M13 globular in 5sec...and more...

[nytecam]

Ok - M13 is bright but a great result here via 30cm SCT+Lodestar-Mx2+LL in just 5sec exp - LL auto-darks / no flats

[woodmeister]

Hi there, great job of the great cluster in Hercules there is a little bit of background noise but it is a great pic.

I saw the m13 for the first time yesterday and I thought it looked a bit different than I thought it would (still a pleasant experience). Nice job and hope to see more.

[nytecam]

Hi there, great job of the great cluster in Hercules there is a little bit of background noise but it is a great pic.

I saw the m13 for the first time yesterday and I thought it looked a bit different than I thought it would (still a pleasant experience). Nice job and hope to see more.

Thanks WM - welcome to the forum the purpose of which is to show / 'view' in near real time DSOs etc - hence the brief exposures so some noise is acceptable especially under LP - we don't aim for AP pretties.  Here's M13 in 20s - not much improvement ! :-)

[Astrogate]

nytecam, on 27 May 2014 - 03:24 AM, said:

Thanks WM - welcome to the forum the purpose of which is to show / 'view' in near real time DSOs etc - hence the brief exposures so some noise is acceptable especially under LP - we don't aim for AP pretties.  Here's M13 in 20s - not much improvement ! :-)

Yes Maurice when viewing bright object like M13 then I agree that a little noise does not take away from the object, but when viewing very faint PNC or Hickson type galaxies the detail/object can get washed out within the noise, so it is not only for pretty astro pictures that we must what our noise level. I bet when Paul has to stacking feature in Lodestar Live perfected you and others will take advantage of this useful tool. Right now for you stacking is a pain in the butt using a 2nd program but when Lodestar Live perfects it and it looks like very soon, it will be just as easy to sack on the fly with the click of one button like we do using Miloslick.

Chris  A

Astrogate

[nytecam]

Chris - the SX s/ware for ALL the SX cameras like MX9/ Lodestar etc has the option to auto-stack images which I've used for over a decade.  Just select a field star, exposure + number of exposures and the s/ware does the business.  This option also allows for darks and flats and removal of sky background [essential here in London] before the stack either averaged or added so quite advanced for its day and useful when the Meade drive is playing-up !

Here's M92 from same session in 10s exp which is already blowing the core with the Lodestar-Mx2 cam      

[Astrogate]

nytecam, on 28 May 2014 - 06:21 AM, said:

Chris - the SX s/ware for ALL the SX cameras like MX9/ Lodestar etc has the option to auto-stack images which I've used for over a decade.  Just select a field star, exposure + number of exposures and the s/ware does the business.  This option also allows for darks and flats and removal of sky background [essential here in London] before the stack either averaged or added so quite advanced for its day and useful when the Meade drive is playing-up !

Here's M92 from same session in 10s exp which is already blowing the core with the Lodestar-Mx2 cam      

Maurice does the SX software setup just as easy as Lodestar Live for stacking? I know this might be a hard one to answer right now because I think the stacking is still being worked on for Lodestar Live? When using SX software don't you have to create a folder (just like you must for DSSLive) with it's specific name for example if doing M13 create a folder just for M13 then choose a star to register, exposure time and the number to stack? If so, then this is much more work than using Miloslick and I am sure also Lodestar Live will be much easier for that more of a real-time effect.

Maurice when I commented on the need for stacking I wrote this "Yes Maurice when viewing bright object like M13 then I agree that a little noise does not take away from the object, but when viewing very faint PNC or Hickson type galaxies the detail/object can get washed out within the noise, so it is not only for pretty astro pictures that we must what our noise level". You are showing me an example of a bright object (M92) that one really does not need to stack. I never use stacking for both globular and open clusters since they are so bright to begin with plus exposure times are so low that I have also notice if one stacks these two type of objects you will get a brighter blown out core in the globs and open clusters tend to lose more colour. Also remember that my MCX2 is cooled so the noise is lower to begin with compared to the none cooled Lodestar.  As I said previously the stacking benefits the really dim object such as PGC's and Hickson galaxies.

Chris A

Astrogate

[nytecam]

Chris - sorry if my answers are brief - the SX s/ware stacking is done on the fly - NO folders needed - I think I know where this is going. You constantly recopy your text as if it becomes fact - it isn't :-)

[Astrogate]

nytecam, on 29 May 2014 - 09:11 AM, said:

Chris - sorry if my answers are brief - the SX s/ware stacking is done on the fly - NO folders needed - I think I know where this is going. You constantly recopy your text as if it becomes fact - it isn't :-)

Maurice sorry but you get the wrong impression, I am not just recopying my text as if it becomes a fact come on now please! All I was asking from you was a few straight answers on how the SX software works as far as stacking goes. Remember I used for many years and own two MX716 & SXV-H9 mono CCD cameras and the dedicated guider with the SXV-H9. I belonged for along time a member of the SX Yahoo group and have personally spoken to Mr. Terry Platt a few times. I was just asking you for some information cause I thought you had to save images prior to stacking like DSSLive. For me astronomy is about sharing ones knowledge, tips and advice with other fellow astronomy hobbyist!

[nytecam]

Thanks Chris - here's another shot from the same session via Lodestar-Mx2 and LodestarLive in NGC 6426 GC in 1x30s exp.. I'm reaching~m17.7 in this shot [=Sloan DSS] - pretty good for the altitude in SE in Oph. Some bright foreground stars through centre and west side partially mask the globular with stars start from ~m16. Some interesting pro info on the cluster  http://gclusters.altervista.org/cluster_4.php?ggc=NGC+6426  and http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2011ApJ...738...74D     

[Astrogate]

nytecam, on 29 May 2014 - 10:29 AM, said:

Thanks Chris - here's another shot from the same session via Lodestar-Mx2 and LodestarLive in NGC 6426 GC in 1x30s exp.. I'm reaching~m17.7 in this shot [=Sloan DSS] - pretty good for the altitude in SE in Oph. Some bright foreground stars through centre and west side partially mask the globular with stars start from ~m16. Some interesting pro info on the cluster  http://gclusters.altervista.org/cluster_4.php?ggc=NGC+6426  and http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2011ApJ...738...74D     

Nice work Maurice and thank you sir for sharing.

Clear skies,

Chris