ParallaxPete

Full version is on my Astrobin... https://www.astrobin.com/full/41hyqj/F/

I decided to test the new version of BXT using an image of M13 I took in 2022. As the new version is said to do a much better job on stars trying it out on a globular cluster seemed like a good test. Have to say I'm not disappointed with the result, I was reasonably happy with the original image but the new version is so much better. Anyway, this was taken with my Esprit 100 and ASI2600mm Pro (40mins each R/G/B). Comments welcome as always.

Hope this is the right place for this post. Just finished building myself a new imaging rig and thought it may be of interest to someone. As we have so few clear nights in Scotland I decided I wanted to have a dual setup to capture more data per night. I love my Esprit 100 but craved something with a slightly wider field of view and has focuser/camera rotators etc so went down the StellaMira 90ED route. The cameras are ASI2600 mono with LRGBSHO Antlia filters, the mount is a Skywatcher CQ350. I also added Deep Sky Dad flat panels to make taking flats a bit easier. Thank you for looking, comments always welcome.

Another reprocess using BlurXT. I like going back and reprocessing older images when a new tool comes out as you quite often discover something new. I uploaded this revised M51 image to Astrobin and the automated platesolver picked up IC4285 which I hadn't seen in previous revisions. I'm sure this won't be anything special to more experienced imagers but I was pleased as it's probably the most distant object I've captured so far at just over 1 billion light years. Once again I used my Esprit 100 and ASI2600MC.

Lovely sparkly images🙂. You process your stars a hell of a lot better than I do! Your Owl cluster image is outstanding.

That's a cracking image. BlurXTerminator seems to be a bit of a hit/miss with people depending on their point of view (and I can see both sides of the argument), but I really like it as it enables me to achieve a much better result even if it is 'cheating'. I've just taken delivery of a SharpStar 76EDPH with matching reducer as I wan't to start getting some much wider field images. At 334mm focal length it will likely be very close your field of view so looking forward to using it in anger🙂. It'll also be setup in a Bortle 4 zone rather than the 6/7 that the above image was taken in.

It's probably just my processing, I tend to like quite soft images so I make stars a bit 'soft' which certainly won't be to everyone's taste. I just used BlurXTerminator in it's default settings which does actually reduce the stars quite substantially, but I really like the end result.

Thought I would give BlurXTerminator a go having seen a few images processed with it, have to say I'm happy as a pig in poo and very impressed with the results. My attempts at using deconvolution in Pixinsight have been average at best (more than likely operator error) so I don't really do it anymore as I find it too slow and tedious. The results using BlurXTerminator are fantastic (imho anyway) so just wanted to show my M31 data as I am very pleased with it. I'll shut up now as this is starting to sound like a sales pitch. This is around 3 hours of data taken with my Esprit 100 and ASI2600MC from a Bortle 6/7 zone. Edit: A before/after comparison for a bit of context.

The weather in this part of the world hasn't been the best recently so I've been spending time reprocessing some of my earlier images as my processing workflow is always improving. I know it isn't really the time of year for this target, but I have just finished reprocessing M13 and recorded the process I used. I am certainly not an expert but hopefully someone finds this useful. Anyway, this was taken using my Esprit 100 and ASI2600MM Pro with 40 mins each of RGB @ Gain 100 (-15C). Comments good and bad always welcome. The processing video is here... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8F3SqFoxM8

I use Pixinsight and Gimp. You are correct, the stars in the core are actually well resolved, but I'm always a bit torn between really bringing out the central stars and leaving a bit of glow as I feel the cluster can end up looking a bit 'flat'. However, I actually uploaded a revised version to Astrobin yesterday that has the core a little more resolved and the background stars muted a little to make the cluster 'pop' a bit more.

Thank you. GC's are indeed a bit tricky. I initially had the stars in the core better defined but I feel, at least to me anyway, that this tends to make the cluster look more like a disc of stars rather than a ball. Nothing wrong with either look, but I definitely prefer the 'ball' look.

First light for my ASI2600MM Pro. I have been using an ASI2600MC Pro with my Esprit 100 for the past year, but as I tend to follow an LRGB workflow now it made sense to have a go using a mono camera. Very happy with the results so far. I have also switched to an OAG which has improved my tracking a bit as well. Anyway, this is 2hrs 20mins of luminance and 120mins total for RGB. Comments good and bad always welcome.

We had the first decent night in a while in the north east of Scotland so it would have been rude not to image something. I decided on Markarian's Chain as I hadn't imaged it before. It wasn't due to get above 25 degrees until around 22:30 so I decided to try and get a quick image of the Horsehead nebula while I waited. This is now very low in the sky so I felt going for a HOO image would give me the best chance to get a decent image. Anyway, these were both taken using my Esprit 100 and ASI2600MC. I used the L-Pro (60 x 300s) for Markarian's Chain and the L-Extreme (9 x 300s) for the Horse Head. Markarian's Chain was a bit of an ordeal to process due to being buried in the glow coming from Aberdeen (Bortle 6/7) but I'm fairly happy with the end result. As always any comments good or bad are welcome 🙂.

Thank you, I always find that M31 looks a bit 'cold' (if that makes any kind of sense!), so I like to reduce the green levels just a touch to give it a very slight warm pink/purple tint.

Due to the lack of clear nights I have been spending a lot of time improving my processing skills and going back and reprocessing my previous images. This is a reprocess of my M31 data I took in back in November. Esprit 100, ASI2600MC Pro & Optolong L-Pro 80 x 180s Lights 15 x 180s Darks 15 x Flats & Dark Flats This is the original image...

Apologies for the late reply. Thank you for the kind words 🙂

Happy New Year to one and all! This is my first image of the year. My intention was to try and create an SHO style image of the Heart Nebula but it didn't turn out quite as I expected. Having said that I really like the end result which is all that matters I guess. Anyway, this was... 70 x 300s Lights (L-Extreme), 10 x Darks + flats etc. Esprit 100 + ASI2600MC Pro

This is the second image form my recent imaging session, and the first time I have ever imaged M31! I struggled a bit with the processing on this one due to light pollution but I don't think the end result looks too bad. I have been using Siril to date which has served me well but I finally bit the bullet and purchased PixInsight, bit of a learning curve but well worth the money in my humble opinion. Esprit 100, ASI2600MC Pro & Optolong L-Pro 80 x 180s Lights 15 x 180s Darks 15 x Flats & Dark Flats Processed using PI & Topaz Denoise

Thank you. This was... 30 x 180s Lights with Optolong L-Pro 30 x 180s Darks 15 x Flats & Dark Flats Processed using DSS & Siril.

My first image since April time, the weather up in the north east of Scotland has been truly awful. However, there was a wee gap in the rain clouds last night so I took the opportunity to get some data on M45. I'm fairly pleased with the result given the Bortle 7/8 skies and very high humidity. Anyway, this was 90 minutes of data using an Optolong L-Pro filter on my ASI2600MC Pro and Esprit 100.

Nice image, I like these wide field galaxy shots. The galaxies and stars have nice colours in them. I'm no expert, but the background doesn't look too bad in my eyes. However, I do feel your pain, making the background look good in my images drives me mad due to never having enough imaging time.

Decided to bite the bullet and try PixInsight instead of my normal SiriL/Gimp workflow. It isn't exactly the most intuitive of packages to use but works very well once you get used to it. I've spent the afternoon redoing my image as I think I over processed the last one a little; I like my images to look a bit 'soft' if that makes any sense.

We had another clear night up in the NE of Scotland so took the opportunity to have a go at M101. This is probably my 10th attempt at processing this data over the past couple of days, my PC was in danger of being launched out the window so going to call it a day for now. Still not entirely happy with it, but glad to finally have an image of M101 (never imaged it before). Anyway, this was 75 x 180s subs using the Optlong L-Pro filter.

I was initially worried about Starlink trails after seeing how many would cross my field of view in Stellarium, but DSS seems to do a pretty good job of removing them using Kappa-Sigma clipping as mentioned above. I too had around 10-15% of my subs with trails but in end it wasn't an issue.

Wow, fantastic image. Really like these wield field images.