R1k

This is a work in progress. 6.5 hours on M101 using a 294MC-pro and 10” f4 newt. Uncropped FOV and a tight crop on the core. Pleased with the fine detail but the colour doesn’t seem right to me.

I use APP and PS

Anyone have processing suggestions?

2 minutes ago, Catanonia said:

wow, that is a cracking sub

So 4mins at F4, I would need 4x that for a F8.

I took over 200 subs at F8 2000mm and got nowhere near the detail you did. 

Nice work

Thanks very much, I was really pleased. I think I’ve hit a sweet spot with this setup (294 and 10” f4 newt). Image scale is 0.96 arc sec/pixel which helps.

What bortle class are you shooting from? I assume you’re using an RC10? 

1 hour ago, Catanonia said:

Amazing detail there   Cracking image

Can you post a single sub as I am playing with this target at F8 2000mm and getting nowhere near this detail.

 

Here’s a single uncalibrated 4 minute sub

Messier 1 - Crab Nebula Supernova Remnant

Photographed from my home in Bortle 6 North West England

18/3/22 and 20/3/22

My first deep sky image from home for a while and I am really pleased with it!

Equipment:

- Skywatcher EQ6-R pro

- Skywatcher 10 inch f4 Quattro

- Skywatcher Aplanatic coma corrector

- Skywatcher Evoguide 50ED + ZWO ASI 120MM-mini

- ZWO ASI 294MC pro

- ZWO EAF

- Optolong L-eXtreme

- Pegasus Powerbox advance

Acqusition:

- Lights: 55 x 240s at gain 125, offset 30, cooled to -15c

- Darks: 30

- Flats: 30 + 30

- Darkflats: 30+30

Processing:

- APP, PS, StarXterminator, Topaz

fantastic image!

Hi guys, I have recently acquired a (?2014) model 300p flextube dob. The focuser drawtube appears to be 57mm in diameter as opposed to the usual 2inch that I’m used to with my 200p dob. The scope has come with a 2inch eyepiece adaptor as pictured however I am not able to achieve sufficient inward focus when attaching my DSLR with 2 inch nosepiece/T-ring.

do you know if there is a low profile version of a 57mm - 48mm eyepiece adaptor or alternatively if anyone sells a 57mm T-ring nosepiece? 
 

thanks!

Stunning image. What settings (gain, offset, exposure) are you using with the 178MM?

Here’s my latest image of IC 410, an emission nebula in the constellation of Auriga. The “Tadpoles” in this image are 10 light-year long regions of active star formation. This image is in HOO

Technical details:

- Skywatcher EQ6R-Pro

- ZWO ASI 294MC-pro

- Explore Scientific ED APO 102mm F7 FCD-100 Triplet Carbon Fibre

- Altair starwave 0.8x field flattener

- ZWO ASI-120MM-mini guide camera

- Skywatcher Evoguide 50ED guidescope

- 2 inch mounted Optolong L-eXtreme

- ZWO EAF

- Pegasus powerbox advance

Acquisition and processing:

- 34 x 300s (2h 50min), gain 125, offset 30, -15c

- Darks - 30

- Flats - 30

- Darkflats - 30

- APP/PS/Topaz/StarXterminator

Technical details:

- Skywatcher EQ6R-Pro

- ZWO ASI 294MC-pro

- Explore Scientific ED APO 102mm F7 FCD-100 Triplet Carbon Fibre

- Hotech SCA 1x field flattener

- ZWO ASI-120MM-mini guide camera

- Skywatcher Evoguide 50ED guidescope

- 2 inch mounted Optolong L-pro

- 40 x 180s and 15 x 300s, gain 125, offset 30, -15c

- Darks - 30

- Flats - 30

- Darkflats - 30

- APP/PS/Topaz/StarXterminator

Fantastic image, really love the natural star colour, very well presented.

love that western veil in broadband!

6 hours ago, MartinB said:

Superb work.  Amazing what can be achieved in 29 mins with a DSLR and a simple tracker.

Cheers, I was surprised too. Dark skies and fast optics are king.

37 minutes ago, callisto said:

Very nice R1k 

 

Mark

Thanks mark!

The one and only.

Andromeda Galaxy shot from Bortle 3 skies in the Lake District. Just 29 minutes integration (29 x 60s) with no calibration frames.

Equipment:

- Canon 800d(a)

- Skywatcher Star Adventurer Pro 2i

- Samyang 135mm f2 (at f2.8)

Fantastic Emil!

Crescent “should’ve been named Brain” nebula
1 hour integration

Bortle 6 NW UK

Another image from a night battling the full moon on 21/11/21. I’m surprised at how much detail and faint OIII signal (the blue bubble) has come out in just 1 hour of integration. Really highlights the benefits of shooting with a big and fast (f4) Newtonian with oodles of light gathering capabilities. I’ve gone for a starless image here to show off the structure (and because I haven’t fully optimised the collimation and corrected focuser tilt yet)

Equipment:
- Skywatcher EQ6-R pro
- Skywatcher 10 inch f4 Quattro
- Skywatcher Aplanatic coma corrector
- Skywatcher Evoguide 50ED + ZWO ASI 120MM-mini
- ZWO ASI 294MC pro
- Optolong L-eXtreme
- Pegasus Powerbox advance

Acqusition:
- Lights: 12 x 300s at gain 200, offset 30, cooled to -10c
- Darks: 30 from library

Processing:
- APP, Ha and Oiii extract algorithms
- correct vignette and light pollution gradients in APP (no flats)
- on Ha and Oiii images in PS - star removal, topaz denoise, curves, levels, contrast enhancements using high pass filter
- Combine Ha and Oiii images (Ha to red, Oiii to green and blue) denoise and de-texturing of background using layer masks, saturation boost in ACR, further curves adjustments, heavy crop.

superb image, looks great in hi res

Equipment:

- Canon 800D(a)

- Skywatcher Star Adventurer Pro 2i

- Samyang 85mm f1.4

Acqusition:

- Lights: 17 x 180s subexposures, ISO800, f4

- Darks: 3

Processing:

- APP – stack, calibrate, autostretch

- PS – Topaz Denoise AI, StarXterminator, stretch for dust, saturation and vibrance, add stars, Starpikes plugin for glow around stars

Full resolution here - https://www.astrobin.com/khc1tr/

Very pleased with the detail in this considering the short focal length (heavy crop) and total integration. CC welcomed. Instagram @paradoxctor

Bortle 6 North West UK - July 2020

Equipment:
- Skywatcher EQ6R pro
- ZWO ASI 294MC-pro
- Explore Scientific ED APO 102mm F7 FCD-100 Triplet Carbon Fibre
- Hotech SCA 1x field flattener
- ZWO ASI-120MM-mini guide camera
- Skywatcher Evoguide 50ED guidescope
- 2 inch mounted Optolong L-eXtreme

Acquisition:
- Sharpcap polar alignment, ASCOM guiding/dithering with PHD2
- APT image acquisition
- Lights – 57 x 300s at -10c, gain 200, offset 30 (total integration 285 minutes)
- Darks – 30
- Flats – 30
- Dark flats - 30

Procesing:
- Images calibrated and stacked in APP using Ha and Oiii extract algorithms
- Autostretched images saved as 16 bit TIFF
- In photoshop
a) StarXterminator on both ha and oiii images
b) Topaz Denoise Ai
c) HDR processing - select colour range tool to create a layer mask of the overexposed core, curves adjustment to improve core detail. Layer mask to selectively stretch for the outer faint shells.
b) high pass filtering to nebula to selectively increase contrast
c) further denoise
d) combine ha and oiii processed images
e) add stars back in using layer mask
f) colour balance adjustment and saturation boost using ACR and colour mixer
g) star minimisation using minimum filter
h) very very heavy crop

4 minutes ago, happy-kat said:

if you have static foreground then Sequator will stack and let you mark out the foreground area to preserve.

Unfortunately I shot it all from one spot with a tracker. Tried everything in Sequator and PS but as the foreground blurs in each exposure i couldn’t correct it 

7 hours ago, Zummerzet_Leveller said:

Hi Rik, I've had similar issues with foreground blending, especially with trees, the best thing I have found to do is to slightly cheat.  Take the tracked image out of the overhang of the trees and then do the foreground shots back under the canopy, then merge the two in your image processing software of choice.  As long as it's the same patch of sky at around the same time it's only a little bit of a cheat.

Thanks, this does make sense! I always thought it was cheating but I guess if that’s the way to do it, that’s the way to do it!

thanks

17 hours ago, FenlandPaul said:

Superb, Rik - loads of stuff bursting out of that image.  Blending tracked shots can be tricky, that’s for sure.

Seeing this has made me very excited that my 6D should return from being Astro-modded today!! 

Ah great! Looking forward to seeing how you get on with it!

14 hours ago, doublevodka said:

Picked up some nice detail there 👍

It reminded me of a video I've watched which may help with the trees situation? 

 

Thanks, the issue is that my foreground exist within my tracked shots. The Sequator freeze ground function only works when you’re shooting on a static tripod.

This is an image from a recent night in the Lake District (Bortle 3) and comprises 18 minutes integration in 9 x 2 minute tracked sub-exposures.

Unfortunately, I just could not blend in the untracked foreground trees no matter how hard I tried despite various attempts at layer masks and various stacking settings in Sequator.

Nevertheless, I’m pleased with the main focus of the image, there are several well known DSOs visible and lots of faint, dark nebulae and dust seen above Orion and particularly between the California nebula and the Pleiades.

Must have another go at this field of view with a simpler foreground and longer exposure when the opportunity next arises!

Equipment:

- Canon 800d (astromodded)

- SW SA pro 2i

- Optolong CLS-CCD clip in filter

- Samyang 14mm f2.8

Acquisition:

- Lights - 9 x 2 minutes, ISO1600, f4

- Darks - 4

2 hours ago, davew said:

I agree with Paul that your colours are really good. You've got that SA singing. Lovely stuff.

On a personal note, I think I'd like to see more of the foreground as the area is quite beautiful even in the dark 🙂

Dave.

Thanks got the kind words. I agree I need to up the foreground game! Will take it on board