M31 and a first for me .....

[swag72]

Here's a result of my first imaging run using Maxim. I used it for guiding, imaging and dithering. I am quite pleased at the lack of noise considering I'm imaging at a constant 29-30C and I used no darks or flats.

Thanks to all for your help with getting Maxim going.

So, 35 x 281s totaling 2 hr 43mins. Taken with the SW120ED, on a HEQ5 using a Canon 1000D modded and a CLS Astronomik clip filter. Guided using the QHY5 and a 9x50 finderscope. Also using a 0.85x reducer.

Still struggling with stars not quite right on the right, everything was square in the imaging train as far as I could tell. PA is good, so not sure what else to explore to try to sort these stars. It does seem rather an ongoing saga for me!!

[johnrt]

They are a little elongated towards the bottom right hand side, but you have captured stacks of detail in the dust lanes of M31.

[jbk44]

Thats amazing Swag!

[Shibby]

Sarah, that's really nice - loads of detail! Even to the edges of the galaxy.

The background is seems rather bright. I'm guessing this is due to gradient removal, which doesn't seem to work very well with M31 (it looks like a big gradient to the removal tools!) Not really sure what to do about it, other than perhaps selectively darkening the background. (I think that's what I had to do the one time I imaged M31)

[oldfruit]

Great image, despite you wanting to improve (as we all do) i would still be proud of an image like that.

[swag72]

Cheers folks - I know there is some real issues with this, but just wanted to put it up as it was a Maxim moment, my first ever!!

[SJJ]

Nice image. Miles better than my best effort of M31.

[Deneb]

Thats a very good M31, im tempted to say, send me your stack !

Nadeem.

[swag72]

Thanks all. Would you like the stack Nadeem? I'd like to see what a decent process could do - I'm rather partial to saturation and contrast!! I can load it up in the morning and send you the link if you like?

[Deneb]

yes please Sara, upload the stack & send me the link, it's been a while since i've had some good nights to capture some data.

[Deneb]

Hi Sarah

After a few quite hours of mucking around with your image, i came up with this:

This really needs more data, I remember when I done my M31 I spent around 7 hours worth data on it...of course unguided.

I have tried to minimise the noise, but that will disappear with more data... You've also got some nice Ha regions appearing along the edge of the galaxy.

Hope is the process is to your liking, processed using PSP.

Nadeem.

[swag72]

Blimey Nadeem, are you sure that's my data? Your process looks excellent. Clearly I have a LOT to learn. Thank you so much.

[Beulah]

Sarah,

That's a great first effort. I don't see many great 'first efforts' very often.

Nadeem, that's a great job you've done there. Hope you can get out soon and grab some photons for yourself...

[Deneb]

Sara, I have improved your image by removing the vertical banding....

Nadeem.

[swag72]

You have made it seem very easy!

[evilgeenius]

Hi Sara

that's a great image, i'd be very happy with a shot like that. The focal length on my CPC925 is too long (2350) to get a decent shot of m31 so I'll have to wait to get another scope.

Could you please send me the link to your subs so that I could have a play with the data? Since i bough my modded 1000d a couple of weeks ago there has been virtually no clear skies and I fancy a play in the mean time to hone my editing skills.

Cheers!

Chris

[daz]

Could you please send me the link to your subs so that I could have a play with the data?

And me!

That's a corker Sara - you should be dead chuffed!!

Way better than my first (only) effort at this!!

[evilgeenius]

Here's my attempt.

It's the first time i've attempted to do something like this and I think I learned quite a lot. I'm sure if I had another go I could do better. There is quite a bit of detail i've lost around the edge of the galaxy.

Thanks for letting me play with it sara!

I used a trial version of pixinsight. I used the WaveletTransform function to work on different levels of detail in the image independently, and then combine the images at the end using the PixelMath. It's a pretty smart way of working that i've never seen before.. I hope there's something like this for Photoshop as I don't think i can afford to shell out for pixinsight.