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*HUGE* NGC3372 Eta Carinae in Ha (GRAS012)

SteveL

By SteveL
in Sketching

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SteveL

SteveL

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"Variety is the spice of life" or something... whatever.... anyway, I thought I`d try something a bit different this time, and mix it up a bit. Not only did I choose a target that I will never see from the UK, but I also used GRAS while I was at work (instead of over breakfast like the last time :shocked: ).

Remote System: GRAS-012 (TAK FSQ 106, SBIG STL-11000M)

Images: 21 x 300s, Ha filter, unguided

Stacked: DeepSky Stacker

Post Process: Images Plus + PSCS2 + Noels Astro Tools

(Click on image for larger version)

ngc3372_ha_20080521_GRAS012_small.jpg

With a lot of my processing, if there is any movement in the subs at all over the imaging run, I tend to 2 x drizzle and then software 2 x bin to raise the Signal to Noise ratio. Well, with this one, I did the 2 x drizzle... and it was still so smooth that I workd on that image! The master for this is 8000 x 5200 (or thereabouts).

The GRAS system did "lose" 3-4 subs in the automated upload procedure, which were found and sent to me by the GRAS support team. I will add these new ones into the stack and reprocess ovre the weekend, just to see if those extra subs make any difference at all. I can see a great 20" x 30" poster of this coming up soon (orders being taken shortly.... :cat: ), along with my M16 from the other day. I need a bigger house to gain wall space for the amazing images that keep getting spat out of my machines.

The GRAS system will empty your bank balance very very quickly if you are not careful, but being astronomers, we all know that problem with the temptation of buying new kit. I will attempt to limit my use to ONLY objects I`ll never see from the UK from now on... but expect that promise to go out the window after 3 weeks of constant cloud, or the upcoming "no dark" nights.

(pssst! The HUGE version 8000x5300 is >>HERE<< ... it might take a while to download)

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Paxo

Paxo

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Excellent image Steve. I did manage to glimpse one of the subs through the GRAS system and on its own looked spectacular, but the stacked version, ranks up amongst one of the best images I have ever seen - count me in for a 20 x 30 poster!

Seriously though, well worth the 'stripped' bank account for images of such quality. I'll probably 'see' you down under again soon (if my extra $100 additional time gets accepted).

Steve..

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SteveL

SteveL

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Your 100 points will get added, but i know Arnie was awake until WAAAAY late. I had to add some more points to my account already, and its only day #3 of the monthly period :shock:

I`ll wait until the moon sods off, then grab some LRGB data for this as well. I also need to taker some smaller sections of the full size to work on for deconvolution because its so big I cant keep testing for values (each run takes about 45 seconds)

I think its unguided... there is no autoguiding section for this scope when I log in and use it (unlike the others I have used)

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SteveL

SteveL

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Thanks all... something was bugging me about this image... I knew there was more detail to get out of the raw data I collected. I finally found sometime to start from scratch with it, taking my time with each step (rather than rushing it because I was excited :shocked: )

The small version may not look that different, but the detail on the larger version is a lot clearer, especially the dark lanes, and I managed to bring out more of the dim whispy stuff (but I also ever so slightly over did the deconvolution, with the slightest hint of dark rings round the stars in the large version, but you realy have to look for them to find them)

(Click on image for larger version)

ngc3372_ha_20080521_GRAS012_wip2_small.jpg

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Paxo

Paxo

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Nice rework Steve. On the GRAS 08 you don't get a guiding option either, but I did notice while imaging, the system status screen did show guiding during the image exposure. Don't some of these SBIG cameras have a guiding chip built in as well ? Perhaps it's all done automatically for us (at a cost of course).

Steve..

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barkis

barkis

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This is very heady stuff. That is one mighty image, I felt like I was at Wimbledon, my head was back and forward like crazy trying to take in all of the biggie.

I went to the website too. Quite a selection of Imaging rigs available. I had a look at the videos also, very interesting. Another drain on the wallet, but hey, carp weather is out of the equasion altogether, I am sure we would pay for that alone over here in the UK.

Ron. :shocked:

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SteveL

SteveL

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lovely pic Steve , but even their set up reveals star movement , lookes better to me on the smaller version .

Rog

Greg Parker pointed me at Steve Cannistra's website with regard to this issue (sag in imaging train rather than alignment/tracking issues), which in turn points to the following Yahoo message group item:

http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/UncensoredTakGroup/message/43074

I sent to the GRAS support email at 12.06pm UK time. 40 minutes later I get an email from them saying they will investigate this and fix it... and gave me a full credit for my scope time for this image while they check it out. Now hows that for customer service!

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bazza

bazza

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Hope you don't mind me speaking my mind here - Can't understand why Steve and Paxo's images have been moved to 'sketches/unconventional'

OK - the data has been obtained remotely, but they've done the processing themselves.

There have been 'others' who have obtained the data then someone else has processed that data. These images have remained in the 'Deep Sky' Section Images.

Sorry, but don't see the difference.

Hope you don't mind me saying.

Barry.

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Ant

Ant

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Not at all Barry, but the reasoning behind the move is that they didn't take the files that were then processed, and that it isn't imaging in the strict sense of the word. We needed an easy way to remove these images from the POW selection.

Having a Collaboration between an imager and a processor is one thing, but just selecting a target and waiting for the fit's to arrive is not the same thing.

This method of image capture is still fairly unconventional - hence the move. :shocked:

Ant

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