Where have i gone wrong?

[Mav359]

Hi guys

i shot M32 the other night 40x3min, Bias, Flats & Darks, i have processed in deep sky stacker & nebulosity with similar results at the end of both.

I have improved my collimation since and im still learning to focus using CCD data rather then just my bant mask so i think focus can be improved on as well but despite these i was expecting to see a bit more detail.

I am still getting used to using the CCD so i don't know if the lack of detail is due to either lack of data, my processing skills or something else.

Please help

[bingevader]

I know nothing about AP other than holding my camera up to the lens!

But it looks like a pretty damn good start to me!

Cheers

[SJJ]

Hi Mav,

My guess would be that you are imaging with the 9.25 at F10? If so this is quite a slow f ratio and difficult to get the detail from M31, as other than the core it can be a faint object. Have you tried using a focal reducer. Sorry if i'm wrong!!

[Mav359]

Already using the focal reducer F6.3, ive had shots of orion using a DSLR before and i was able to pick up the nebula cloud so it could be that im using the CCD wrong but i dont know. There wasn't nearly as much data in this shot.

Is M32 harder to shot then M42?

LP is never great in my area, maybe this night was just worse.

Just to add i captured the data using nebulosity, dont know if that makes a difference.

[Tom OD]

Can you post a raw pic before flat / dark calibration to see what the data looks like?

[Guest]

Hi guys

i shot M32 the other night 40x3min, Bias, Flats & Darks, i have processed in deep sky stacker & nebulosity with similar results at the end of both.

I have improved my collimation since and im still learning to focus using CCD data rather then just my bant mask so i think focus can be improved on as well but despite these i was expecting to see a bit more detail.

I am still getting used to using the CCD so i don't know if the lack of detail is due to either lack of data, my processing skills or something else.

Please help

With that camera and mount combo you should be able to get high resolution - detailed shots
Also - you don't need darks with the QHY8s so you can save yourself that hassle - in fact, after much experimentation by me and others it appears bias make no difference either. Flats are the key :-)

How you go about achieving these detailed shots - well, I'll let the other experts pile in here but I use a 65mm refractor, QHY8, NEQ6, Neodymium filter, capture in Nebulosity, process in PS

If you want to discuss further drop me a pm - happy to help

David

[Mav359]

Can you post a raw pic before flat / dark calibration to see what the data looks like?

here you go

its a jpeg though the files are 37mb each

[Mav359]

With that camera and mount combo you should be able to get high resolution - detailed shots

Also - you don't need darks with the QHY8s so you can save yourself that hassle - in fact, after much experimentation by me and others it appears bias make no difference either. Flats are the key :-)

How you go about achieving these detailed shots - well, I'll let the other experts pile in here but I use a 65mm refractor, QHY8, NEQ6, Neodymium filter, capture in Nebulosity, process in PS

My results (and similar to what you can expect - especially as your camera is the model up from mine) on M31 can be seen here

http://www.sanddune.info/

You could easily get the same I think - just with a smaller field of view

If you want to discuss further drop me a pm - happy to help

David

Thats what im aiming for long term, i didn't expect that out of this set as i said ive not been using the camera very long but i deffo expected more then i got.

[x6gas]

Sorry if this is obvious - but have you stretched the image at all? It also looks from the halo around the core that they might have been some misting of your optics - any dew on your corrector plate?

[James]

I think there's some confusion as to the object imaged - it looks like M31 to me. A quick two second stretch shows a lot more detail so I think x6gas might have got it...

James

[Tim]

I'll just pop this thread into the help section

Thanks

[x6gas]

So in case it is of interest, check out Martin B's excellent primer on stretching (the histogram of) images: http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/9392-3-primer-how-to-stretch-the-histogram-using-levels-and-curves-long-download/

[Mav359]

Hi guys sorry it is M31 just a typo at the beginning of the thread. I did have a stretch of the histogram but im still learning that aspect of the game so im not surprised you lot can squeeze a bit more out of it.

As for the real issue i have been talking with Sand Dune and it turns out i wasn't capturing my data correctly, i didn't have Nebulosity set to capture RAW files for one so i need to try again & i also need to re-check my Offset & GAIN settings again in nebulosity to make sure there is no difference from EZCAP where i set it up. Live & learn

Cheers for all the advice guys