New vs. Old M31 - big improvement!

[badgerchap]

I took my first M31 last year:

which was with my 10D through a WO66 on an eq5, 5 x 2 min exposures at ISO800. This year, as a return from summer downtime, I've returned to our next door neighbour with an 1100D, a 150 f4 newt on an eq6 with 30 x 90 sec exposures at ISO 800. Plus I've had a bit more practice with DSS (used for both images) and here's the result:

I'm really chuffed with the result, it's a massive change. Just shows what better equipment will do for you. The main issue I have though is the bottom left corner, but I think this is something to do with imaging in July! The sun was definitely beginning to brighten the sky as my run came to an end, so maybe if I go back in a few months I can get rid of that nasty smear.

I'm also not quite sure of the colours. Looking online I see there's quite a bit of variation here, so I'm undecided as yet as to whether or not I've got it right. Any advice or input would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks for looking

Guy

[nmoushon]

Great job and nice improvement! Now just need to add more subs so ou can get the fainter inner dust rings.

[Ant]

That's a nice improvement, I do like the colouring of the second. Much more subtle and warm looking

The bottom left looks like what I used to get with the webcam, amp glow, but of course might not be. Did you subtract darks?

This time of year with these temperatures noise is going to be a huge issue with a dSLR at ISO800, if you took darks I'd be interested to see one of them.

If you didn't take darks, you can take them today - just pick a time of day where the temp is roughly the same as the imaging run and get 10 darks.

Apologies if I'm teaching your gran to suck eggs.

Irrespective of the bottom left corner it's a lovely image.

Cheers

Ant

[badgerchap]

Did darks and flats, but its my first ever use of the latter, so I may have messed something up there?

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[James]

Wow - that's chalk and cheese... the second one is a huge improvement

Considering it doesn't get properly dark at this time of year and the nighttime temperatures I think you've done pretty well - I tried M31 the other night for fun and it was a disaster.

There will always be colour variations and no doubt the real experts can offer advice but a yellowing warm looking core and colder slightly bluish arms look good to me.

James

[iksose7]

Thats a great improvement! congrats. As for the colours, like James said above me - i like my M31s with the kind of core you have produced here, but with nice blue arms. And to finish it off, some lovely blobs of red Ha! Mmmmmmmmmmm, Ha

[steppenwolf]

That's quite some improvement - the new image is so much smoother and has more natural colours. This recent clear spell has been wonderful, look how many deep sky images have been posted this week in comparison with three or so weeks ago! The rising Sun is certainly an impediment and the nights are short but you've taken good advantage of them.

[badgerchap]

Thanks for the feedback guys, greatly appreciated.

I did want bluer arms but I'm still a bit wet behind the ears so I wasn't able to get them without losing the redness of the core. More practice required!

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[Tom OD]

That is a big improvement, well done.

[WaveSoarer]

That's very nice indeed.

[badgerchap]

Thanks Tom and WaveSoarer

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[Jessun]

Great image and serious improvement!

/Jesper

[badgerchap]

Cheers Jester

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[badgerchap]

Jesper* D'oh! Stupid autocorrect! Autocorrupt more like....

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