My very 1st image of M51 (whirlpool galaxy) {130-pds}

[glowingturnip]

i didn't get much colour out of mine either, little bit of blue and brown but not much.  to be honest though, not completely happy with the LRGB recombine i did in Pixinsight for this one, the synthetic luminance I had going looked a lot better on its own.  Have had more success doing an Lab recombine recently so will try that when I revisit.

But I've got something funky in the processing queue first though  ;-)

[tingting44]

i didn't get much colour out of mine either, little bit of blue and brown but not much.  to be honest though, not completely happy with the LRGB recombine i did in Pixinsight for this one, the synthetic luminance I had going looked a lot better on its own.  Have had more success doing an Lab recombine recently so will try that when I revisit.

But I've got something funky in the processing queue first though  ;-)

awsome! you have got a lot of detail in the whirlpool, wouldnt mind seeing your luminace sub by itself

[glowingturnip]

will post it up tonight.  although actually, it was a noise swamped set of only 4 subs before day dawned, so perhaps I shouldn't !

[glowingturnip]

here is my synth lum.

I just had another look at my RGB and it's horrid, so won't be posting that !

I need to do it again with some proper data thought really

[tingting44]

thats cool still tho mate!! i love looking at every image of M51 now lol cant get enough of her lol, im just uploading my final stacked image before any adjustments have been to drop box as A.G on here is going to have a go processing it to see if he can bring the color out, if you want the link to have a play too ill post it in here when its done in about 15 mins

[tingting44]

here is the final stacked image with no adjustments applied if any one wants to try to draw the color out, its beond my processing skills so far...

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/qgru4qjtnsl8koa/qKqy9TsPvN

 will be having a 3rd attempt tomorrow after work, got to go to bed now as early start, all have a nice evening and catch up tomorrow 

 

night

 

Martin

[glowingturnip]

it's a cracking target, isn't it.

First time I tried to image it was one of *those* evenings.  Beautiful summer evening, clear skies, it was over in the east, so had to drag all my kit up a flight of stairs where I can get an ok eastern view, since my usual place is limited viz to the east.  Then had a dreamy smooth set up, had it located, focussed and guiding in much less time than usual, and I remember the thrill of excitement I felt when I saw it in the eyepiece for my first time, and again when I saw it clearly in my framing shot...

Started a run of subs, on the very first sub PHD starts complaining and loses the guide star, and I can't see it on the phd screen either, scratching my head as to what's happened, look up and the sky has gone totally cloudy, from horizon to horizon - must have taken 10 minutes tops !  The only shot I got of it that day was my framing shot - high noisy ISO and trailing.

I'd even persuaded my wife to join me on a deckchair with a bottle of wine as I rattle off the subs, but instead she got to help me carry all the stuff back down the stairs in the dark.

ho hum

[Andy Milner]

Quick question I was trying to find M51 last night. Could not pick it up. Tried 30 second exposures. I guess it's hard to find. I'm pretty sure I was in the right place with my 8" reflector. Maybe the haze didn't help and a need for longer subs will expose it?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[glowingturnip]

it is quite dim, 8.4 mag, and small in a prime focus dslr screen, so yes, longer subs will help

[tingting44]

it's a cracking target, isn't it.

First time I tried to image it was one of *those* evenings.  Beautiful summer evening, clear skies, it was over in the east, so had to drag all my kit up a flight of stairs where I can get an ok eastern view, since my usual place is limited viz to the east.  Then had a dreamy smooth set up, had it located, focussed and guiding in much less time than usual, and I remember the thrill of excitement I felt when I saw it in the eyepiece for my first time, and again when I saw it clearly in my framing shot...

Started a run of subs, on the very first sub PHD starts complaining and loses the guide star, and I can't see it on the phd screen either, scratching my head as to what's happened, look up and the sky has gone totally cloudy, from horizon to horizon - must have taken 10 minutes tops !  The only shot I got of it that day was my framing shot - high noisy ISO and trailing.

I'd even persuaded my wife to join me on a deckchair with a bottle of wine as I rattle off the subs, but instead she got to help me carry all the stuff back down the stairs in the dark.

ho hum

it is indeed

sounds an eventful evening even tho you didnt get long lol i cant wait to start learning PHD

Quick question I was trying to find M51 last night. Could not pick it up. Tried 30 second exposures. I guess it's hard to find. I'm pretty sure I was in the right place with my 8" reflector. Maybe the haze didn't help and a need for longer subs will expose it?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

it may sound stupid but i done it lol, its such a nooby mistake too but when i was trying to find it i actually forgot the view was inverted i wanted to go up and right to M51 and i was getting frustrated as it was not appearing on my long exposures, then i remembered its inverted! DOH! lol so i moved in left and down and boom, there she was in all her glory  i even pointed my laser pen through the finder scope which helped a lot (i MUST learn how to use the setting circles lol)

it is quite dim, 8.4 mag, and small in a prime focus dslr screen, so yes, longer subs will help

longer subs and highest ISO is a must when trying to find a DSO, it does not matter about high noise or star trails it just lets you see the DSO and frame it, then go back to your normal settings for taking the lights

tooo tired tonight to have a 3rd go , will soon tho