The EQ3 DSO Challenge

[Peco4321]

New object for me last night under a brightening sky due to the moon, The Eskimo Nebula in Gemini, NGC2392, 

85x25 sec, varying between ISO 400 and 800, 30x bias no darks or flats, skywatcher 150p on eq3-2 enhanced dual motors, canon 1100d. 2nd pic zoomed in and inverted.

[Nigel G]

My first images with my EQ3 pro. with my new Equinox 80ED Pro, Modified Canon 1200d and CLS filter.

Polar aligned but unguided.

Poor seeing last night caused a very poor S-N ratio but got some data anyway.

First M31&co 28x120s with flats and bias. Second, Horsehead and Flame nebula, 40x90s with flats and bias.

DSS & StarTools.

I'm quite pleased considering the poor conditions with mist in the air. I have had to do a large amount of noise reduction, but the stars are the best I have had. No spikes and sharp.

A promising start.

Cheers

Nige.

[bobro]

Impressive stuff! I tried the same evening to test out my just modified camera with a 'new' 135mm lens. As you say, the conditions were poor - but my images were worse! Could you post a jpeg unaltered version of a single Horsehead image so that I can compare? ISO and scope aperture would help too.

Many thanks

Bob

[Nigel G]

15 minutes ago, bobro said:

Impressive stuff! I tried the same evening to test out my just modified camera with a 'new' 135mm lens. As you say, the conditions were poor - but my images were worse! Could you post a jpeg unaltered version of a single Horsehead image so that I can compare? ISO and scope aperture would help too.

Many thanks

Bob

Here's a 60s and a 90s sub, with ISO 1600, 80mm refractor F6.25 Poor seeing.

And a 45s sub ISO 1600 135mm lens F3.4. Good seeing.

All with modified 1200d and CLS filter. All direct from raw file.

You can see how much moisture was in the air, the 90s has less visible detail, compare them to the 45s in good seeing.

Nige.

 

[happy-kat]

Interesting to see the comparisons.

The 45 seconds ones looks good. The 90 second one has vertical star oblongs, was this in all your subs of that length? 

[bobro]

Thanks for the images Nige. I'm amazed that you managed to create such great end results. I captured 18 lights - 4 minutes each at 200ISO, F4, with a 135mm lens. Plus flats. Most likely it's down to my lack of processing skills, but there was a strong gradient due to the vertical orientation of the camera and trying to eliminate the gradient didn't seem to do a lot for the underlying image. Perhaps more/shorter exposures at a higher ISO would have been better? First image below is a jpeg version of a raw, 2nd my attempt at processing. Comments welcome.

[Nigel G]

10 minutes ago, happy-kat said:

Interesting to see the comparisons.

The 45 seconds ones looks good. The 90 second one has vertical star oblongs, was this in all your subs of that length? 

almost all, it's probably the polar alignment not spot on, I set up pretty quick last night and only 2 star aligned.

I haven't done a drift alignment yet. Waiting for my ST4 cable to turn up.

[Nigel G]

8 minutes ago, bobro said:

Thanks for the images Nige. I'm amazed that you managed to create such great end results. I captured 18 lights - 4 minutes each at 200ISO, F4, with a 135mm lens. Plus flats. Most likely it's down to my lack of processing skills, but there was a strong gradient due to the vertical orientation of the camera and trying to eliminate the gradient didn't seem to do a lot for the underlying image. Perhaps more/shorter exposures at a higher ISO would have been better? First image below is a jpeg version of a raw, 2nd my attempt at processing. Comments welcome.

 

My pleasure Bob. There was quite a lot of processing to get these images, the stacked fits was a mess of multi coloured pixels after the first stretch.

With poor conditions, the gradient wiping needed is very aggressive, I see on the right of your image a light stripe, have you cropped at the stacking artefacts out ?

That can make gradients worse. Even a single pixel missed can make the difference.

What processing software do you use ?

Nige.

[bobro]

13 minutes ago, Nigel G said:

What processing software do you use ?

Stacking is DSS and processing in GIMP 2.9.5. I try and eliminate a gradient by making a grey copy of the image, removing hlghlights, blurring and subtracting from the original. This can produce edge effects, but they can be reduced by making the canvas slightly larger during blurring (takes time so didn't do it for the above image). Basic setup I know and every step is part of the learning process. I used the lens last night as the wind would have disturbed the scope, but the gradient in the wide angle view was big (presumably due to the poor seeing?) - would have been much less with the scope. The lens and camera mod are new to me, and there aren't a lot of clear skies at the moment to test them out and become familiar!

[Nigel G]

Bob, I just downloaded your processed image and I think there's plenty more there, I managed to stretch it a fair bit before heavy gradients appeared.

Both nebula were fuller.

Using Startools.

Nige.

Edited February 14, 2017 by Nigel G

[Nigel G]

I hope you don't mind but, A quick run of your jpg through ST, Your previous work has started showing as I stretched the image, but there's more in there for sure.

I masked and isolated the DSO's and re stretched,

There's sharpening showing as I developed the image which limited the amount of developing.

From a autosave file there will be plenty to work with.

Nige.

[bobro]

1 hour ago, Nigel G said:

From a autosave file there will be plenty to work with.

Wow! Thanks for taking the time on this Nige. I can see that spending more time on processing will provide better results and Startools will be looked at over the coming days. Setting myself easier imaging challenges (less gradients) might help too! Looking forward to your next outing posted here for us to see.

Bob

[Stub Mandrel]

Nige is getting some serious mojo

[Nigel G]

14 minutes ago, bobro said:

 Startools will be looked at over the coming days.

 

If you download StarTools you can try before you buy, the only thing you can't do is save the final image, but you can screen grab and save  unlimited use.

ST costs around $40 Aus I think and the money goes to charity.

Nige.

[Sierra Golf Mike]

On 2/14/2017 at 15:41, Nigel G said:

My first images with my EQ3 pro. with my new Equinox 80ED Pro, Modified Canon 1200d and CLS filter.

Polar aligned but unguided.

Poor seeing last night caused a very poor S-N ratio but got some data anyway.

First M31&co 28x120s with flats and bias. Second, Horsehead and Flame nebula, 40x90s with flats and bias.

DSS & StarTools.

I'm quite pleased considering the poor conditions with mist in the air. I have had to do a large amount of noise reduction, but the stars are the best I have had. No spikes and sharp.

A promising start.

Cheers

Nige.

Superb Images, can't wait to get going with some imaging on my EQ3/2

[Nigel G]

Last night we had an unexpected clear spell so.

My first try at Rosette NGC 2244 with the new rig.  ( Great field of view with this scope )

70 minutes of mixed 60s-90s-120s ISO800, with darks, flats & bias. Modified canon 1200D with CLS filter, EQ3 .

DSS & Startools.

A quick process before going to work. I'll have another in depth go later.

Cheers

Nige

[Stub Mandrel]

4 hours ago, Nigel G said:

Last night we had an unexpected clear spell so.

Grrr :-(

[wimvb]

6 hours ago, Stub Mandrel said:

Grrr :-(

Dare I say that I enjoyed two nights in a row with clear skies. Just enough to get some images of Bodes galaxies before moonrise.  But now the gap has closed.

Hope some gaps find their way to your site as well.

[bobro]

Clear skies above me tonight - a chance to finally test the Canon 1000D with the red filter removed. A good change from my previous attempt at the Rosette Nebula - much fuller image. 12 lights each 8 minutes 1600ISO.

[Galactic Wanderer]

 Lovely Rosette nebula bob and Nige. lI've been enjoying a 3-night clear spell in South West Cornwall and have just been imaging Orion through my 55mm lens.

Here is the result, but could do with more data.

[Nigel G]

I finally got guiding last night. What a difference, keeping every sub at 4 minutes. Well worth the effort. I think now the camera is the main limiting factor ? I can't get rid of the grainy look to the image without spoiling it.

The Cone Nebula and Christmas tree cluster. 30 x 240s @ 800 ISO with 10 dark, 30 flat and 50 bias. Modded Canon 1200d & CLS filter. 80ED pro, EQ3 pro.

PHD2 guiding 50mm guide scope, OSSAIO guide cam. DSS & StarTools.

And 1 hour on the Jellyfish for a bonus image.

Cheers

Nige.

 

[Nigel G]

A good improvement Bob. The modded cameras make quite a difference  

Seb, I love the wide field images  more data should clean it up a little.

WD guys  

[Filroden]

4 minutes ago, Nigel G said:

What a difference, keeping every sub at 4 minutes. Well worth the effort. I think now the camera is the main limiting factor ? I can't get rid of the grainy look to the image without spoiling it.

Oh, the dream of subs longer than 60s! And no rotation.

Are you still binning in StarTools? Now you are getting long subs and little stacking artefacts, I'd assume you no longer need to bin the data.

Edited February 19, 2017 by Filroden

[Nigel G]

14 minutes ago, Filroden said:

Oh, the dream of subs longer than 60s! And no rotation.

Are you still binning in StarTools? Now you are getting long subs and little stacking artefacts, I'd assume you no longer need to bin the data.

Ken, its great keeping every sub and no trails, it does show that I need a field flatner though. before it was not so obvious.

I found processing pretty much the same except for the cropping, same noise levels so still bin 50%

To be honest I didn't try processing without binning. I shall now though to see if it makes a difference.

Nige.

[bobro]

Slightly better Flame & Horsehead this time with the modified camera. Still need more subs to reduce noise. Polar alignment is causing trailing so will need to pay more attention to it. I like the blue of Alnitak though. 14 lights @ 6min, 1600ISO.