Heart Nebula with DSLR

[StargeezerTim]

My second from friday night. First time I have been able to image the whole of the nebula. 

26 X 5min, iso 1600, UHC filter, Dithered, flats and bias frames, DSS, Photoshop, Pixinsight LE for the gradient.

Comments and suggestions for improvement welcome. Stars are not round across the field but I am waiting for a screw on adapter for the camera that should do the trick. 

Cheers...

 

[happy-kat]

Is that the astro modded dslr to pick up so much red? The 100d?

 

[StargeezerTim]

9 minutes ago, happy-kat said:

Is that the astro modded dslr to pick up so much red? The 100d?

 

Yes... Before i acquired that, I got absolutely nothing from Heart or Soul.

[Adam J]

I would kill for a copy of Pixinsight LE, seems you cant down load it any more

[Tommohawk]

Hi Tim

this is a bit of an old thread, but I was having a go at the Heart neb with my modded DSLR yesterday and struggling with the processing. So I had a look around to see what otheres had done and came across yours. Its really excellent! 

I'm just trying to work out how you did it... I'm using modded 550D with 300mm Tamron lens, so not too different. Is it down to the UHC filter do you think?? Did you try it without the filter first to compare?

If so I might just splash out cos I want to have a bash at this again... and also the Soul, and also redo the Veil and have a go at the Rosette as well. 

Thanks !

 

[StargeezerTim]

Hi Tom,

The image in this thread was taken with a scope, a 80mm triplet if I remember correctly. I have imaged the heart with a lens, here is the link:-

I nearly always use a UHC filter when imaging. I don't really know how much difference it makes. I did compare images taken with a UHC, LP and no filter a while back and the difference wasn't massive though the UHC image had a nicer colour than the others. You should be able to pick up nebulosity with your lens OK but need to work out which exposure length, iso and F setting are best. I tend to use 5 min exposures or longer and usually go for f 5 or 5.6. I did use a lower F last night and had a lot of coma at the edges. I tend to use 1600 iso.I find the UHC allows me to take much longer subs without it becoming washed out. I recently got a UHC clip filter which is great because it can be used on lens or scope whereas a 22 round filter can only be used on the scope..

Hope this helps, Tim. 

[Tommohawk]

Hi Tim

Thanks for that. My image doesn't have so much exposure time but even allowing for that its quite poor - I dont think I'll be posting it! 

It may be that my processing skills arent so good - but Ive tried masking and false luminance layers and all sorts and I just dont get close. Theres plenty of red from the neb but its drowned in stars. I think it must be that the filter increases the proportion of data from the emission nebula compared to the stars - I guess that is what its supposed to after all!

I guess I'll give it a go - at >£100 I'm thinking twice about it, but I guess I can sell it on when i eventually go over to a dedicated camera.

Cheers

Tom