Iris Nebula?

[Gina]

Just a single sub stretched in GIMP. I'mn collecting many more to feed to DSS later. This is 100s at ISO 1600 but I'm capturing 60s at ISO 1600 to give a less burnt out centre.

[Stu]

Be interesting to see how this turns out Gina. Was your guiding ok? The stars look a little oval and I haven't seen that on your images before.

I don't often post, but follow your threads with great interest, and admiration

Stu

[Gina]

Thank you That was unguided. It was quite late last night before it got dark enough for DSOs (the crescent of Venus was clearly visible before it got dark) and I didn't bother setting up guiding - PHD takes a long time to calibrate itself.

I'm running DSS now with 50 lights of 60s at ISO 1600. No darks or flats yet - I'll do those later.

[Stu]

Ah, that would explain it then , glad nothing has gone awry!

Stu

[Gina]

Not very good - in fact not good at all but here it is anyway This was 50 lights without darks or flats of which DSS chose 40 to stack. I had several attempts with the post-processing sliders in DSS to get anything out of it at all, well not without a black hole in the middle Then histogram stretched to almost breaking point in GIMP. I tried cropping it but then it looked even worse so this is the full frame scaled for here. I think the Iris Nebula is that splodge near the bottom in the middle I will probably be better with darks and flats but I want it confirmed that this actually is it...

[Anweniel]

You've definitely got something so I would continue applying the calibration shots certainly the flats should improve matters greatly.

Not sure if this is the general concensus but personally with only 50 lights think I would go through them myself and decide which ones to go in than let DSS choose for me.

Looks like you had some fun though Gina I'll look forward to the results if you do work on this

[Gina]

Thank you Yes, I shall be doing more work on it

[Ptarmigan]

but I want it confirmed that this actually is it...

Yep looks like it !

I took the liberty of submitting it to astrometry.net and

this is what I got back

[Gina]

Yep looks like it !

I took the liberty of submitting it to astrometry.net and

this is what I got back

Thanks very much Now I know I'm on it, I'll have another go at it tonight, get it more central in the frame and take a lot more subs.

[ollypenrice]

I don't use a DSLR and I live at a dark site but I used much longer subs. Surely it's pretty low for you at the moment? There's lots of faint stuff around the Iris so letting it get higher would give you an easier time of it.

Olly

[Quatermass]

Thats the one Gina, glad you managed to get it and now you know where it is you can really go to town on it. Hoping for another clear night tonight so I can have another go at the bubble nebula which is on the other side of Cepheus. Both this nebula are quite small with a wide FOV so comes out better in my 200p. It was so good to get out last night I was getting withdrawal symptoms from all those cloudy nights

[Gina]

I don't use a DSLR and I live at a dark site but I used much longer subs. Surely it's pretty low for you at the moment? There's lots of faint stuff around the Iris so letting it get higher would give you an easier time of it.

Olly

I think it was at about 45 degrees last night. With a clear, fine night forecast I might leave it until a bit later and get guiding set up while I take some darks. Probably run the cooling too. I can take longer subs then and leave it all running overnight.

[Cozzy]

You've done some stirling work there Gina, nice one, don't forget (i know it's boring) the darks and lights. :)

[Gina]

You've done some stirling work there Gina, nice one, don't forget (i know it's boring) the darks and lights. :)

Thank you Haven't been able to find the Iris tonight I'm having a go at M101 now - nice big spiral galaxy face on. Have guiding working 180s at ISO 1600.

Took a few hundred flats this afternoon and I'll take darks after tonight's lights.

[Chris]

The Iris neb looks very challenging to image, I hope you have better luck tonight with M101, I look forward to seeing what you've captured:)

[Gina]

Subs seem quite reasonable I'll post a new thread.