M3,added 24 subs

[Domis]

Last week I posted my first shot at a globular cluster of only 30 subs. This is M3 with and additional 24 subs at 40 seconds added to the 30 at 30 seconds. I lost about 11 subs on this run due to aircraft intrusions and the top of a near by tree. I'll have to try for about 30 more subs if the clouds and rain ever give way.

[sanmatt]

Thats very nice

Can I ask why you did 2 sub durations, what does this do? How did you decided to do 30 and 40? Thanks

[Gina]

Yes, very nice, I agree

[Domis]

Thanks Gina.

Sanmatt,I'm very new to this so I'm trying to experiment at home while getting used to setting up and using guiding and imaging hardware and software. Unfortunately for imaging, I reside on 20 acres of heavily wooded land right up to the house. Which I truly love. Thirty to sixty foot tall oak trees,however,only offer a very small portion of sky to view. The "window" in which I'm shooting through allows about thirty subs at a session. The first 30 subs I had to stretch pretty hard to bring anything out, so I figured the subs were probably too short. The second set I increased to 40 seconds and this seemed to allow the processing to go a bit easier. Since I had the original 30 subs I thought I would try combining all 54 which is the above image. Later today I'll try processing only the new 24 to see what that produces.

[sanmatt]

Ah I see, so adding other subs should allow more data? I'm pretty new myself, and still learning!

Great pic though!

[Domis]

Sanmatt,yes, I believe thats the theory. I think though that it also depends on the quality of the images. I'm not sure if the first set of 30 are helping this image or detracting from it. Processing only the new images may provide me the answer to this question.

[sanmatt]

I have no idea Domis Looks good to me though, Id be very happy if I could image like that

[Quatermass]

:)Looks very nice I usually take about 80 subs for most subjects now, that gives you a good amount and if you need to chuck out any duff ones with satellite trails in them it helps to have as many as you can grab

[todd8137]

Looks great ave you tried lets say 100x30 secs and them put the scope dust cover on and take about 30 darks stick a old white shirt over the scope and set camera to 1/4000, or what ever you highest setting is,and take at least 30 shine. Torch at the white shirt failing that wit till dawn and point the cop t the morning light it's a great image one of many I bet

Cheers pat

[Domis]

Quatermass,yes that's the goal 80 to 100 subs.

Pat,I'm familiar with darks,I'm reading up on the subject of making and using flats, bias frames. I expect those will show more improvement.

[Spikey]

Last week I posted my first shot at a globular cluster of only 30 subs. This is M3 with and additional 24 subs at 40 seconds added to the 30 at 30 seconds. I lost about 11 subs on this run due to aircraft intrusions and the top of a near by tree. I'll have to try for about 30 more subs if the clouds and rain ever give way.

Very nice Domis.

I don't know what software you use to stack your pictures with. But, if you stack with a sigma clip setting there might be no need to throw away the subs with aircraft trails on. You may find that you have enough subs for the stacking software to calculate the aircraft trails out of the final picture.

Just a thought and worth a quick experiment, every sub counts

[Domis]

Spikey,I've been using DSS to stack the images and I do believe there is a setting in DSS for using sigma clipping. Thanks for the tip,I'll give that a try.

[nytecam]

Spikey,I've been using DSS to stack the images and I do believe there is a setting in DSS for using sigma clipping. Thanks for the tip,I'll give that a try.

Nice progress Domis - can I invite you include your gear in your sig or thread - I've no idea what you are using so I feel a little lost lost:rolleyes:

[Gina]

Yes, it would be most helpful if everyone included a list of the equipment they used to take their images. A list in the sig is not enough when they have more than one scope etc. Thanks

[Domis]

My apologies,I've just recently started to post some images. Earlier attempts just were not worthy of posting. The image above was using a Celestron ST102 on a CG-5 AT GT guided. The camera is a unmodded Canon 1000d. Guide cam is a self modded LX AMP off SPC900NC.