would. I feel it can be improved. Maybe also on colours but honestly, with my eye colour blindness, not easy.

TS80ED flattened and asi1600mm.

Eq5 (I want a better one...) And postprocessed in Pixinsight.

80 light of 300" in Ha and O3.

How to boost the already captured O3?

How to improve the process?

C&CC really appreciate.

Clear skies!

Woah..... Seems both are good.... I've done the starless in artistic way (different colours that doesn't match the SHO palette) mainly because I have some kind of colour blindness. But the result, at the end, is not so bad....

Hard choice here 

Someone like the artistic some other the more traditional one...

Could you help me in the choice?

From this, will continue the project.

6 minutes ago, alan potts said:

I don't normally like these at all but I have to say this one has a real something about that I like. Really nice image.

Alan

 

Thank you Alan. Really appreciate.

As soon as I have some time I would like to manage the stars that always give me trouble.

Here we go with another project.

At the moment only the starless version of this beautiful subject.

Suggestion always welcome, with thanks

8 hours ago, lux eterna said:

Good results being only 4 hours ! Are you planning for Ha-RGB or maybe Ha-OIII ? What camera, exposures, mount and guiding do you use ?

Ragnar

Thanks Ragnar! The first idea is a bicolour Ha-OIII, but will see at the end about the RGB. This especially for the stars.

The acquisition data are my usual: asi1600mmc over a EQ5. All from a bortle 8 urban area. About guiding, I always use a 60/240 guidescope with a qhy5l and phd2.

With this setup and a baader 7nm Ha filter I can go with 600" light at gain 200 without big problem.

21 hours ago, alan potts said:

Lovely work, from that angle the Soul looks like a Teddy Bear sideways on. I did the Soul last night but I have a spacing issue with the Borg scope that needs putting right.

Alan

The idea of a teddy bear is a new one but you are right! I'm also in with continuous fine tuning but sadly the weather.....

11 hours ago, lux eterna said:

Hi Giorgio,

One of my most valuable modifications is this combined hinge and raiser. It lets me fold down the head so I can transport the complete mount & tripod in the back of my car. And because of the height extension (the wooden block) I gain a few hours before having to flip the mount (to avoid the camera touching the tripod).

https://stargazerslounge.com/uploads/monthly_2016_07/heq5_1.jpg.2654501a8aa167c12703b71679fc4fcc.jpg 1.07 MB · 0 downloads

 

Of course, you can just do the wooden block & threaded bar if you only need the height adjustment.

Ragnar

Wow... This idea is mind blowing! Congratulations!

I should consider the wood, maybe a hard one.

Hi guys.

I'm using a Skywatcher EQ5 mount (Skyscan, but not important).

In order to gain some more degree in the celestial, I would like to make an extension to the tripod.

Basically interpose an elongation between mount and head.

Have someone already done something similar? Can you share? Whatever: drawings, idea, pictures, suggestion and so on, all are welcome

Many thanks for the help

First one. Don't know how to explain but some part has a kind of transparency between the colors that make a veil effect (....and talking about Veil nebula......;) )

Nice one. What camera? 400 gain seems a lot. Also 200 (that I use for Ha) seems already a lot...

But you get very clean and good details!

And nothing...I suppose I fall in love with the 200mm focal length. This is tailor cut for the Heart and soul complex.

Frame is nicely filled and details start to come out.

It is just the first set of 4hours in Ha that will increase as soon as weather will cooperate.

For this project I change the single ring 80-200 with a more recent dual ring lens.

Seems some problem in the past shots (elongated stars) was due to some internal issue as in this image, the one with the stars, things are greatly improved. A small remain of tilt for which I must work around.

To be continued....

An image to keep as example for both acquisition and post processing.

1 hour ago, Hallingskies said:

Yes, I messed the framing up.  Normally I take a single full length sub and then adjust the framing accordingly.  In this case, I started with blue frames, of which there isn’t too strong a signal.  I could see the main nebulosity was off to one side but for some reason I didn’t adjust it - I think I was too busy tweaking the guiding.   By the time I got the first sequence run finished I was too far in to change the framing as clear nights are a rare thing these days.  Lesson learned.

I know what you mean. Last night, rare good sky but humidity like rain, I trusted to much the first two frames O3 and let setup go...

The anti dew was not connected to the power. Three hours just trash....

Very nice and detailed starless version. Agree with you, some stars will complete it.

As an open cluster I suppose will be difficult to say which star belong to mel15.  Maybe an arbitrary choice based on your eye?

I agree, also with Alan. The subject deserve more data.

Very nice details anyway.

This has been my favourite Xmas photo since I "discover" the flaming star. It reminds me the fireplace in a early Holy Night. 

Your image is detailed and balanced. I like how you make all the shades of the red and how is fading on the background. Stars are almost perfect (Envy this....)

One personal, aesthetic note. With a slightly different framing, maybe a little big angle to include the "flame" (in your photo the right side) the effect of a fire will be more evident.

2 hours ago, Mr Spock said:

The 80-200 f2.8 is one of the sharpest zooms ever made. Modern lenses can't come close. However, it wasn't meant for astro and many Nikon lenses suffer from coma - it's not a design priority.

The diffraction spikes are due to the 9 bladed diaphragm. You are better off making a manual stop for the front of the lens so you can use it wide open.

Uhm.....the manual iris sounds quite nice.

But should say the spikes are not a disturbing factor than the elongated stars.

Will work about....

Ps.yes, it's really one of the sharpest lens.