IC5146 Cocoon Nebula + M33 Triangulum Galaxy

[SteveL]

My first delve into using a CLS filter last night... damn that was cold out there!

First off, IC5146 Cocoon

OTA: NS8GPS@ f/10

Guiding: WO66 + DSI-C + PHD

Imaging: QHY8, 9 x 600s (plus bias and darks), CLS Filter

Process: DeepSkyStacker, PSCS + Noels Tools

Note: I just couldnt get the focus right on this image, kept chasing it back and forwards.

Then M33 appeared over the roof, so I moved on:

OTA: NS8GPS@ f/6.3

Guiding: WO66 + DSI-C + PHD

Imaging: QHY8, 12 x 600s (plus bias and darks), CLS Filter

Process: DeepSkyStacker, PSCS + Noels Tools

I took about an hour of Ha as well, but cant quite get my head round how I should use it on my RGB image.

Things I learned last night:

I need a filter wheel to minimise any disruption to my object framing when changing filters

The CLS filter requires at least twice the exposure times against when not using it.

The QHY8 camera really needs a fast scope to do it justice. The focal reducer helps, but its still not great. I need a bigger light bucket

The CLS filter does eliminate pretty much all light pollution, and as such eliminates almost all radial gradient vignetting (gets rid of that nasty red blur/noise in the centre ofmy images)

Locations for any future obsy were looked at... the flatest area of my garden has the worst view, the steepest has the best, so could be a problem there.

[froggy]

Super set of images. 8)

Vince

[themos]

Is that "smoke" effect reproducible and real or an artefact? You must be pleased with those. I can only dream!

[SteveL]

smoke effect? On which one, and where? (Sorry, 90 minutes sleep last night but its kind of worth it

[themos]

The Cocoon...there's dark nebulosity "arms" flowing out of it as if it's smoking...in the region outside the red part.. at 8 o'clock and 12 o'clock and some others...

[SteveL]

Aparantly so...

http://www.robgendlerastropics.com/Cocoon6303.html

and mutleyeng's Cocoon

and steppenwolf's Cocoon

[SteveL]

or maybe not... cant focus straight now

[themos]

excellent! now get some sleep!

[russ]

Steve, that M33 image is a cracker. Can't fault it. Focus, tracking and colour are all spot on.

You've done justice to one of my fav objects.

Russ

[SteveL]

Thank you sir!

[CELESCOPE]

cracking ones Steve , getting some good ones now, that m33 is really good mate , as u say the cocoon , maybe a tad smokey lol if ya knows what i mean , but still a great image mate

Rog

[SteveL]

Its just the black point really, poor processing by me... there is a lt of "stuff" around it though (deep sky scan image >> here << )

[MikeD]

A fine set of images steve , love the colour in m33.

Mike.

[SteveL]

Thanks Mike, not sure if the colour is a side-effect of the CLS filter....

[Kaptain Klevtsov]

Superb stuff Steve. The M33 is awesome.

Is that "smoke" effect reproducible and real or an artefact? You must be pleased with those. I can only dream!

The "smoke" is real, its dark dusty stuff in front of the nebula. Like this that I nicked off the DSS site.

(click to enlarge)

The difference is that Steve's is nicer.

Kaptain Klevtsov

[jonifive]

Great images Steve......get some sleep, before you go mad and turn into Mpeniak and sell all your stuff to buy a taxi!!!

JV

[MartinB]

Fantastic pair of images Steve. Love the "smokey" Cocoon. Takes a decent bit of exposre to pick that up. Very detailed M33 with the Ha regions showing up nicely despite not adding the Ha yet.

I guess the problem with using a CLS filter with a one shot colour camera is that you have to stretch the colours blocked by the filter which must ceate noise but you've managed it a treat.

Adding Ha to an RGB image - guess there's a few ways to do it but this should work - it's a bit easier with a colour camera cos you don't have to mess with channels

Process RGB and the Ha. copy the aligned Ha and choose lighten as the blend mode. This will just let through the areas of the Ha which are lighter than the RGB. Just tweak the curves of the Ha layer to experiment with the effect

-

[moondog]

Great stuff Steve - really like that M33 - with the HA added as Martin suggests it should be awesome.

Well done !

8)

MD