Andromeda from Cheshire

[Spikey]

Had to think of a slightly different title 

I think this is my first or second proper imaging session of the year, my how time flies !

Anyway I'll cut to the chase, yes it's another M31 but it happens to be one of my favourite objects and was the first galaxy I ever observed.

This is my first go at a OSC camera and first attempt at processing OSC - slightly different to mono !  

It's an ED80 & QHY8 combination - yes an old, original QHY8 that used to be Tims !  60 x 300s

ST80 plus Atik16ic for guiding;  all sat on an NEQ6.

Captured in Maxim, stacked in DSS for a change and some tweaks in photoshop (which I have mostly forgotten how to use).

 

[majapala]

Very nice!

[wookie1965]

Lovely image is that M32 underneath as well.

[Spikey]

M110 is underneath and M32 is about in the 9 o'clock position to the core.

[wookie1965]

I'm looking at it the wrong way i was checking in TLAO and that's what has got me wrong image in there is upside down.

[lensman57]

Hi,

Excellent image, I have taken the liberty of doing a bit of cleaning up job, I also removed a bit of mild gradient from the capture. I hope that you don't mind.

Regards,

A.G

[Spikey]

Hi,

Excellent image, I have taken the liberty of doing a bit of cleaning up job, I also removed a bit of mild gradient from the capture. I hope that you don't mind.

Regards,

A.G

I don't mind anyone playing around with my images, we're all here to learn; but I would prefer it if you went into detail about what steps you took when  tweaking the image.

The colour balance on your version is better but it's suffering from noise quite a bit now. Did you use wavelets?

I've had a little bit more of a play with the colour and noise reduction via noels actions but the core has suffered and needs some work. Overall I'm happy with it, it's a vast improvement on my last attempt and unrecognisable from my first M31

[idigitize]

Great shot and really inspiring. 

Im just looking to get started in ap in crewe/nantwich, so its good to see what can be done.

Can I ask what rough location?  im trying to find a darkish safe site around wistaston way.  

[Spikey]

Great shot and really inspiring. 

 

Im just looking to get started in ap in crewe/nantwich, so its good to see what can be done.

 

Can I ask what rough location?  im trying to find a darkish safe site around wistaston way.

Yes, of course. I'm actually in Wistaston myself - not far from Laidon avenue if you know it.

As you'll know where andromeda lies, I have to point my scope into all the light pollution from the football ground and those HUGE lights that the railway insist on lighting up everywhere with. I just have to wait until the target gets high enough to creep out of the murk and also use a skywatcher light pollution filter which helps. I get quite a bit of issues with odd gradients because of the LP. I reckon the nearest decent'ish dark skies to us are probably up in the Bickerton hills somewhere or Snowdonia for a 'proper' dark site.

[idigitize]

I think I will have to look into Light Pollution Filters, I know Laidon Avenue, Im just along from The Rising sun. The Bickerton Hills is probably a good idea, I don't know the area that well (think I been to the Poacher once), but worth an explore!  I went to a layby up somewhere between Buxton and Leek, a few years ago, but seems a long way to go now.

This shot is encouraging though, as im sure the light must be pretty much the same for me.

[Spikey]

I think I will have to look into Light Pollution Filters, I know Laidon Avenue, Im just along from The Rising sun. The Bickerton Hills is probably a good idea, I don't know the area that well (think I been to the Poacher once), but worth an explore!  I went to a layby up somewhere between Buxton and Leek, a few years ago, but seems a long way to go now.

 

This shot is encouraging though, as im sure the light must be pretty much the same for me.

I know the area well. It's worth going up to Bickerton with a grab and go or some binoculars but for the imaging rig I'm running it's more or less reliant on the mains power now.

So, I'm stuck with the heavy LP skies outside of my back door

If you need any help setting anything up just give me a shout, can easily pop round.

[idigitize]

Might take you up on that... I am telescopless currently. I had a 120mm refractor a few years ago, but got into photography big time so one hobby had to go. Now the urge has come back and think combining the two is the way to go. Thinking Heq5 and ed80 and sticking my Nikon D800 on the end, which would more than get me started. But keen to look at different setups and reading lots on here at different ways to go before making any decisions.  Even just getting a decent mount and using my camera with various lenses. 

[Spikey]

Might take you up on that... I am telescopless currently. I had a 120mm refractor a few years ago, but got into photography big time so one hobby had to go. Now the urge has come back and think combining the two is the way to go. Thinking Heq5 and ed80 and sticking my Nikon D800 on the end, which would more than get me started. But keen to look at different setups and reading lots on here at different ways to go before making any decisions.  Even just getting a decent mount and using my camera with various lenses. 

I've owned a HEQ5, brilliant mount. More than capable with an ED80 & DSLR. At some point you'll want to guide and you may also get to see the benefit of Canon DSLR cameras within AP for the software control.

[lensman57]

I don't mind anyone playing around with my images, we're all here to learn; but I would prefer it if you went into detail about what steps you took when  tweaking the image.

The colour balance on your version is better but it's suffering from noise quite a bit now. Did you use wavelets?

I've had a little bit more of a play with the colour and noise reduction via noels actions but the core has suffered and needs some work. Overall I'm happy with it, it's a vast improvement on my last attempt and unrecognisable from my first M31

m31-osc-6.png

Hi,

I opened a copy of your capture in PS and made a duplicate layer, ran two instances of the HLVG filter to get rid of any green cast left over from any filtering, then I made a mask of the M31 and inverted the  the masked, smooth, feather and adjust the mask to include M32, M110. I then appllied a single application of gradient Xterminator with the Coarse- Strong setting. Adjust the mask ( shrank it with a larger feather radius ) and then ran another instance of Gradient Xterminator with the Fine- Medium setting and this got rid of any background unevenness . Flaten the layers, copy layer and,  image,  adjustments, selective colour and then pushed the reds a touch by reducing Cyan in the Red Channel. Flaten layres, do another layer and did a star mask, increase saturation of the satrs a touch, about 15~20%. and  it is done , took less than timeto do it  than it took to write it down really. I normally don't bother with Ps as I do most of the processing StarTools but it is nice to be able to use PS to tweak things at times. Your second reprocess is far superior and you have a lot of nice data there that you will enhance with gradual improvement in processing.

Regards,

A.G

[mylatestwhim]

I've messaged 'idigitize' but I notice he hasn't been on for a while. I'm interested in heading to local dark sites or north wales and am from Nantwich. 

Have diesel estate: will travel 

Andy 

[RobH]

Hi Simon. That's a lovely capture and I think that your colour balance is fine, it's just the gradient that's giving trouble.

Did you shoot flats for this?

[andyo]

That's very nice great job

[sologuitarist61]

That is a lovely image!

[Spikey]

Rob yes I did use bias subtracted flats but I do live in an area with lots of LP. I also think that I need to knock the gain down a few notches.

[RobH]

There's more going on there than light pollution Simon, there's definite vignetting showing too.

How did you shoot your flats?

Do you have a master flat you could post, and how many subs went into the master?

[lensman57]

I don't mind anyone playing around with my images, we're all here to learn; but I would prefer it if you went into detail about what steps you took when  tweaking the image.

The colour balance on your version is better but it's suffering from noise quite a bit now. Did you use wavelets?

I've had a little bit more of a play with the colour and noise reduction via noels actions but the core has suffered and needs some work. Overall I'm happy with it, it's a vast improvement on my last attempt and unrecognisable from my first M31

m31-osc-6.png

Hi Simon,

Sorry I that did not reply earlier, I did not use wavelets or anything like that, just a single pass of gradient xterminator. I think that the noise like artefacts are the result of copy and pasting from the the posted capture and the subsequent jpeg  conversion and the loading compression. It is a great capture in anycase with tons of detail. I wish rain clouds would disappear from Manchester skies for a night at least.

Regards,

A.G

[Spikey]

There's more going on there than light pollution Simon, there's definite vignetting showing too.

How did you shoot your flats?

Do you have a master flat you could post, and how many subs went into the master?

I used a light panel to shoot the flats Rob.

I'll drag out the master and number as they are on the other computer at the moment.

This was my first light with Tim's old QHY8 so it's probable I didn't do the flats properly - can't remember the ADU now but I'll work it out when I get hold of a flat I think I err'd on the low side.

[davestorey]

wonderfull work, very envious of your skills.. :-)