NGC 2403 - Collaboration with Barry Wilson

[gnomus]

This is a collaboration with the great @Barry-Wilson.  Barry collected RGB data on his WO FLT 132 and QSI 683, whilst I collected Lum through my Esprit 120 and QSI 690. We had grandiose plans as to the amount of data we were going to collect, but, the UK weather had other ideas.  So this is 1 hour 30 mins each of RGB and 4 hours 20 mins of Lum. If we ever get a gap in the clouds, I may add to this - believe it or not we had hopes of getting some Ha!  'Ha' [said loudly] is what the weather gods shouted back.  Given the start we have had to the year, I suppose we should be lucky to have got anything at all.

PixInsight and Photoshop were used (and abused) for processing.  I used Registar for aligning Barry's RGB with my Lum.  

• Lum: 26 x600s
• Red: 9 x 600s
• Green: 9 x 600s
• Blue: 9 x 600s

For a total of 8 hours and 50 minutes.  I'm looking forward to seeing Barry's version.

 

[johnrt]

A very nice rendition of a not that often seen galaxy. I did this one last year, it's a great target that contains some really nice details, which you have resolved much better than I managed. Maybe I should head back for a re-process inspired by this

[wimvb]

Great image. I tried imaging this galaxy last year, but only managed a gray fuzzy patch. It's nice to see it done justice.

Thanks for sharing

[Barry-Wilson]

Excellent work Steve - quite a lovely smokey feel to the galaxy central regions.  Your characteristic tight stars and a very balanced natural image, giving me the 'floating in the vastness of space' feeling.  It's a soothing and serene image for me and I really like it.

While we never achieved our integration goal I think we have some great data - all things metereologically considered - and you have produced a cracking image!

Thanks for setting the bar high chum .

[ollypenrice]

That really is nice. The tiny, colourful stars and neutral background, left fairly light, are very classy and give a totally natural look. It would be great to see imaging going in this direction.

Inspiring target for medium focal lengths, too.

Olly

[gnomus]

Thanks everyone.  

7 hours ago, ollypenrice said:

That really is nice. The tiny, colourful stars and neutral background, left fairly light, are very classy and give a totally natural look. It would be great to see imaging going in this direction.

Inspiring target for medium focal lengths, too.

Olly

Thanks Olly.  I have looked at a few pictures of this from sme of the 'big boys' and I'm now beginning to wonder if my effort looks a little 'drab'.

[ollypenrice]

6 minutes ago, gnomus said:

Thanks everyone.  

Thanks Olly.  I have looked at a few pictures of this from sme of the 'big boys' and I'm now beginning to wonder if my effort looks a little 'drab'.

At one time Tom had a note pinned on his computer saying 'Make your own picture.'

Wise.

Olly

[gnomus]

3 minutes ago, ollypenrice said:

At one time Tom had a note pinned on his computer saying 'Make your own picture.'

Wise.

Olly

Thanks again Olly.  Maybe I am trying to aim for subtle and understated as a 'corrective' for my personality defects, which, as you know, are the polar opposite.  

[swag72]

I like this - Understated and subtle processing lend this a very natural feel - Nice one Steve

[ollypenrice]

7 minutes ago, gnomus said:

Thanks again Olly.  Maybe I am trying to aim for subtle and understated as a 'corrective' for my personality defects, which, as you know, are the polar opposite.  

I'm not at all sure that I know that!

The thing is that imagers are getting more and more data with better and better kit and have more and more software algorithms at their disposal. An embarrassment of riches. We want to get the most out of our data - but what is 'most.' You'd have to be mad not to admire R Jay GaBany's images because he can, time and again, show you structures you have never seen before. But this comes at a cost. His images don't look like the night sky. They contain information and spectacle. As I said on one of Paddy's excellent threads recently, I don't believe any one processing job can do it all.

Make your own picture. Make two from the same data...

Such fun to be had!

Olly

[gnomus]

Thanks Sara.

37 minutes ago, ollypenrice said:

....

Make your own picture. Make two from the same data...

If only.  I usually end up with around 20-30 'final versions'!

[ollypenrice]

7 minutes ago, gnomus said:

Thanks Sara.

If only.  I usually end up with around 20-30 'final versions'!

Heheh, we've all got that T shirt!

[PatrickGilliland]

Nice work Steve - it has a nice balance with detail and subtleness all there 

Paddy