Horse head Neb

[valleyman]

Tried for the Horse head Neb last night with bad results

 

Scope SW 80 ED

 

Camera Canon 600 D

 

ISO 800

 

Exp  3 minutes

 

Guided with PHD

 

All I got was orange sky with a very very very faint showing of NGC 2024 at the top of the picture

 

any advice please on what settings \I should be using

 

Thanks

Pat

[hobsey]

From what I have heard as I'm more planetary, the moon has a massive effect on DSO.

You may have to wait until a new moon.

[Zuben Elgenubi]

Have you stacked and processed your subs? You can remove a fair bit of light pollution when processing, as well as teasing out more detail from your target object.

Do you have a LP filter? Definitely worth considering if you haven't.

And as hobsey says, the moon will not have helped.

[steppenwolf]

You've chosen a pretty difficult object under sub-optimal conditions. 3 minute subs are really too little - I only started to get 'fair' results with a DSLR camera on this object when I increased my exposures to 10 minutes or more - it is a very dim object indeed. Of course these longer exposures give you grief with light pollution so something like a Hutech IDAS LP filter will help enormously - if LP is an issue at your location, don't skimp on an LP filter - buy the best and that is the Hutech.

Finally, that Moon would have been a major issue.

The following (albeit pretty appalling) image of the Horsehead Nebula was one of my first ever images and was taken with a Canon 300D (unmodified) through the same telescope as yours but to capture even this meagre detail I had to combine two images, one of 600 seconds and one of 1200 seconds at ISO 800. If only I'd taken a whole load more at 1200 seconds but in those early days, just to see some data rolling in was enough!!

So, longer exposures and plenty of them, a good LP filter and no Moon will allow you to capture the elusive horse in all its glory.

My first attempt at the Horsehead Nebula with a longer exposure using a DSLR camera

[valleyman]

Always amazed at how quick you can get an answer on here.

Thanks guys for that helpful info. Will wait for 3 weeks (No Moon) and pray for clear skies then

After that will have to wait 9 months before it gets to me again

[Space Ranger]

I agree with the suggestions given so far.

I have similar equipment to you (Canon 650D, SW80 ED) and from a dark site here's the result I got unguided.....

It consists of a 13 exposures totalling 25minutes. The exposures were up to 2 minutes in length mainly at ISO 3200.

So based on my experience 3min at ISO800 would require a lot of subs - increasing the ISO or exposure length might help.

[Russe]

Increasing the ISO will not help:

http://www.blackwaterskies.co.uk/2014/01/do-high-isos-make-dslrs-more-sensitive.html?m=1

Only longer and more subs.

[Space Ranger]

Increasing the ISO will not help:

http://www.blackwaterskies.co.uk/2014/01/do-high-isos-make-dslrs-more-sensitive.html?m=1

Only longer and more subs.

Interesting Russe - I didn't know that, but then I'm pretty new to all this. I must have a go at taking my next batch of deep sky images at a lower ISO and see how I get on. Might it be fair to say that the higher ISO is helpful to those that like me who are novices at the image processing part get something meaningful out of their early attempts?

To echo Valleyman's initial question I too now wonder what the optimum DSLR settings are. The article seems to suggest in one part that ISO 200 or 400 would be best, but I'd welcome the input of those that understand this better.

[Russe]

I'd say 400 to 800. Depends on how much your images get washed out at longer exposures.

I'd say higher ISO = more difficult post processing b/o more noise.

[GuillermoBarrancos]

I'd say 400 to 800. Depends on how much your images get washed out at longer exposures.

I'd say higher ISO = more difficult post processing b/o more noise.

That is not entirely true.

It greatly depends on the camera you have and not the least the ambient temperature you're imaging in.

It's an interesting article you posted nonetheless and he is right that higher ISO doesn't mean higher sensitivity.

But! A mid to high end DSLR camera (like 600D, 60D, 6D) used during cold winter nights is perfectly happy at ISO 1600 / 3200 with long exposures, producing hardly any to no noise at all.

Where as a low end DSLR (like 1000D / 1100D) will produce a lot more noise under same conditions.