Advice imaging m78

[Michael1971]

Friends, I tried several times to image M78. With a 6" and 8"  F5 Refelctor and DSLR

Couple of days ago I shot 10x600s @ ISO 400 and I hardly get any details.

I attached a rough processed image to give you an idea what I mean..

I know its not an easy one, but I saw some beauties on the web with less gear than I have.

Can someone give me some pointers on how to approach this elusive relection nebula?

[lensman57]

Friends, I tried several times to image M78. With a 6" and 8"  F5 Refelctor and DSLR

Couple of days ago I shot 10x600s @ ISO 400 and I hardly get any details.

I attached a rough processed image to give you an idea what I mean..

I know its not an easy one, but I saw some beauties on the web with less gear than I have.

Can someone give me some pointers on how to approach this elusive relection nebula?

This happened to me too, I was trying to image the IRIS nebula last year using an Apo Triplet @ F4.8 and a cooled CCD with an icx 674 chip, 15X600s and there was nothing to process, just a bit of blue. I guess I needed much longer subs than 600s and a lot more of them.

A.G

[jezhughes]

are you using a filter at all? If you have light pollution, it will impact how much detail you can stretch from your work.

same applies to imaging objects at low altitude.

[ollypenrice]

It is faint and slow, even from an excellent site and with a fast scope and CCD. You're a bit late in the year for a long campaign on it now and the moon will kill it.

Olly

[Michael1971]

I tried it again, y'day while the moon was there. I have a neodymium filter and tried 2,5 hours of 360s exposures.

But the result was bad. Total waste of time, guess I put that in the learning curve corner.

I guess what Olly says is right, a moonless night with a faster scope would be better for this object.

Thanks

[andrewluck]

This was my attempt from a couple of years ago with a QHY9C on a C9.25 at f/6.3. Two hours worth of 3 minute subs.

http://blog.andrewluck.me.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/M78-1.jpg

Andrew

[Michael1971]

For a F6.3 that not bad at all. I had the same amount, even longer data at f5 that dit not show this detail.

Thanks for posting that.

Mike

[peter shah]

 Longer subs and better transparency and of course a darker sky....

I think choosing an object based on the conditions is key, ...... you would be forgiven for thinking that M78 is a target that you could get in moderate conditions but its not that simple. Although it is one of the brightest reflection nebulae in the sky its really only the core(s) that is being referring to everything else around it is pretty dark....I had a go at it a few years back and threw over 10 hours at it and it just lapped it up http://www.astropix.co.uk/ps/pages/c23000.htm its one I will revisit, I know I can go much deeper with my newer and larger kit.

 I will be very picky with the conditions when I do go back to it....not easy to do with our UK weather and that's one reason why I haven't manage to get back to it yet.....not  sure how you fair over in the Netherlands.

BTW That is still a very nice image you have.

[Michael1971]

Hi Peter, your image is what i wanted..lol .. its really nice.

I also had a go at it last year with my 6" and the results were better. With this new 8" I guess I expected better.

If you compare the 6" with the 8" the 8"is huge, the 8 is carbon fiber, better mirrors..all better.. but I am having difficulty getting better pictures.

It might be conditions in the air but its hard to tell.

I might give it ago when I checked all again and when the moon is gone and the skies are clear.

See attached my old image, with my 6"

CS.