NGC 7635 (Bubble Nebula) - LRGB

[AndyUK]

After taking my longest total number of subs on an image in narrowband (15 hours), I felt as though I needed some quick gratification and some practice with the RGB filters. However, even though this was about my 7th outing with the 314L+, I'm still making some really crass mistakes within Artemis capture:

1. Autosave being checked when it shouldn't be = LOADS of 1s frames!

2. Autosave not being checked when it should be = NO Images

3. Loop being checked when on a sequenced run = 1 full length sub followed by the remainder at 1s

4. Not checking number of subs set in sequencer = After 1 hour, went out to move to next filter and found only 2x5 mins subs captured

However, I did manage to squeeze in 10x300s of each RGB, although admittedly the last 2 blue frames were getting quite bright (perhaps I should have taken those first... ). The final combined RGB was then 30% blended with a false luminence layer (created from the 30 RGB frames).

It could probably do with some more subs, I could have also set a lower setpoint (ie -10C), and I REALLY need the EL panel (on backorder) to arrive , but at least this gave me the gratification I was looking for... (until I can find a dark site with a low southern view!)

[MickyWay]

Nice Bubble Andy:)

As you say, more subs needed, but it's looking good.

I think everyone using Artemis forgets to check/uncheck the 'Autosave' button now and again. The secret is to notice sooner than later!

I wouldn't set the temperature lower than necessary, as long as you acheive around -5 degrees or so, that would be plenty.

[Psychobilly]

Very nice.. what with the other great images you have posted lately certainly got the hang of that mono marlarkey...

Peter...

[AndyUK]

Thanks both...!

@ Micky - Artemis is a very simple tool, but it would be nice if they could perhaps put in a few "are you sure Y/N? " or "status confirmation - ok" type pop-up windows based on a little logic... to make it even easier for the idiots like me! (To be honest, -5C is my "standard", but I just wondered what the difference might be dropping to -10C... probably not much given the inherent low noise quotient!).

@ Peter - Thanks very much for the compliment, but I'm still wondering how some of the other guys on here are getting such smooth images with such tight stars out of their 314L+ cameras with such few subs... (especially Uranium's M16... :)).

The workflow with these things is vastly different to the good 'ol 40D though, and I still feel as if I'm having to learn to walk again - I'd be lying if I said that I didn't sometimes hanker for the days (not that long ago) when I could set the remote timer, leave the camera out for 4+ hours clicking away and then put everything together into a single stack, whack the result into PS and then get one image out...

Having said that, there's something about copying 3 mono images into PS channels and clicking on a button to get a colout image - It's almost like being in an old darkroom. However with 3 images to create (and therefore at least 3 times the potential options/variables), it's almost impossible to work out which parts of the work flow should be done when... .

[MickyWay]

Thanks both...!

I'm still wondering how some of the other guys on here are getting such smooth images with such tight stars out of their 314L+ cameras with such few subs...

Don't underestimate the importance of good seeing and the effect of light pollution. Imaging under dark skies is so much easier;)

More subs will smooth things out, so don't be so hard on yourself:)

Athough the mono process can be frustratingly long, the end result can be very rewarding.

[AndyUK]

Thanks Micky - I know that I'm my own worst critic/enemy most of the time, but perhaps it's that I'm still not as confident as I might be with this "new" technology... I'm sure with a lot of practice things will hopefully come together

[JohnnyD333]

The Bubble is looking great, another DSO I have to get.

[Tim]

Nice Andy

Have you tried Nebulosity 2 for image capturing at all? Simplest cleanest program I have used and just the thing for tired eyes/mind to cope with. You can try it for free I believe. I can't imagine imaging without it

[AndyUK]

Cheers Johnny / TJ...

I must admit, I haven't tried Nebulosity 2 (nor have I tried MaximDL)... and I'm "still" using DSS, as it's simply so easy! On your recommendation though, I'll certainly see if I can download a trial version and see how I get on. I'm sure if I could get 2-3 weeks off (and without family / dog about ) and also a few clear skies I'd probably be able to make quite a bit of progress... but that's not going to happen! Thanks for the nod though...

[Uranium235]

Lol.... looks like you had a Doh! x4 moment there, Ive done at least 3 of those things before so youre not alone. The most annoying one is where you have autosave checked when focusing or framing... lots of deleting to do!

With the bubble I think you would still gain from using Ha, theres more to be had than what youve got at the moment - but its a good start anyways!

[Deneb]

It's nice to see that those Stars are looking nice & round on the edges....

Nadeem.

[steppenwolf]

This is a good-un, Andy, good colouring too.

[Deneb]

Sorry Andy ! But I could not help myself, the outer nebula was starting to show..

[Coolhandjo]

Great capture Andy! I always use a noise reduction tool and even a star rounding tool. The simple fact that seeing and light pollution will almost always conspire against you. The image of the bubble you presented in this post is awesome. Also the Atik 314l is 2meg ccd so at longer focul lengths it's harder to hide imperfections. Also the Sony chip used is very sensitive which makes it a great ccd but the higher the resolution the more imperfections you see.

[AndyUK]

Cheers all.... and thank you all very much for your kind words...!

As I mentioned, this was really meant to be a "quick RGB" (as the moon was out of the way) but if we do get another clear sky before I'm able to find a site to grab some SII frames on M16 (and the moon's not about), then I think I will try and grab some more on this (and maybe also add a bit of Ha into the red channel...)

Nadeem - Yes, I was much more pleased with the star shapes on this one . I think it may have been possibly due to reducing the exposures to 5mins but more importantly guiding on a star that gave me a 1s exposure (as opposed to 64ms)... and I certainly have no problem at all in you giving it a rework (thank you!).

Jo - You mention a "star rounding tool".... I don't suppose you can elucidate? Olly once told me about an action which I recorded on my last laptop... but lost when I got the new one (I must ask him about that again - It had something to do with selection, 1 pixel expand and a radial blur).

I haven't yet tried the 314L with my Equinox 80 as I've been trying to iron out what I think (thought) are (were) collimation/focuser alignment/secondary adjustment issues with the MN190 (and I now also suspect my guiding technique!), but I'm hoping that the reduced FOV will make it more forgiving in any number of ways.

(A darker site would be nice too...!)

[rich_t]

It's really worth having a check list to run through before you leave the camera running for a long time, I need to put one together as I lost my last one! The number of things that can get you is just silly, leaving the camera on the wrong binning mode, not having the laptop plugged in, so the battery goes flat, having the guiding stopped are some of my favourites:)

The image is still very nice though, the bubble itself is excellent. The smoothness you mention in other images is often down to noise reduction software I conjunction with long exposure times.

Great image. Cheers,

Rich.

[SlipperySquid]

Great capture Andy! I would be proud as punch with that!

There are masses of Ha to be had though, I took a Ha image of the bubble last year when I first got my Atik16hr and was blown away by what I got though I never managed to get a full RGB image as things just went wrong from there on

I think your images are fantastic mate and always enjoy looking at them when you post a new one!

Matt.

[AndyUK]

Hi Rich -

The number of things that can get you is just silly, leaving the camera on the wrong binning mode, not having the laptop plugged in, so the battery goes flat

Yes... I've also left the camera in the wrong binning mode once too . However, I haven't had the battery go flat (yet), although I did once forget to plug in the laptop and when I was taking the first sub I realised and then plugged it in... at which time I knocked another socket and the mount reset - I had a dodgy power connection . That was heart breaking as it took me another 30 mins to get to that point again... .

I've now accepted that I'm one of those people that if there's anything that can go wrong it probably will... so a documented checklist would be very prudent! I'm sure I can find 15 minutes to put one together...

Matt - Thank you SO much... That's REALLY encouraging and extremely kind of you!

Hopefully the cloud Gods will be kind and give me a couple of clear nights soon - I agreed with another SGL colleague that I'd provide some comparison images of the 40D and Atik 314L+ (to compare FOV, noise and sensitivity) so I really MUST do that next time out, but then on the 2nd night I'll try and get some Ha for this... (unless I can find a dark site with a south view in which case I need to take some SII on M16 for Uranium's HST image )

[ollypenrice]

Jo - You mention a "star rounding tool".... I don't suppose you can elucidate? Olly once told me about an action which I recorded on my last laptop... but lost when I got the new one (I must ask him about that again - It had something to do with selection, 1 pixel expand and a radial blur).

(A darker site would be nice too...!)

Magic wand to select, then record this;

Select, modify , expand (try five). Feather by three. Filter, Blur, Radial blur (spin, best). Deselect.

But Andy, you don't need it. The image is great. I can see that you are twitching to get all over the sky and know the feeling but keep that data safe and sound because with three times the exposure you would have something really smooth, sharp and mightily resolved. Something quite exceptional. What you have there is real quality, you just need more.

You are racing ahead and it's a thrill to see.

Olly

[MartinB]

No pain no gain. All software I have encountered has **** up potential built in. There's plenty more foul ups on the way Andy but it's character building. Have you run a complete imaging sequence and then found you have left a Bahtinov mask on yet. If not you probably will!

You are making superb progress and asking the right questions. This bubble just needs more time, as you have said.

[AndyUK]

Thanks Ollly - I've recreated the star rounding action and also made a note of it in my ever growing "processing tips" notepad doc... I won't lose it again! You're right about the almost addictive feeling that a clear sky simply must equal a sleepless night and seeing the sky lighten as twilight arises is always a great disappointment (please, just one more frame?) - "So many objects, too little time" comes to mind... However, I'm having to now accept that whilst the mind is keen, at my age the body is beginning to complain and unlike my early years, I actually do need to get some sleep in a 48 hour period... but that doesn't mean I have to like it...!

(It's interesting you should mention about keeping the data safe though - I've just managed to persuade my work that I need a 1.5TB NAS drive for backup purposes... I think the work-related folder is about 160Gb, so I thought it would be a shame to waste the remainder )

However, thank you very much for the encouragement - It sometimes all seems to be a bit of an uphill battle, not only with the CCD learning curve but also with my MN190 seeming to be quite needy of me to keep it in good health, but I think I may have learnt it's requirements now, so that at least isn't so much of a concern.

Martin

There's plenty more foul ups on the way Andy but it's character building

Almost exactly what my Director says to me (I wouldn't mind, but they're always his foul ups!)

Have you run a complete imaging sequence and then found you have left a Bahtinov mask on yet. If not you probably will!

Yep.... done that one too... I should probably have made a diary of all the potential areas where something can go wrong as I'm sure I could have very easily filled a hefty tome, and that's after only 12 months! This is the reason I don't do DIY or "modding" of any sort - I've learnt all my lessons the hard (expensive) way so I don't do it anymore... It's FAR cheaper to pay someone who knows what they're doing!

[shaunster]

Looks good Andy, you really are getting a lot better at processing now

[AndyUK]

Thanks very much Shaunster . I'm sure that it's sometimes more luck than judgement though...!

[SlipperySquid]

Did some one mention leaving the Bahtinov mask on while doing an imaging run?

I think I'm also collecting mistakes!

I did a full run of these with Ha included I nearly cried!

[dc509]

Lovely bubble! And I'm with you with Artemis - I find myself going all OCD now whenever I'm about to start an imaging run - have I checked this, unchecked that, set the other, got the right filter, set the directory and file name, ad infinitum... it's a miracle that I ever get anything captured

d