Thoughts on which imaging rigs to concentrate on

[Gina]

I'll continue capturing this for an hour or so then see if the Flaming Star Nebula has passed the meridian so that I can set up capturing to continue while I go to bed.

Edited November 30, 2016 by Gina

[Gina]

22 minutes ago, Allinthehead said:

Looks promising. What's that blob lower left of target?

I don't know - I tried the plate solving script in PI but it didn't work - probably need to find out how to use it

[Gina]

Another interim result, this time using 62 2m Ha subs so just over 2hr imaging time.  Again PI result saved as TIFF and post processed in Photoshop.  Result should be better with the correct calibration files and some new flats.  That should result in a better background. but anything left can be corrected with DBE.

[Gina]

Simeis 147 Ha capture finished for tonight and now capturing Ha for the Flaming Star Nebula.  60s exposures look right for a gain of 600 and set up for 300 subs which should go on to around dawn.  Just hoping there's no fog.  Next clear night I'll see about OIII.  Now off to bed

Here's a single frame lightly stretched in Ps.

[Filroden]

5 hours ago, Gina said:

Another interim result, this time using 62 2m Ha subs so just over 2hr imaging time.  Again PI result saved as TIFF and post processed in Photoshop.  Result should be better with the correct calibration files and some new flats.  That should result in a better background. but anything left can be corrected with DBE.

 

That's amazing! If only you could get a sense of it's scale with something people would be familiar with as it's not obvious that you're looking at something massive. I wonder if your Flaming Star frame might overlap and could be made into a mosaic?

[Filroden]

6 hours ago, Gina said:

I don't know - I tried the plate solving script in PI but it didn't work - probably need to find out how to use it

The only thing I can find in SkySafari in that area is a small planetary nebula, Purgathofer 1 but I don't think it's that. Here's my solving of the area:

Semeis 47 (Sharpless 2-240) is not in either of the databases accessed by PixInsight and it doesn't solve the blob either. However, I've included some of the local star designations down to 8th magnitude to help home in.

[Filroden]

6 hours ago, Gina said:

I don't know - I tried the plate solving script in PI but it didn't work - probably need to find out how to use it

Here's the settings I used in Plate Solver: I had to type in the RA and Dec this time as I could not find the object using search. Normally you'd just click search, type in the name (NGCXXXX, ICXXXX, etc) and it will populate the location. 

[Gina]

4 hours ago, Filroden said:

That's amazing! If only you could get a sense of it's scale with something people would be familiar with as it's not obvious that you're looking at something massive. I wonder if your Flaming Star frame might overlap and could be made into a mosaic?

Thank you Ken   It's roughly 3 degrees in diameter or 6 moons - bigger than the Great Andromeda Galaxy, M31.  Yes, it's BIG!!

My Flaming Star Nebula image is roughly to the same scale - both are slightly cropped to remove registration funny borders.  I don't think the two areas overlap but I'll check in CdC.

Edited December 1, 2016 by Gina

[Gina]

Pretty close - here's a screenshot of CdC showing the image rectangle for the Flaming Star (IC495) and the "Find" circle on Alnath.  The big rectangle FOV is for the 28mm lens.  If the two areas don't overlap I could probably capture an overlapping frame between the two.  A small number of subs should suffice.  Then I could make a mosaic.  That would be good

[Gina]

Currently downloading the overnight data - transmission speed has dropped again - may be damp as I found it foggy this morning and everything dripping.  Closed roof and wall flap and switched dehumidifier on.

[Gina]

I've run the IC405 subs through Blink and have 259 60s Ha subs to use so that's over 4 hours of data - should be able to get decent results out of that

Lens cap on and capturing 300 bias frames currently then I shall capture 80 subs each of 60s and 120s all with gain of 600.  After that it's flats.

Edited December 1, 2016 by Gina

[Gina]

The last few nights have been great for image capture but now I feel I'm drowning in data   Data processing seems to be taking all my spare time!  There are several projects that have taken a back seat and that I would like to progress.  No!!!  I'm not grumbling - how can an astrophotographer grumble at too much data???  Nooooo!

[Gina]

Initial BPP on IC 405 completed and result put up beside the interim Simeis 147.  Screenshot of PI auto-stretch.

[Gina]

Here's an image I found Googling which shows both DSOs in one image.  I don't think my images overlap, unfortunately, so I'll see if I can capture the bit in between next time there's a clear night.  Just a few 60s subs should be sufficient to capture alignment stars though I guess keeping the noise down on the joining strip would look better in the overall result.  Had I realised these views were so close I might have been able to adjust the framing to give a small overlap.

[Gina]

I've taken the images of the two DSOs in PixInsight and arranged them to match the image above and there's quite a gap.

[Filroden]

One additional frame to join them. You could then do a slightly rotated crop to get a rectangular frame. 

[Gina]

Yes, that's what I was thinking   Don't know when - forecast isn't good   Mind you I've got plenty to catch up on

Edited December 1, 2016 by Gina

[Gina]

300 bias, 80 60s dark, 30 flat frames captured and checked with Blink - 5 darks rejected.  Now using that lot to calibrate 259 60s Ha subs of IV405 the Flaming Star Nebula and integrate in BPP.

Edited December 1, 2016 by Gina

[Gina]

BPP still going...

[Gina]

BPP has finished at last so here is the result simply saved in PNG format with no post processing.  259 60s Ha subs g600 -30C.  New calibration data.

[Allinthehead]

Remarkable. That looks cleaner than anything else you've put up and with the gain set to the max?

[Gina]

Max gain seems to work well   Of course this is with over 4 hours of integrated data but I have to say I'm very pleased with this result - I didn't expect to be able to post just a pre-processed image - I normally need to tweek it a bit.

[Filroden]

And I know from your earlier stretches that you're going to pull out far more data from the background. 

And all this wide angle stuff...I may have accidentally bought myself a Canon EF 85mm f1.8 lens today. I think it gives me the added advantage of not clipping the mount meaning I can image above 60deg altitude again. If it clears, as it should, tonight, I may aim my trial shot at the area you've been imaging. I think it gives enough scale to capture both sides of your shot in a single frame. I don't think I will show as much data because of the wideband but it will be an interesting challenge what I can see compared to your 3nm Ha filter!

[Filroden]

I just checked out your Flaming Star image and you've really captured a lot of things in that single frame!

I think that image needs a catalogue of its own.

[Gina]

Home now after after a social evening out   Just opened to obs roof - luckily it wasn't frozen up - hard frost here and a plethora of stars out