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Another First Go At M42... Marks out of 10, please!

PhotoGav

By PhotoGav
in Imaging - Deep Sky

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PhotoGav

PhotoGav

Posted
Posted

Here is my first attempt at the iconic M42 - Orion Nebula & Running Man Nebula:

post-29321-0-02241100-1390245765_thumb.p

Subs: 800 ISO, 14 x 300s & 19 x 60s. Calibrated with darks, bias & flats.

I'm quite happy with it generally and give myself about 3.5/10. I had intended to shoot a batch of 900s subs to catch more of the dust in the outer reaches, however, events conspired against me and that has not yet happened. The biggest problem with the image though, is the trapezium area... of course! It's gone a rather greyish colour. I tried to layer in the 60s subs, which seemed to put a good amount of detail back into that area, but as I have processed the image, it has steadily turned an over washed pair of y-fronts kind of grey.... yuck. I've used masks to try and save that area, but seem to have not mastered it yet...

Is this just my poor processing? Should I shoot shorter subs than 60s for that area?

Anyway, as ever, opinions please...

I certainly intend to add more data to this project when the clouds and moon go away and will reprocess the image, hopefully with a more satisfactory result!

In the meantime, thanks for looking.

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AstroJones

AstroJones

Posted
Posted

If i was to get a picture of M42 like that then i would be stunned, the detail in the cloud is great.

As you say the color of the trapezium area is a bit off but the rest of the picture makes up for that :)

As im still new to this, i personally cannot give you any advice in post processing.

What i can give you is a very well done and as it's a first attempt (even if it wasn't) i would give you a  8.5 / 10.0  :D

Very well done indeed, keep up the good work.

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ollypenrice

ollypenrice

Posted
Posted

Of course it's good.

When you layer mask in the Trap subs you have to play both the colour balance and the saturation of the Trap region before you flatten the layers. (This assumes you're using Photoshop and layer masks to combine them. If you're not then I'd give it a pop.) As it is, the different subs are betrayed by the change in colour with a rather yellow Trapezium. However, the transition in brightness is excellent so you're nearly there.

I have been having another go at this target about every two years since I fell victim to astrophotography and I don't think I'm anywhere near done with the darned thing!

Olly

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PhotoGav

PhotoGav

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Well, despite work mounting up, I couldn't resist.... Here's the reprocess:

post-29321-0-30697400-1390331591_thumb.p

This time I'm much happier with the result and pretty amazed by the detail obtained from 'short' subs of only five minutes. It modifies my opinion on the theory that longer subs are better... The noise in the image was much reduced compared to the fifteen and twenty minute subs I have done on other targets recently. The question is: how much more detail would longer subs give? The other question I have is: Is that a gradient in the background from top, darker, to bottom, lighter? I went to run GradientXterminator, but my trial period has run out. So, should I go ahead and purchase the filter?

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ollypenrice

ollypenrice

Posted
Posted

Miles better and a great result. However, if you have a dark site and a cooled camera don't even dream for one second that longer subs aren't better for the faint stuff. They are. Mine have been getting longer and longer for seven years!!

Olly

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iksose7

iksose7

Posted
Posted

I was going to suggest what Olly did but looks like you have it sorted! Version 2 looks spot on to me ;) great job!

Only thing that could improve it now would be longer subs for the surrounding dust like you suggested. 

I cant see much of a gradient but i'm not on my calibrated monitor right now.

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Steve 1962

Steve 1962

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Hi Gav

That is just great  - well done. It's really good to see you climbing that learning curve so quickly!

Another vote from me for longer subs ...and no, I don't see much of a gradient. If you do want to do anything about a gradient - be careful - there's a lot of background stuff around that region.

Steve

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JessicaFaye

JessicaFaye

Posted
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Lovely can't believe how much better the reprocessed version is! I'm just in the process of getting all bits and bobs reading for doing some imaging myself. great to read stuff like this and see results, thanks for sharing... based on other pics I've seen, I'd give it a solid 7.5/10 :)

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PhotoGav

PhotoGav

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Thank you Steve, Jessica & Tom. Well worth my time starting from scratch again! Interesting re. the gradient Steve, I will leave it alone. Good luck Jessica, the AP trip is superb though incredibly frustrating, but the results never cease to amaze - this stuff is out there above us for us to gawp over! "We are star stuff collecting star light" C. Sagan. Watched this yesterday evening and it's fantastic: http://youtu.be/U49i8HYMp2k. Great series. To think that I bought his book 'Cosmos' from one of those book clubs when I was about 10 (back in 1981!), but never really read it, I just looked at all the pictures again and again... Sorry, slight tangent... I look forward to seeing the results of your labours Jessica!

Clear skies,

Gav

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Luis Campos

Luis Campos

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Thank you Luis. Just looked at your Flickr page and you have some stunning photos there, amazing. I'm intrigued by the modified 450D with what looks like a cooling system attached... please tell me more!!!

Thank you Gav,

yes this is a TEC cooling system with a digital controller, it has temperature set point and a PWM based power regulator to feed the TEC unit, it also has a "top secret" system to prevent from dew forming on the sensor face or sensor coverglass...and above all...it's monochrome converted (sensor debayer) wich means working with narrowband filters at full resolution now :D

Here some images of the super Canon 450D, and a NGC 6888 in a quick test with a debayered 350D, my first one, his was made with a 1.25" 12Nm ha filter hence the vigneting but it was the only one I had... :):

post-13017-0-55703200-1390408534_thumb.j

post-13017-0-32982100-1390408558_thumb.j

post-13017-0-82922500-1390408567_thumb.j

post-13017-0-49831200-1390408584_thumb.j

post-13017-0-91874600-1390408672_thumb.j

Cheers,

Luís

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Paul73

Paul73

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Haven't got a clue what you guys are going on about. V technical and probably very expensive.

But, great picture. Really enjoyed studying it. And nice to see an nicely framed "real feeling" image that is a bit closer to what I see when I look through my telescope with un modded eyes.

Can't wait to see your 2nd effort.

Paul

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