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Horsehead Nebula


Steve

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After several years of procrastination I have finally produced my first solo image! :)

Strictly speaking it is my second image, the first was the Bubble Nebula but I have a lot more subs on that so will save it for when I receive my copy of Astro Art V5 and can do it justice.

This Horsehead was made on the same night in the grounds of the Norman Lockyer Observatory (thank-you davey999 and Bernard for your company). The breeze stopped play after 17x 9-min subs in Ha.

Captured using Atik Artemis Capture and guided using PSD and ST4 cable.

Processing is rough and ready, someone with more experience and more sophisticated software could do much better I am sure: Stacked in Atik's Dawn (downloaded only 30-minutes ago!) opened in Paint-NET (8-bit!) quick strech with curves then saved as jpeg for uploading to SGL. That's all, no clever tools or routines and no darks (I forgot them).

Evostar 80ED

Baader Steeltrack focuser

HEQ5 PRO mount

Atik 314L+ for imaging

Atik Titan for guiding

Atik OAG off-axis-guider

Atik EFW2 filter wheel

Baader filters

Loads of cables!

Strong coffee!

Microwave curry!

first-horsehead-test.jpg

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A HUGE thank-you to all those who pushed me this far with advice, encouragement and patience. I called it my first 'solo' image but I was in the company of other imagers and none of us here on SGL need work alone :):p

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That's a fantastic image! I can appreciate the sheer effort it takes to get out there and set up all that gear against the odds of our British weather, a full time job and full time family member. I take my hat off to you imagers - as all us observers do is drag our scopes outside, collimate them and go!

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nice one steve....a really nice image. im also very guilty for leaning on others for help....even now, one year on, im still struggling! everyone on SGL has been extremely helpfull to me....and one person inparticular. one of my mates has told me that he has heard of one or two peops moaning that they answer too many questions, but i think back to my taekwondo days, when the teachers would give up most of their free time to teach the youngsters....who would hopefully themselves one day become teachers. i for one cant wait for the day when i have some sound knowledge of imaging / processing, so i too can help someone. one pice of advice i can give however on the processing front, is to try a sausage sandwhich, with reggae reggae sauce....with a beer. failing that, then the curry is fine! lol

cheers

bob

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Well done buddy, about bleedin' time. :)

That's a lovely shot, nice and smooth - don't try adding any OII or SII or Hb - there isn't any :(

Maybe you could move up a little and get the flame as well. Do a mosaic!

Ant

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Thank-you for your kind comments :)

Excellent Work Steve, What Scope was you using mate!!! :)

Skywatcher Evostar 80ED PRO fitted with a Baader Steeltrack focuser. I wanted something tried-and-trusted and relatively compact as most of my imaging will be done out of town where the sky is dark so the rig must fit in the back of the car and not be too heavy, hence the HEQ5 PRO and not the larger NEQ6 PRO. Also, at the Norman Lockyer Observatory the grounds are exposed so I need something that is not too large a target for the breeze, which is the main reason I am using an off-axis-guider and not a second guidescope.

You oughtta see MY first attempt that that target. No, I ain't gonna show you ! Probably NEVER gonna show you !

I have had a LOT of help and advice from SGL's best and have been planning this for several years so have had plenty of time for research and planning. Most recently I was at Kelling with most of the mod/GM team so was able to pick their brains, Vince from Atik also paid us a visit. It was the PC side of things that initially floored me but Daz and SteveL came to my rescue, muttered some Latin phrases (I think) and soon had all the components talikng to each other. SteveL gave me his 'cable connections' masterclass then I labelled every port and cable so connecting everything now is as simple as ABC :o

I can appreciate the sheer effort it takes to get out there and set up all that gear against the odds of our British weather, a full time job and full time family member.

That is why it has taken me so long, I started a family and a business so havent had time or energy :(

The addiction has already set in, he texted everyone he knew at silly hours of the night to tell us he was imaging :)

I was excited. I even used my phone to photograph the laptop screen while imaging the Bubble. I emailed it to James :o

laptopscreen.jpg

Everyone Steve knows was probably up imaging at silly o'clock too :D

Most of them were :)

I think you should frame that one and use it to start the decoration of your Unit! :D

Good idea :D

Fortunately SteveL has offered to process the files for me so I think I'll frame his :grin:

It'll give me something to aim for, perhaps we'll get a Greg Parker / Noel Carboni thing going (kidding).

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