Iris nebula second attempt

[Quatermass]

Thank you MB was out again last night but dodgy laptop connections and heavy dew forming on everything killed my enthusiasm to stay out longer. Looking forward to some more nebula coming around again galaxy's are fun but its nice to have a change from them sometimes. Lovely sunny day today at long last.

[mindburner]

yes I would like to try nebula now I have the modded camera. I have been mostly imaging the usual suspects m81 etc which are beautiful indeed, but nebula offer something different.

keep up the pics

[Quatermass]

yes I would like to try nebula now I have the modded camera. I have been mostly imaging the usual suspects m81 etc which are beautiful indeed, but nebula offer something different.

keep up the pics

Modding the camera has made a big difference to my canon 350d it really does a nice job of capturing that extra data for you but its been mostly galaxy's the last 2 months can wait to image some more nebula when they come round again.

[RikM]

yes I would like to try nebula now I have the modded camera. I have been mostly imaging the usual suspects m81 etc which are beautiful indeed, but nebula offer something different.

keep up the pics

The Iris is a reflection nebula, so you shouldn't need a modded camera to pick it up, just lots of long subs.

[Gina]

The weather is giving my a very prolonged break - It must be a fortnight since I was able to do any imaging - if it isn't it certainly feels like it!!

And now my obsy roof is getting wet ON THE INSIDE and so is the scope room!!! See my obsy build thread for all the grim stuff!

[Quatermass]

I heard about that and posted on your thread awful news. Any way you can put it back on as a temp measure?

Sent from my GT-S5670 using Tapatalk 2

[Gina]

Not until the weather improves - can't do it with a gale blowing or heavy rain Wednesday and Thursday don't look too bad.

[Quatermass]

Fingers crossed for Gina

[mindburner]

Fingers crossed for Gina

for sure. This hobby is difficulty and time consuming enough with all the added hassles like leaks

[Gina]

Been a good day today with sunshine even and only a light breeze. Had some help and the scope room roof is much nearer where it should be Negligible leaks from the currently exposed scope room into the warm room form all the wind and rain last night so the scopes can go in there safely. I brought all the expensive stuff indoors just in case.

So far the signs are good for a clear night though that could change. That's typical with no scope room roof!! BUT I might just put the scopes on the mount and see if I can do something this evening. Not quite sure what - maybe webcam on Saturn. I think setting up the DSLR complete with water cooling system would leave me too vulnerable if the rain comes back. It may be that my finder scope with SPC900NC will give me enough accuracy to put Saturn in the frame of the webcam. It is perfectly lined up for the DSLR. OTOH I guess I could put the DSLR on and use live view video to capture Saturn. The pixel size is less than twice that of the MS LifeCam Studio webcam. Looks like DSO imaging will have to wait until I get the roof back on

[Quatermass]

Glad to hear the weather is improving for you at long last Gina. Why not give the Iris Nebula a go if its clear.

To get my shot of the Iris I just did a quick polar alignment then focused my camera on a bright star. Using backyard eos or Astrophoto tool software on the laptop I focus with my bahtinov mask then when that's done slew to the area and take a few quick 20 second shots at and ISO of 1600 to find it. You cant miss it when you get it in view it quite bright in the centre.

Then all you need is to take 80 subs at 1min 20 seconds ISO 1600 unguided or longer if you want the extra hassle of setting up to guide, I was to lazy to bother and still got a reasonable amount of data with short subs. Also with the weather so rubbish setting up to guide just takes to long sometimes so its better to get data with short subs unguided then nothing at all because the weather has turned on you while trying to get phd to guide well. I only guide now when the weather is perfect and thats not very often as you know.

When your done with the main subs I put a timer on the camera and let it take 60 darks over night leaving the camera in place. Next day I do my flats and bias shots are done before I go to bed as there fast to do. Stack that lot and finish in ps or pix and your good to go.

The Iris should come out well with the ed80 as well that will be my next project.

A webcam of Saturn would be fun as well but finding the Iris Nebula was amazing, its a very cool nebula.

[Gina]

Glad to hear the weather is improving for you at long last Gina. Why not give the Iris Nebula a go if its clear.

To get my shot of the Iris I just did a quick polar alignment then focused my camera on a bright star. Using backyard eos or Astrophoto tool software on the laptop I focus with my bahtinov mask then when that's done slew to the area and take a few quick 20 second shots at and ISO of 1600 to find it. You cant miss it when you get it in view it quite bright in the centre.

Then all you need is to take 80 subs at 1min 20 seconds ISO 1600 unguided or longer if you want the extra hassle of setting up to guide, I was to lazy to bother and still got a reasonable amount of data with short subs. Also with the weather so rubbish setting up to guide just takes to long sometimes so its better to get data with short subs unguided then nothing at all because the weather has turned on you while trying to get phd to guide well. I only guide now when the weather is perfect and thats not very often as you know.

When your done with the main subs I put a timer on the camera and let it take 60 darks over night leaving the camera in place. Next day I do my flats and bias shots are done before I go to bed as there fast to do. Stack that lot and finish in ps or pix and your good to go.

The Iris should come out well with the ed80 as well that will be my next project.

A webcam of Saturn would be fun as well but finding the Iris Nebula was amazing, its a very cool nebula.

Well, it's clear tonight and I've put scopes and cameras on mount. Sharpcap is playing silly Bs when connected to the MS LifeCam Studio. It detects it and seems to work for a while at 640x480. Other resolutions are recognised but SharpCap crashes. I guess I could use a Philips webcam. I'll see when it gets dark.

I've checked for the Iris Nebula in CdC but it looks like it's too far west to be visible from my obsy - the view is very limited to the west.

Waiting for dark and trying to stay awake But I just don't feel I can waste the first clear night for weeks!

[ianaiken]

Cracking image and good detail. Is this with the ED80 or 200P?

[Quatermass]

Go for it Gina might not get another clear night for a while yet.

[Quatermass]

Cracking image and good detail. Is this with the ED80 or 200P?

Cheers Ian, this was done with my good old 200p next clear patch we get I will have a go at it with the ed80 but its thick cloud tonight.

[Gina]

I'm going for it Mark but not getting anything I can see. I think it's just about out of the trees - there are stars showing in the frame.

[Gina]

There's a very bright moon tonight and if I try more exposure I just get a lighter background. I think there might be some very thin high cloud in places - that could be the problem. Anyway, I've left it taking 100s subs at IS0 1600. I'll take a number and see if I see anything after stacking.

[Chris]

Thats a really great image QM, I like how the bright central star is framed by all that dark dusty nebula, nice blue glow to it!

[Quatermass]

There's a very bright moon tonight and if I try more exposure I just get a lighter background. I think there might be some very thin high cloud in places - that could be the problem. Anyway, I've left it taking 100s subs at IS0 1600. I'll take a number and see if I see anything after stacking.

The moon is not going to help but it matters not its still going to be there next week the main thing is to get some data to practise with and its fun to find a new subject. Thick cloud here in suffolk be intrested to see what you capture

[Quatermass]

Thats a really great image QM, I like how the bright central star is framed by all that dark dusty nebula, nice blue glow to it!

Cheers Starfox I want another crack it it with my ed80 next time its clear its a great subject and makes a nice change from galaxys.

[Gina]

It isn't there! Well, I can't see it

Chose a bright star and focused on it with Bahtinov mask, checked mount alignment on Saturn, which is easily recognisable, then slewed to Iris and tried to see it. No guiding hence a bit of star trailing. Took 13 lights of 100s at ISO 1600 before giving up for the night and putting scopes and cameras away and covering mount.

DSS picked 10 of 13 light subs. No darks, flats, or bias. This image is the result of lining up the RGB histograms onto the sloping bit in DSS then the TIF converted to JPEG and severely stretched in GIMP followed by scaling for here.

[Quatermass]

It isn't there! Well, I can't see it

Chose a bright star and focused on it with Bahtinov mask, checked mount alignment on Saturn, which is easily recognisable, then slewed to Iris and tried to see it. No guiding hence a bit of star trailing. Took 13 lights of 100s at ISO 1600 before giving up for the night and putting scopes and cameras away and covering mount.

DSS picked 10 of 13 light subs. No darks, flats, or bias. This image is the result of lining up the RGB histograms onto the sloping bit in DSS then the TIF converted to JPEG and severely stretched in GIMP followed by scaling for here.

Your not that far from it so keep at it if it was in this shot you have taken you would most certainly be seeing it. That's just what I saw when I first pointed the camera in the general area and took a 30 second shot. After several move around's the general area taking 30 second shots I suddenly saw it in the top corner of the frame it stands out like a sore thumb and when you see it you cant miss it.

Keep at it you will be really pleased when you do catch it in the frame try taking a few shots in the general area until you see it come up. Once you have found it you wont forget where it is. I use stellerium to locate it and my binoculars first then just put my finder scope in the general area and keep taking short subs till it comes up.

[badgers]

Lovely work QM.

I'm jealous, I've not seen a clear sky in 4 weeks, due to travel and the crummy weather. My poor HEQ5 is pining in the bedroom.

[Quatermass]

Lovely work QM.

I'm jealous, I've not seen a clear sky in 4 weeks, due to travel and the crummy weather. My poor HEQ5 is pining in the bedroom.

Cheers Badger, Pining in the bedroom:( oh dear that is not good, lets hope the sky clears up for you soon, cant have that lovely new Heq5 pining away that wont do at all

[Gina]

Your not that far from it so keep at it if it was in this shot you have taken you would most certainly be seeing it. That's just what I saw when I first pointed the camera in the general area and took a 30 second shot. After several move around's the general area taking 30 second shots I suddenly saw it in the top corner of the frame it stands out like a sore thumb and when you see it you cant miss it.

Keep at it you will be really pleased when you do catch it in the frame try taking a few shots in the general area until you see it come up. Once you have found it you wont forget where it is. I use stellerium to locate it and my binoculars first then just put my finder scope in the general area and keep taking short subs till it comes up.

Thanks Mark I was rather tired last night and not thinking all that well. But I think I know what I need to do - LX modify the SPC900NC that I'm using afocally on the finder scope so that I can take long exposures with a wide field. Once I've found something in that, I can move the mount to put the star pattern in the right place and the object should then be in the frame of the main camera.