Snoani

Thank you to the judges, I am genuinely surprised and honoured given the excellent images in this category.

A well regarded book on the subject is Every Photon Counts. https://www.firstlightoptics.com/books/making-every-photon-count-steve-richards.html

You can. My first action is to delete them before transferring the FITS files. If you ever transfer FITS files back onto the ASIAIR, such as for the purpose of plate solving, it will create a new thumbnail.

I would challenge this to a point. I traded in my star tracker for a GTi and use it on the light star adventure tripod with good results. Like the 2i pro it can be used as a tracker in the field with AA batteries and controlled using the mobile phone app but has the versatility to be a full goto tracking mount in the right circumstances. The mount itself is certainly heavier than its predecessors but it is definitely still portable. I have a full guided setup with an ASIAIR that fits in a camera rucksack, with the exception of the above tripod entirely. My personal setup is designed around access to mains power but I think there are ways and means to still use this effectively in the field.

I present the Witch Head Nebula, located near Rigel in the Orion Constellation, which is where the majority of the light that shows this up as a reflection nebula. I had some limitation to the amount of data I could capture and this image is made up of 1h 15mins of each RGB and 2h 30mins of luminance, captured between 20 - 22 January 2023. It was processed using a combination of Pixinsight and Photoshop. Equipment used is ASI 1600MM Pro, Baader LRGB filters on a William Optics GT81 mounted on an HEQ5.

For my second entry I am pleased to present the constellation of Orion, coveted by so many astrophotographers. This is my first attempt at a mosaic and made up of two panels and I have to admit it was a very difficult process which I think is due to the lens used to capture the data. I used a 24mm lens at f5.4 and there is significant elongation of the stars around the edges and particularly in the corners so when I tried to stitch them together using Image Composite Editor and then again in Pixinsight, both programs introduced artifacts that came out in editing. I therefore painstakingly put them together manually and needing to deal with a lot of issues along the way. It is processed using a combination of Photoshop and a little Pixinsight and given the difficulties and limitations I am pleased with how it turned out. The equipment used is a Sigma 24mm Super Wide II manual lens at F5.4, a ZWO ASI533M mounted onto a Skywatcher Star Adventurer GTi and guided. Each panel is about 4.5 hours of narrowband using an Optolong L-Extreme filter. I also captured 2 hours of RGB for the stars but was only able to use it for the largest stars in this constellation. All data was captured between 17-21st January 2023.

Here is my first of two entries in this category. It is the constellation Auriga. The equipment used is a Sigma 24mm Super Wide II manual lens at F5.4, a ZWO ASI533M mounted onto a Skywatcher Star Adventurer GTi and guided. The data is made up of about 6 hours of narrowband using an Optolong L-Extreme filter and 2 hours with no filter for the stars, all captured between 17-21st January 2023 and processed in Photoshop.

As you will already have determined this is a debate that is essentially about personal preference. I personally started astrophotography using a DSLR, then bought a 1600MM pro and later a 533MC pro for a second more portable rig. Ultimately, I much prefer the results of the mono camera but have produced a few really nice images using the OSC. I'm not sure that I agree that processing OSC is more simple than the mono but the processing for both is very different. However, you do have to do more planning for data acquisition for mono where you are capturing each channel separately. Having used the OSC on the second rig for a while I am currently contemplating swapping it for a second mono camera because I prefer the results that I get. That being said I find that the success of either is hugely dependent on the scope that you couple the camera with. If you are using a Redcat then I am sure you can achieve good images whichever route that you decide to take.

Hi all After a dismal December when I hardly saw a clear sky on the Isle of Wight, I have taken advantage of the crisp and even weather that has hit just at the right time this month to spend some extended time to capture the Flaming Star Nebula. This is a target that I have captured previously but with somewhat disappointing results due to problems with my previous APO. This image is a marked improvement although I am hampered by my limited processing skills, which I still need to develop. Despite owning Pixinsight, I am yet to find a process that works for me when processing LRGB or HaLRGB, although I have found one I like for OSC. I have therefore processed entirely in Photoshop. Given the focal length on my scope I was only intending to capture the Flaming Star Nebula itself but the camera was at a different angle than I has realised and so also accidentally included some of the Tadpoles. I'm generally satisfied but with the data that I have captured I know that it could be processed far better, or at least far more to my liking. The image consists of 8 hours of luminance, 4hours of each RGB and 6 hours of Ha. The equipment used was a William Optics GT81, HEQ5 (Rowan belt) and Baader filters. I have been experiencing some blue bloat and did here, which I don't think I should be given the scope and I can only think this is due to the blue filter and so I am tempted to buy a new set such as Antilla filters. However, I don't want to invest if this isn't the issue. I wonder if anybody else experiences the same using Baader filters? I'm sure that I will return to this data some day to see if I can achieve a better result.

I had planned to capture different target for this challenge but the weather my way has been terrible recently which has limited my options. However, I did have a whole night forecast earlier this week and took the opportunity to revisit M45 for the first time in some time. Equipment used is ASI 1600MM Pro and baader LRGB filters on a William Optics GT81 mounted on an HEQ5. This image consists of 56mins of red, 52 mins of green, 57 mins of blue and 145 mins of luminance, all captured on the night of 26th/27th December. There was a not forecast scud of rain just as I was getting up in the morning which resulted in rain on the telescope lens. While I did manage to dry this off, there was a bit of smearing and I decided not to capture flat frames and so I did have some vignetting but think that I have managed to compensate for this is processing. I hope that you like the image.

Thank you for your kind words. If I look at a light pollution map, we are classed as having Bortle 4 skies, but I suspect that they may be between 3-4. Skies to my south are good, with 1 mile of village before the English Channel, but to the north I have Portsmouth and Southampton, which do give a significant gradient below 30-40 degrees. So you may have been ok if you could have put the time in, but as you say that is a commodity when you have to travel.

I recently picked up a cheap second hand Oiii filter to add to my existing LRGB HA filter setup and in my usual fashion I decided to attempt the ambitious. I present the Squid Nebula and Flying Bat Nebula. In total I took 30 hours of Oiii data and discard 6 hours of the worst subs. The Ha data is made up of over 16 hours. As this is my first attempt at capturing an HOO image, it is also my first attempt to process one, and while I am happy with the result I know that it can be processed better, so it may be one that I return to in the future. Equipment used is ASI 1600MM Pro, William Optics GT81, HEQ5, Asiair Plus, ZWO 7nm Ha Filter and Baader 6.5nm Oiii filter. Thanks for looking.

Good evening Following a recent test of a newly put together widefield rig, where I failed in capturing a very ambitious target, I decided to dial back my ambition somewhat and point the lens at a more realistic target, the Veil Nebula. This was captured using a Sigma 105mm macro lens, attached to an ZWO ASI 533MC Pro which were guided on the new Skywatcher Star Adventurer GTI. This image comprises of 8h 25m of data using an L-Extreme filter and 2h 45m of RGB for more natural star colour. I think I need to work on the stars which look a little bit false at close quarters, which I think is something to do with how Starnet processes stars with lens diffraction spikes. Otherwise, I'm generally very happy given the lens wasn't designed for astrophotography. Thanks for looking.

I appreciate all of your responses. I was attempting on the lens and colour camera because I didn't own an Oiii filter and just had the L-Extreme, and didn't think I could fit the flying bat and squid into the frame on my primary scope, which is about 382mm focal length. I genuinely thought they were much larger than they are and when I worked it out I realised that I could just fit them in. I did pick up a second hand Baader Oiii filter this week and used last night to test it, with 95% moon. Below is 2 hours of Oiii data uncalibrated using a mono camera. I've pushed the data quite hard but in 2 hours of 95% moon I'm not far off what I achieved in 20 hours of new moon period above. I therefore think I will dedicate some time on my main scope in the next couple of months and see what I get. I haven't entirely written off the lens attempt just yet because I have also ordered the new Skywatcher Star Adventurer GTi mount this week which would give me GoTo and plate solving for the lens lens, allowing me to not lose valuable imaging time on my primary setup, so I may add to this data as well at some point. You've taken a very nice image by the way Walle.

Regretfully I don't. The gain was set at 100 but because I used an ASIAIR and can't control the offset, although the FIT file states it was set at 70. I haven't used the filter for over a year when I moved to a mono camera but I did use it successfully to capture targets when I was originally using a DSLR. The moon shouldn't have been an issue as all data was captures between the last and first quarter. I do has some light pollution in my northern sky but the target was at 60 degrees and over, which doesn't normally cause me too many issues.

After a period of limited opportunities, the latest new moon period has given a lot of clear skies on the Isle of Wight and I took the opportunity to experiment a little using a new setup involving a camera lens and cooled camera. The exact setup is a Sigma 105mm macro lens, ZWO ASI 533MC Pro, Optolong L-Extreme filter, mounted and guided on a HEQ5. I could have attempted an easier target but having done some research and with the lens stepped down to F4, I decided to image the Flying Bat Nebula and Squid Nebula. I regretfully lost about 6 hours of data to a guiding issue that I couldn't identify the cause of, but in total I managed to acquire 16h 50m of data. I probably could have captured another 6 hours in the last few days but having seen what I had at this point, I decided to abandon my attempt. This was a test of the lens setup as much as the target and while I am encouraged by the widefield capabilities, I was genuinely optimistic and disappointed that I couldn't capture more of the Squid Nebula. I've only processed it relatively quickly in Pixinsight and Photoshop but I don't think I can tease out much more of the OIII data. I'm glad I tested the capabilities of the lens, filter camera combo, but I do rue to loss of 20h hours that I could have used to image something substantial via my primary rig. it looks like I may be about to pick up a second-hand OIII filter and therefore may return to attempt this target in a different way in the future, but for now I have moved onto a new target and the Squid Nebula will have to remain on my astrophotography to do list. This hobby wouldn't be interesting if it was easy and so I will continue to dream and develop (and spend too much).

This is my first attempt to image M106 and a few companion galaxies. It is made up of just 4.5 hours (90 x 3mins) of data. I did image about 9 hours in total but I lost a lot about half to some form of camera shake or guiding issue that gave star trails or double stars. The images were captured with an ASI 533MC Pro, William Optics GT81, HEQ5 (rowan belt) and Asiair Pro. All subs taken between 04 May - 06 May 2022 and processed using DSS, photoshop and Starnet V.2.

My galaxy cluster is M100, with a least five other galaxy in the frame. It is made up of just over 6 hours (120 x 3mins) of data, taken using a ASI 533MC Pro, William Optics GT81, HEQ5 and Asiair Pro. All subs taken between 24 April - 29 April 2022.

I currently own both a ZWO mono and OSC camera so I can make a direct comparison. After starting with a modified DSLR, I decided to go mono about 18 months ago and have been using the ZWO 1600MM to image LRGB, and I love it. The difference in quality between the DSLR and mono is huge, example here. I would note that I started with cheaper filters and then picked up some Baader filters which improved the images as well. Generally I don't find the requirement of imaging the different filters too bad, although there can be weeks between starting and finishing an image where I run out of time due to weather or the moon but I leave the camera on the scope and can just resume. There has been lots of conversation in this thread about how to take flats. I'm not going to suggest whether anyone is right or wrong, but I take flats for each filter and don't find it takes too long and will therefore continue. I do find that the very short nights in the summer mean that mono work can be spread over many nights to get enough data, but then the weather is generally better and so often I complete a project in the same amount of time once you factor in the winter weather. I have however very recently picked up a second hand ZWO 533MC for a couple of reasons. First to give me a speedier option in the summer and second so that I could have a cooled option for my Skyguider Pro and lens setup. I have tested this camera recently and was really happy with the results, example here. If I were to recommend one over the other it would definitely be the mono first, but if you did decide to save some money by buying a OSC I don't think you'd be too disappointed either. Jem

The stars also look stretched in the corners. Are you using a field flattener?

This is my second and probably final entry for this category showing the Dark Shark Nebula. It is made up of just over 10 hours of data luminance and 3 hours of each RGB taken using a ASI 1600MM Pro, Baader Filters, William Optics GT81, HEQ5 and Asiair Pro. All data was taken on the 25th and 26th February 2022. Despite what is a lot of luminance data for me to capture, I still had trouble processing it and had to rely on StarNet to keep the stars under control.

Great job. It has some fantastic detail.

Here is my first entry of dust around and obscuring the M78 reflection nebula. It is made up of just over 10 hours of data, taken using a ASI 533MC Pro, William Optics GT81, HEQ5 and Asiair Pro. Edited to say that all subs were captured between 21st - 24st February 2022.

Good evening I picked up a second hand ZWO ASI 533MC Pro last week and fortuitously upon receipt the clouds have cleared, the moon has waned, the wind has temporarily dropped and I have taken advantage of this opportunity to give it a good test. I am pleased to present my first attempt at capturing the beautiful M78, which has been on my wish list for some time. This image is made up of a little over 10 hours of subs, taken using a William Optics GT81 and HEQ5 (rowan belt), I also wanted to share a single sub that I came across when checking them this morning. I have experienced 3-4 satellite trails in a sub before, but 9 is just silly. I can only assume that Starlink are to blame for this intrusion. Thanks for looking.

It is a beautiful image and an interesting composition I've not seen before. Good job.