Thoughts on which imaging rigs to concentrate on

[wimvb]

Do you have INDI server and client on the same computer?

Connecting server and client was pretty easy, once I got a working hardware connection, if I recall correctly. But you'll probably spend some time setting up the client. One warning which I've read somewhere, is that you have to be careful with time settings in server and client. Can't remember where I read that, though.

Good luck

[Gina]

I have INDI library and drivers on the laptop and PixInsight on desktop but I also have ekos on the laptop.  So I have a choice.

I read about time and position settings on the INDI web site I think.

Edited September 10, 2016 by Gina

[Gina]

Decided to try controlling the mount from KStars on the laptop but it came up with a permissions error suggesting adding user to dialup group but I'd already done that and to make sure I tried it again only to be told I was already in the dialup group.  So it's something else. 

INDI project now on hold - been setting up the Win7 laptop ready for imaging tonight - if the sky clears.  Thinking of starting with M31 since that will be using shorter exposures and lower gain than NB.  That will help with the high ambient temperature.  12°C forecast for tonight so might be able to get down to -23°C, currently running at -18°C with full cooling.

[Gina]

Outside temperature is dropping nicely and now down to 14°C.  Camera temperature is now down to -19°C.  I think I may settle on -20°C for my set-point temperature tonight.  That should be reasonable for the low gain RGB imaging.

[Gina]

M31 is still too low down so I'm grabbing some 3nm Ha Cygnus loop subs ATM.  I might go on to another DSO such as IC 1396 in Ha next if M31 still isn't out of the trees.  I think I've already got OIII for the Cygnus Loop and I'm waiting for the 3nm SII before doing more in that wavelength.  There's a lot of stuff in the Cygnus area that would benefit from Ha mono images.  The SX FW with OAG should arrive Monday.  Then I can go on to longer exposures for dimmer DSOs.

Edited September 10, 2016 by Gina

[Gina]

After 100 Ha subs on the Cygnus Loop I decided to go for the area around the Crescent Nebula.  Here is one frame unprocessed except for resizing.  30s with gain of 600, temperature -29°C, 3nm Ha.

[Gina]

Onto IC 1396 and this is the first sub of 100.  Again no processing except resize and 30s, g600, t-29°C, 3nm Ha.

[Allinthehead]

That's incredible detail for 30 seconds.

[Davey-T]

Good to see the images flowing in Gina, just been trying to figure out why I couldn't focus properly and discovered the inside of the WO flattener was full of dew.

Dave

[Gina]

Thank you both

[Gina]

APT point blank refused to do the green subs for M31 in spite of rebooting etc. so I put the cap on the lens and tried -30°C biases and darks and that worked.  Very strange.  I'll have to get the G & B M31 subs another night.  Anyway, I got a goodly collection of Ha sets on several DSOs so a pretty good night altogether   I expect to process tonight's several hundred subs tomorrow (or rather, later today).

[wimvb]

8 hours ago, Gina said:

After 100 Ha subs on the Cygnus Loop I decided to go for the area around the Crescent Nebula.  Here is one frame unprocessed except for resizing.  30s with gain of 600, temperature -29°C, 3nm Ha.

 

 

3 hours ago, Gina said:

APT point blank refused to do the green subs for M31 in spite of rebooting etc. so I put the cap on the lens and tried -30°C biases and darks and that worked.  Very strange.  I'll have to get the G & B M31 subs another night.  Anyway, I got a goodly collection of Ha sets on several DSOs so a pretty good night altogether   I expect to process tonight's several hundred subs tomorrow (or rather, later today).

Great image. I'm looking forward to the final image. Do you think you can pull the soap bubble out of your data?

Edited September 11, 2016 by wimvb
Which bubble?

[Gina]

Thanks Wim   I had a good look at one or two single subs of the Crescent Nebula area where the Soap Bubble is supposed to be (going by a post in the DSO Imaging section) but couldn't see it.  Not surprising with only 30s of data!  3,000s = 50m of calibrated and stacked subs might

"Which bubble?" - the very faint one.

[Gina]

Created new folders on SSD and copied over the bias and dark frames for my Ha sets of subs.  Also folders for lights and "Calibrate".  I have copied the Crescent Nebula lights to the SSD as well as I shall probably read these again when I improve my processing.  I am now running BPP on the Crescent lights with bias, dark subs and master flat.  I certainly seems quicker than when I did similar on HD

[Gina]

Calibration part finished and now registering images - taking about a couple of seconds per frame.

[Gina]

Stacking now - also taking a couple of seconds a frame.

[Gina]

All done - saved file as TIFF ready to transfer to Win7 desktop and resize in Ps.

[Gina]

Here is the processed image histogram adjusted and resized in Ps.

[wimvb]

Great image with lots of detail.

I looked at the full size to see if there was a hint of the soap bubble, but couldn't see it. I did notice the star shapes. Is that a collimating or flat field issue?

Btw, in my previous post I just wrote "bubble" first, then realized there is more than one, edited to read "soap bubble". Hence the reason for edit "which bubble?"

[Gina]

Not sure what the star problem is but there was a very heavy dew last night - might have been one side of the lens dewing up.  I shall have to have another go at that.  The "full size" image here is actually half the captured image size.  That looks awful!!  I was hoping for better results from last night as the temperature was lower and I got the camera sensor down to -30°C.  The noise was very noticeably reduced even compared with -25°C.  I shall now try the other DSOs I captured last night.

To capture the Soap Bubble I shall need a much narrower FOV.  Probably try with the SW Esprit 80ED Pro.  The FL is 400mm whereas the lens is 135mm.  I shall need longer exposures with the scope at f5 compared with the lens at f2.5.  120s with the scope would match the 30s with the lens.

The little SX FW+OAG is due to arrive tomorrow and then I can use guiding.

Edited September 11, 2016 by Gina

[Gina]

Just been checking up on the FITS info and find I got the biases and darks mixed up - I used the ones for the RGB data with a gain of 148 and 10s exposures for the darks instead of g600 and 30s

I'll now do IC 1396 with the right bias and dark sets.  Considering that I used the wrong bias and dark sets, the Crescent looks remarkably noise free   That doesn't explain the horrible stars though.

Edited September 11, 2016 by Gina

[Gina]

Hopefully I've got things sorted out now!!  I'm now using what I think are the correct sets of bias and dark frames, the master flat for Ha and IC1396 lights.  Batch PreProcessing is now running...

[wimvb]

Fingers crossed ...

[Gina]

The run came up with some errors - like no correlation between light and master dark or something like that.  Yet I carefully checked that I had the right darks.  I don't understand this - what is there to correlate between the master dark and the lights?  No stars in a dark...

I think I tried to do too much last night   Trouble is we only get one good clear night in a week or two - maybe more.  Forecast is warm again tonight so I don't think I shall be able to repeat the darks.

[Gina]

Well, here's IC1396.  Clearly the noise calibration hasn't worked!

Edited September 11, 2016 by Gina