Crab, Horsehead & M78

[Macavity]

Few more shots with the Watec 120N+ Mostly trying to get a bit more detail into various nebulae.

TS/GSO 8"/F4. Typically 200-400 x 2.56s frames stacked in Registax and playing with Gamma.

Crab Nebula:

Horsehead Nebula:

...and Poor Little M78:

[West End Wendy]

Really excellent.

I've seen all of these live visually with the Watec but your images bring out quite a bit more detail, particularly in the crab. Stars seem refreshingly free of some of the artefacts you tend to get sometimes with video.

M78 is a bit if a damp squib compared to some of the highlights of that area of sky, isn't it.

Tim

[Zul]

Very nice especially i like horsehead

[Macavity]

Really excellent.

I've seen all of these live visually with the Watec but your images bring out quite a bit more detail, particularly in the crab. Stars seem refreshingly free of some of the artefacts you tend to get sometimes with video.

M78 is a bit if a damp squib compared to some of the highlights of that area of sky, isn't it.

Thanks, Tim.

I later noted your post on these - Great minds think alike, Eh? Frankly, I had never even bothered to try for the "Horsehead" and suchlike. But, as you say, these things are (just about, here!) real-time possibilities. A nice surprise, anyway...

Artifacts? Me? <G> There are, of course, a lot of background "squiggles" - Basically hot pixels, [partly] blurred by stacking, as the HEQ5 wanders about a bit... But no one noticed, right? Not sure I want to get into "darks" and "flats" though.

[Mark at Beaufort]

Great images. Ever time I see what can be produced with these video cameras I really must think seriously about entering this area of astronomy.

To show my ignorance can I simply buy a camera (such as a Watec 120N+) and a cheapish black/white monitor - or do I need to buy a laptop/netbook as well?

Mark

[Stu]

Monitor will do fine Mark. That's the appeal for me, no messing around with laptops, keeps it nice and 'live' feeling.

I just got a 7" from maplin for £ 99. There is a thread on here discussing different options. If I remember rightly 'esaw' were suggested as a supplier of higher quality units, maybe worth it for better contrast.

Stu

[Macavity]

To show my ignorance can I simply buy a camera (such as a Watec 120N+) and a cheapish black/white monitor - or do I need to buy a laptop/netbook as well?

You can view images in real time, on a basic "screen", or via some capture device / software on a laptop etc.

The Watec has a BNC (coax) socket, so will plug directly into many monitors - Especially those for CCTV use. A coax to phono adaptor (lead) is sometimes needed. Basically, the camera pumps out a continuous "TV signal", which updates transparently - "Instantly", or every few seconds, according to setting or integration (internal image stacking) time.

As noted, EXTERNALLY stacked images (fun to fiddle with!) provide more "detail", but there is plenty of gain available to view faint DSOs in real time too... For me, that's the revelation! As near as I'll get to owning a huge "light-bucket" anyway?

[West End Wendy]

Artifacts? Me? There are, of course, a lot of background "squiggles" - Basically hot pixels, [partly] blurred by stacking, as the HEQ5 wanders about a bit... But no one noticed, right? Not sure I want to get into "darks" and "flats" though.

Although I use the camera for purely visual use these days, when I did do a bit of imaging I used to get "parentheses" round bright stars. Nothing disastrous, and easily processed out, but noticeable nonetheless.

Can't see anything like this on yours. maybe it's a refractor thing.

Tim

[Macavity]

Can't see anything like this on yours. maybe it's a refractor thing.

Oh, I know just what you mean, I suspect it's a fortuitous use of "gamma" either on the Watec or during post processing. A version of the ringing is still there, with the Newt, albeit judiciously hidden at the moment.

I see the Massey & Quirk book refers to "LOREAL" software.

Download : Reduc Loreal MacRawgen

Nice if it removes them automatically. Not tried it though...

[West End Wendy]

Interesting. I have the Massey and Quirk book, I'll have another look at it.