The EQ3 DSO Challenge

[mikey2000]

Last year I was too late to see M33 Triangulum as it sank in to the LP of Milton Keynes in the west.  Here's an attempt from last week:

16x 5mins

[mikey2000]

And finally (for now !) M53 and the bubble nebula.  It's nice to get two DSOs in one photo :-)

 

 

84 mins total exposure

(6x 5 mins plus 18x 3mins over two nights)

 

[Nigel G]

18 hours ago, mikey2000 said:

Andromeda is rising nicely too.  In fact it gets a little to high where I am, by 1am getting near the zenith (and so wrecking my DEC guiding more often than not)  It is another object that's a little to large for my scope.

18x3 mins

Great Andromeda image, very good detail, tight stars, well done  

Nige.

[Nigel G]

I had not seen these images  they were on a new page. very well done Mikey.

You've had some good nights  

Nige.

[Peco4321]

Lost about 30 x 60 sec subs last night on the Bubble Nebula as the scope was catching the tripod leg!  Got 15 to process, new target so still quite happy. Will post soon. 

[Peco4321]

So here are 13 x 60 sec subs, darks bias and flats on this new target for me, so happy with this result, next time out will be more careful with the OTA position!  150p and canon 1100d, stacked in DSS and stretched in GIMP.

[Stub Mandrel]

Went to Rosliston last night and did >gasp< visual astronomy. Must admit I came very close to putting the camera on the scope...

[Stub Mandrel]

One from last night, also posted in DSOs. Very hard to decide how to crop this, this one is only about 50% of the original.:

[Nigel G]

Nice image Neil, quite a few galaxy's there too.

I had my scope aiming at M45, I have been waiting for this to be in view, my aim is to get a few hours of clean data, last night was not that good seeing, resulting in bloated stars.

But still I captured more gas than expected. AND ITS NOT RED

Hopefully tonight will be better, the weekend is looking great here, fingers crossed  

Modified 1200d, 80ED, EQ3. 1 hour 52 minutes total of 240s and 360s ISO800. First process.

Cheers

Nige.

Edit, added second process.

Second try, processed a bit different. A bit more noise but for a bit better image I think.

Edited October 12, 2017 by Nigel G
add image

[Stub Mandrel]

Nice one Nige, I went back to my 2016 data , and it was far better colour, but noisier.

Unashamedly I took the best of each year and put them together and I think this is quite good :-)

[Nigel G]

48 minutes ago, Stub Mandrel said:

Nice one Nige, I went back to my 2016 data , and it was far better colour, but noisier.

Unashamedly I took the best of each year and put them together and I think this is quite good :-)

 

Thats a better image, better colour which picks out the galaxy's.

[rotatux]

@ neil : in your  first one it was color-less and quite difficult to distinguish fuzzies from stars, so I much prefer your 2nd for its color and easiness to read.

@ nigel : in fact I prefer your first one, which despite less natural (but still good) colors I find more constrasty. You catched nice structure. Still annoyed by that mottling effect (of your processing software?) when zooming in. /Myself must wait for another try at this target with my new cam (since last year) and tightened mount... you lucky, I yet have to find the right cloud-dispersing magic wand

Edit @ neil : strangely your 2nd image shows the same mottling effect on the background than Nigel's... same software ?

Edited October 12, 2017 by rotatux

[Stub Mandrel]

4 hours ago, rotatux said:

Edit @ neil : strangely your 2nd image shows the same mottling effect on the background than Nigel's... same software ?

Fair cop.

I've applied Olly's Fix.

[Nigel G]

2 hours ago, Stub Mandrel said:

Fair cop.

I've applied Olly's Fix.

 

I have missed something  

What is Olly's way of fixing mottling ?

[Stub Mandrel]

Adjust the histogram so your 'black point' is about 23.

Then you use curves and fix the point at about 23,23 and add a few dots to keep the top of the curve straight.

Raise the very left had side so you get a level bit roughly from about 0,22 to 23,23 so all the mottling that's darker than your black point is lifted up to it.

I usually like to drop the dark point a bit afterwards

[Stub Mandrel]

I restacked, throwing all the two years of data into the bucket, no darks used. Mix of 60 second uncooled and 90 second cooled subs. Gobsmacked at the detail appearing in the big galaxy

[alacant]

3 minutes ago, Stub Mandrel said:

two years of data into the bucket

Excellent! I think if you took down the red a bit, it would be perfect. Oh, and how about having a go with your longer reflector? May get in a bit closer. Anyway, you've given me inspiration for my next target(s); must have a try with my 150 f8... Cheers and clear skies.

[Stub Mandrel]

14 minutes ago, alacant said:

Excellent! I think if you took down the red a bit, it would be perfect.

There will be another go, there's a light patch on the right of the galaxy i thought was 'extended nebulosity' that I think is really an artefact. The 150PL will make it bigger but I wonder if it will get any more detail?

The weekend looks really promising fingers crossed!

[alacant]

36 minutes ago, Stub Mandrel said:

I wonder if it will get any more detail?

Hi. I had a go last year with an old 6" f8 doublet. With a reflector -no need for correctors- I think it should pull more detail. One way to find out I suppose...

[Nigel G]

I have had another try at processing M45, seem to have reduced the mottling, Its the noise reduction in StarTools that starts it.

Still not 100% happy because of the bloated stars, hopefully over the weekend will be clear and good seeing, I need to start new data really.

As I reduced the background, a clear transition from black to blue started showing, this was not masked. I may have over done it with the contrast.

Nige.

[Stub Mandrel]

I think in my case it's NR and at least partly Gradient exterminator which can leave a faint trace across the image like wrinkly contours on a map.

[Stub Mandrel]

2 hours ago, alacant said:

Hi. I had a go last year with an old 6" f8 doublet. With a reflector -no need for correctors- I think it should pull more detail. One way to find out I suppose...

That gives me encouragement!

Clearly I will need to get my tracking on point, but it should be doable. And start early or the scope will hit the tripod and I don't care for meridian flips as they only last an hour before the scope is in the trees and I have to unflip.

[Nigel G]

The weatherman has promised uninterupted clear sky's from 4pm today until 7 am Monday morning, I have stripped and serviced the EQ3 and blown the dust from the scope lens, checked everything over and over, all batterys fully charged and chargers ready. Everything is ready to go  and the clouds are clearing the sun is out.

New bottle of Jura Superstition ready to open.

Its going to be a long weekend  I hope.

I hope you have a similar forecast.

Edit, I'm going to try a few of these wrapped in a tea towel and wrapped around the scope for a temporary dew heater.

Any reason why not before I try it ??

Nige.

Edited October 13, 2017 by Nigel G

[tony8690]

19 minutes ago, Nigel G said:

The weatherman has promised uninterupted clear sky's from 4pm today until 7 am Monday morning, I have stripped and serviced the EQ3 and blown the dust from the scope lens, checked everything over and over, all batterys fully charged and chargers ready. Everything is ready to go  and the clouds are clearing the sun is out.

New bottle of Jura Superstition ready to open.

Its going to be a long weekend  I hope.

I hope you have a similar forecast.

Nige.

 

Buying my Scope on Monday. so might need to bring out my Nikon Camera tonight to see what can get!

Look forward to seeing your shots!

T

[alacant]

3 hours ago, Stub Mandrel said:

I don't care for meridian flips

7331 crosses here just after 23:00 (22:00 UK?) when it's almost directly overhead. Wait until then perhaps? The sky seems to get more stable as the night goes on anyway.