An M31 W.I.P.

[daz]

Luminence data captured over several nights - the majority at Kelling.

Just over 4 hrs in total, mixture of 60s, 120s and 300s exposures.

Calibrated, aligned, stacked, processed in Pixinsight.

T: ED80

C: AtikOne + Baader IR Pro filter

G: AtikGP + OAG

M: EQ6 + EQMOD

S: Sequence Generator Pro, PHD2, PixInsight

Not sure if I've managed to mottle the background while trying to bring out the details in the dust lanes - what do you think?

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Nice detail in the dust lanes. Pity M110 is just on the edge of the frame

[Pete Presland]

very good start, the background doesnt look great, and like Mike has said its a shame M110 is on the edge of the frame. that said the dust lanes are showing up very nicely!

[daz]

Eventually I'll get to do a mosaic to catch it properly...

OK, so at least my eyes are not playing tricks then

[tingting44]

very nice

what does WIP mean tho? i see it quite a lot...

[Jonk]

WIP = Work In Progress....not complete yet, but enough to show progress.

[tingting44]

WIP = Work In Progress....not complete yet, but enough to show progress.

thanks pal , ill have to remember that one my M31 is a WIP too then

[Jonk]

All of my stuff at the moment is WIP...still learning drift alignment!

[tingting44]

All of my stuff at the moment is WIP...still learning drift alignment!

i see your using EQMOD, why not use PA for EQMOD? i think its great, gets me 10mins + with no problems and then astrotortilla for getting on to your object

[Jonk]

When I bought my kit this year, it was around April I think.

Since then I haven't had many opportunities to set up in the back garden and practice but now the nights are drawing in, I can.

I'm hoping by November, I can get out in the field and really go for it, using between now and then to practice everything.

I have tried the PA tool in EQMOD and GOTO was quite accurate. I've only attempted drift once, but will do so again and again until I nail it.

I've got a guide scope and a couple of modded webcams so again, once I get the opportunity, I will have a play with that and see what happens.

I haven't tried Astrotortilla yet, but it is on my list - I've seen plenty of thumbs up for it.

One step at a time as I'm still very new to all this - but I know what I want and will slowly get there.

[Colincooper]

Hi Daz,

Have you used TGV Denoise? How are you finding SG pro?

Colin

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[ollypenrice]

Good start but I'd forget all this multiple length sub stuff. It is endlessly put about that you need short subs for the core but do you? On a DSLR with limited well depth, maybe 'yes.'

I'd go for the longest subs your tracking and skyglow will allow. This will give you a better background and more outlying faint stuff. You could take some shorts as an insurance, maybe half a dozen at three minutes, but I've always found that there is more core data buried in the glow than you think. Also you could use your RGB layer to tease out the core detail. This will have fainter signal and may hold more hidden detail.

The best L data I ever took on M31 was in 30 minute subs.

Olly

[daz]

Thanks Olly - interesting.... Actually, with the HDR tools in PI, the core wasn't blown out at all!

Colin - not tried TGVD yet - been using ACDR for this.

SGP - loving it! It just works! I shot the Red for M31 the other night, and it was a piece of cake to slew back to the centre, solve and carryon the sequence where it left off!!

[StuartJPP]

When I was imaging M42 recently with a DSLR the core was obviously burnt out at 3 minute subs but I just took a few 30 second subs to blend in.

I would have thought that a CCD would have a lot more DR and is usually 16 bits isn't it? (vs. a DSLR's 12 or 14 bits.)