Sh2-157 (the claw) and the Bubble in colour

[swag72]

I firstly attacked this target with my 3nm Ha filter and I have to say that I love the detail it pulls out of the sky! So with a forecast of a number of clear nights I thought I'd try a colour version. Collected the data - always the easy part and then processing - Boy was it hard. I think I've reached a place where it's OK, but I think I need to learn that there's just too much red when I add all of the Ha to the red channel.

There looks like a gradient in the top right, but from what I can see it's the Ha data, and it really jumps out on this small version.

Well I like to be heavy handed I suppose, so here it is, Sh2-157 and it's friends!

If there's anything you see that you don't like or you think should be done differently then I'd love to hear it.

Details

M: HEQ5

T: Takahashi FSQ85 0.73x

C: Atik 460EX mono with 3nm Ha and Baader RGB filters

9x1800s Ha

26x240s in RGB

Flats used for all filters.

[farunj]

That's simply awesome! The bubble looks awesome!

[Gina]

Great stuff Sara Lovely detailled image You didn't say how you added the Ha to the RGB - looks like Ha to red and 25% Ha to blue, like I do myself

Another one to add to my DSO list, methinks Could you tell me the width of your image in arcmins please Sara?

[Superdavo]

Wow!

[cloudbuster]

Beautiful Sara...loving the fov and star colour.

bob

[WaveSoarer]

That's a lovely image.

[Mark72]

Great work Sara,

Nice composition and rich details; there is indeed a greenish gradient top left.

Mark

[swag72]

Thanks all, appreciate you looking and commenting. I've just run it through SCNR to rid the green, but there's still sometihng there - I think perhaps the start of some more nebulosity?

@Gina - My image scale is about 104x130 arc minutes using the 0.73x reducer.

[Gina]

Thanks all, appreciate you looking and commenting. I've just run it through SCNR to rid the green, but there's still sometihng there - I think perhaps the start of some more nebulosity?

@Gina - My image scale is about 104x130 arc minutes using the 0.73x reducer.

Thank you Sara That will fit in nicely with my 200mm lenses widefield then (156 x 114 arc minutes)

[swag72]

Add it to the ever growing list Gina?!!!!!

Look forward to seeing it - I'll keep an eye out.

[andyo]

That is a great capture and I think your right about the start of some more nebulosity top right, so much going on in it great stuff

[Gina]

Add it to the ever growing list Gina?!!!!!

Absolutely!!

Look forward to seeing it - I'll keep an eye out.

Send me some of your nice Spanish weather and I'll see what I can do Goodness knows when we're going to get any here - nothing any good in the forecast

[Jessun]

That is stunning Sara! Superb use of one of the hottest setups around!

/Jesper

[swag72]

Thanks Jesper - Yes it's a rather nice setup!!

[Epicycle]

That's a superb image Sara! Can you tell us a little about how you combined the Ha with RGB? There are lots of different options around

ranging from creating a synthetic luminance from the all the data to mixing Ha in different proportions into Red and Blue, different blending modes to

keep the size of stars in check etc...

E.

[swag72]

Thank you - I combined the Ha initially in the red channel at 100% (mistake, should have don eit much less!) in blend mode lighten. Then I also combined my Ha in green and blue but both times at 25% opacity, again blend mode lighten. Then I *think* I also used it as a luminance channel, but probably at about 50% opacity otherwise it all tends to go rather pink.

[Epicycle]

Thank you - I combined the Ha initially in the red channel at 100% (mistake, should have don eit much less!) in blend mode lighten. Then I also combined my Ha in green and blue but both times at 25% opacity, again blend mode lighten. Then I *think* I also used it as a luminance channel, but probably at about 50% opacity otherwise it all tends to go rather pink.

I see, thanks!

E.

[Mr Bergman]

Very very nice!

[swag72]

Very very nice!

Thank you

[Roberto Coleschi]

Wonderful pic, with tiny colorful stars, congrats..

[swag72]

Thank you Roberto - Appreciate you looking

[JamesF]

Very pretty indeed

James

[reddoss]

Great image, most folks (me included) just try and capture bubble.

[ollypenrice]

I think it's great, Sara. Rarely seen, too.

Regarding adding Ha to red, etc, what I do is add it at 100%, bang wallop, and save that. Then I paste the HaRGB onto the pure RGB that I've just modified and vary the opacity to taste. I can't see any need to apply it in iterations.

Olly

[fwm891]

Absolute Cracker Sara, keep 'em coming