Jump to content

NLCbanner2024.jpg.2478be509670e60c2d6efd04834b8b47.jpg

IC1396 - 12 Pane Ha Mosaic (51.5 hours)

AndyUK

By AndyUK
in Imaging - Deep Sky

Recommended Posts

AndyUK

AndyUK

Posted
Posted

This started life as a first light image / spacing test for my new refractor on 1st April with 16x900s Ha on the elephants trunk but I was so pleased with the initial result that I decided then I was going to try and get the whole nebula, which with my FL (360mm) and the 314L+ I knew was going to take 12 panes... It was therefore with some anguish that I saw that very nearly this field could be covered with a single night's 4 hours imaging run using an 8300 chip, but I don't have one of those and I can't afford a 2" filter set to go with it so I'll have to stick with what I have!

Details - APM80/f6 & 0.75x Riccardi reducer, Baader 7nm Ha filter, data capture via MaximDL (CdC, EQMOD and plate-solving), ST4 guiding using Lodestar through 9x50 finderscope via PHD. Stacked in DSS, processed in CS5, mosaic created using Microsoft ICE

Data capture - 12 nights (one pane / night) between 1st April and 6th May - 206 x 900s (51.5 hours), 30 flats / session and 50 bias, -15C

gallery_6161_1131_4617999.jpg

At 100% this would be close to 200cm x 200cm, which of course I can't upload here! I'm therefore including a link to a 50% image on Flickr (the 100% file was too big for them too!

I'm planning to get the OIII and SII on this as well, but as I'm expecting this to be at least a 2 year project, I'm not going to hold my breath :smiley:. However, if anyone has any suggestions on how I can tweak this, please do let me know - The Garnet star in particular was a bit troublesome as it had a nasty reflection which resulted in something akin to an airy disk... I might see what else I can do with that when (if) I get around to putting the whole thing together...

Thanks for looking...

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • Replies 40
  • Created
  • Last Reply
boss hogg

boss hogg

Posted
Posted

Andy

what are you using as a computer?

Just hard disk/ ram/ processor, as i think The size of the files alone would hang my beastie....

as for tweaking it? to quote the tv show "you have achieved perfection"

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Martin-Devon

Martin-Devon

Posted
Posted

Really nice Andy - that's a lot of data and it shows in the lovely details you've pulled out. I've recently captured the same full size image across 4 panels with the complete narrowband set & will post this sometime soon once I get round to the processing.

Martin

Link to comment
Share on other sites
AndyUK

AndyUK

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Thanks very much all!!!

Michael W - If all goes as well as it has with this channel, I'd quite like to print this one to a decent size... The problem is, I haven't got anywhere to put it :rolleyes:.

Boss hog - I'm using my work laptop - W7 32 bit, 4Gb RAM, 250Gb HDD with 2 core 2.10 GHz CPU. The tif file's a bit on the large side though (330Mb) and I'm dreading trying to throw all 3 channels into Registar - I'm not sure if it, or my laptop, will manage processing 1Gb...

Martin - Yes - A 460 (or 490) is on my wish (dream) list - That would save me an AWFUL lot of time! As you say, in fact, with only 4 panes to get the same coverage, I could have finished this as a full NB in the time it's taken me to get just this one channel... Ho hum! I wouldn't want to sell the 314L+ to part fund it though, as it's really useful with the MN190... :smiley:

Michael - It was those dark spots above the elephants trunk that dragged me into this mosaic - personally, I particular like what's going on in the pane at 12 o'clock... I might come back to that one day with the MN190 to see if I can get in a bit deeper :smiley:

Mark - Thank you! This is my second "big" mosaic (the first being a dozen frames on IC1805), but this one has been much easier as part way through it I started using plate-solving... and now that I have all the frames for the Ha, I can now use those for framing the SII/OIII :smiley:. Next time though I'll do some better planning - I haven't got to grips with EQMOSAIC yet, but the plan will be to spend the first night getting a full set of (say) 1x600s exposures per pane using that, and then I'll use those to plate solve against. I messed up on one night on the bottom left corner - It processed absolutely fine but when I threw it into MS ICE I discovered I'd missed a 5% section :sad:

Simon - I was hoping to get the APM up and running for use @ SGL8, but I had some real headaches getting it mounted and balanced! I'm VERY grateful that the weather in April was so accommodating though. I must admit, I do like it in mono as well... but my wife wants to see it colour, which means I have another possibly 100hrs or so to go yet (I SO wish I could afford a 460!)

Luke - Yes - I know... I'm a nutter :grin:!

John - Not as long as the last "12 paner Ha" took - That one was 3 months... :rolleyes:. This one I started on 1st April and finished last night, so a tad over 5 weeks... :smiley:

Gina - Thanks also! I'd like to say I won't be doing this again... but of course I know that I will be... twice!

Oblong - I'm always fascinated by those dark areas in nebulae, but as yet I don't have the skills to do them justice with an LRGB... (maybe one day)

Mick - Cheers...! Yes, a mosaic wizard would be VERY useful indeed :rolleyes:. On that subject, I haven't installed / tried AstroArt yet as what I have seems to be working at the moment, but I do intend looking at it (and Elbrus) later this year, and that mosaic add-on could be just what I'm looking for!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
AndyUK

AndyUK

Posted
  • Author
Posted

I managed to get an OIII pane last night (14x1200s), so thought I'd add it in, mapping Ha/red, OIII/blue and then creating a false green (using Noel's actions) just to get an idea what it might look like...

gallery_6161_1131_7579752.jpg

I think this year I'll be very grateful indeed if I can just finish a full Ha(G)OIII version... (but don't worry - I'm not going to post any more updates as each pane comes in - That would be very boring! :smiley:)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
swag72

swag72

Posted
Posted

Oh my goodness, that is looking beautiful with that OIII added. I know that this is going to take you some time, but it really is going to look fantastic. Perhaps you can do the OIII and wait for some kindly soul to do the SII and let you use it? :smiley: This is an already stunning image and with the OIII added ........... WOW!!!

This is also a very good example to use for people asking about the smaller chip CCD's - Can you keep this somewhere safe so that when people ask about mosaics you can show just how small the 314L+ chip can be.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
AndyUK

AndyUK

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Thanks Sara! That's a good idea about using this to put the frame of a Sony 285 chip into perspective.. Martin_h recently posted a very similar field (slightly less) taken with his Kodak 8300 on a WO Megrez 72...which he got in one single frame :rolleyes:.

I'll certainly not be giving up on this now - I've spent too long on it to turn back, and plate-solving makes it VERY easy to get the framing right :smiley:. However, assuming I can finish the OIII this year(?), I may well be on the scrounge to see if anyone has any SII they'd be happy to loan me for a year (until I get it myself - I understand the SII is pretty weak on this one...)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
AndyUK

AndyUK

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Cheers Martin! I was seriously thinking of getting it printed, but I currently have nowhere to put it, and the frame would probably cost treble that of the print!

Depending on how the finished version comes out though, my wife might agree to give it some wall space somewhere - Can I ask what size you went for? I was thinking I might get away with 30"x30" (as I certainly don't have room for a 100% print at 78"x78" :rolleyes:)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
martin_h

martin_h

Posted
Posted

Cheers Martin! I was seriously thinking of getting it printed, but I currently have nowhere to put it, and the frame would probably cost treble that of the print!

Depending on how the finished version comes out though, my wife might agree to give it some wall space somewhere - Can I ask what size you went for? I was thinking I might get away with 30"x30" (as I certainly don't have room for a 100% print at 78"x78" :rolleyes:)

I think I went for something like 16" x 20"

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Ewan

Ewan

Posted
Posted

Andy that is going to be one awesome shot when you finish it, i wouldn't think it boring to upload more updates for the colour, it would be great to see them. Great image.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue. By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.