M42 - LRGB from DSW

[gnomus]

M42 took quite a bit of processing time.  That is a bright core even with very short exposures.  Then how much of the fainter stuff do you try to pull out?  There might be more to be found in the data, but I am trying to keep things looking 'natural'.  Then again, what is 'natural'?  I'd be interested to hear what people think.

Data capture was completed in February 2017.  It consists:

• Luminance: 15x15" bin 1x1
• Luminance: 16x60" bin 1x1
• Luminance: 16x600" bin 1x1
• Red: 8x15" bin 1x1
• Red: 8x60" bin 1x1
• Red: 16x600" bin 1x1
• Green: 8x15" bin 1x1
• Green: 8x60" bin 1x1
• Green: 16x600" bin 1x1
• Blue: 8x15" bin 1x1
• Blue 8x60" bin 1x1
• Blue: 32x600" bin 1x1

TOTAL = 14.2 hours

Astrodon filters from the Tak 106/QSI 683 rig at DSW.  

[Singlin]

Beautifully processed.

I like the whispy details around the outer parts of the image. THe only query I have is that the stars are all whight, maybe they are so sorry for mentioning it.

Its another benchmark image.

[alacant]

30 minutes ago, gnomus said:

rig at DSW

Amazing. Is this UK? You got 14 hours?!

[AKB]

6 minutes ago, alacant said:

Amazing. Is this UK? You got 14 hours?!

Sadly not... DSW is a remote astrophotography observatory situated on Rowe Mesa in Rowe, New Mexico.

[The Admiral]

Exemplary processing as usual Mr G. You ask "What is natural?". I've asked that question many times and haven't come to any conclusion; I can process it one way at be happy with it, I can process with a slightly different colour balance or emphasis, and can be happy with it! It seems to depend on my mood . I think that there are as many 'natural' colourations as there are imagers. Technically, I suppose the colour balance can be set by the surrounding star colours (which in your case vary between blue and orange), according to their spectra, but that is more than I care (or have the facility) to do.

I've noted that you are processing data for a number of targets from DSW. With such a high level of imaging opportunities from that site, how on earth do you keep up with all the data which must be available?

Ian

[gnomus]

2 minutes ago, The Admiral said:

Exemplary processing as usual Mr G. You ask "What is natural?". I've asked that question many times and haven't come to any conclusion; I can process it one way at be happy with it, I can process with a slightly different colour balance or emphasis, and can be happy with it! It seems to depend on my mood . I think that there are as many 'natural' colourations as there are imagers. Technically, I suppose the colour balance can be set by the surrounding star colours (which in your case vary between blue and orange), according to their spectra, but that is more than I care (or have the facility) to do....

Thanks Ian.  

6 minutes ago, The Admiral said:

...

I've noted that you are processing data for a number of targets from DSW. With such a high level of imaging opportunities from that site, how on earth do you keep up with all the data which must be available?

The short answer is - I can't...  The longer answer is that I took out a 'subscription' that preceded the day I joined - that is, I joined in late Feb, but backdated the subscription to January.  This gave me a load of already completed targets to get started with right away.  I am working my way through these and have nearly caught up.  I think/hope that the processing practice is helping.  It certainly seems more beneficial than working the exact same data over and over, in that you encounter new 'problems' (or should that be 'challenges') with each new image.

Regards

Steve

[swag72]

Great dust detail and a good core too ...... I guess that ultimately the colours come down to personal preference, even with the more constrictive LRGB!! You asked about what people thought about your 'natural' process ...... I'm rather loathe to say anything as at the moment I am working with a new laptop and I can't be 100% sure that what I am seeing is what is really there  What I can see is rather too saturated and too cerise for what I would consider a natural process....... I think that this tends to look more natural in a more pinkish softer colour. But....... I am one voice, you process as you like and .... This damn screen may ultimately be my downfall.

My saving grace may be my phone ..... it looks similar to my PC screen on there .... so my future comments may not be quite so useless and worthless after all

[ollypenrice]

I think Sara's is the first SGL post in which I've read the word 'cerise!' She may have a point in regard to the most intense parts.

This is a stunning M42, though, and the 'natural' objective has been met admirably. For one thing the Running Man has remained in the right brightness proportion to M42. I can never keep the blighter down when I do this target. Also the emergence of the glowing parts from the dust is nicely seamless. There's one small thing I'd work on though, and that's the colour immediately around the Trapezium. We often see this as burned to white, I guess because this is what generally happens to very bright signal. I see you shot luminance for your shortest subs. I tend not to. L is there to collect more signal in less time but you already have more than enough signal just in the RGB. So I'd be inclined to use just the RGB for the Trap region and to bump up the colour saturation in there considerably before combining the various exposure lengths. I suspect the L will just dilute the colour.

Excellent framing. You have both main nebulae plus the very important 'dust prong' which adds interest to the darker structures. Do you have a rotator at DSW?

Olly

[steppenwolf]

Yet another lovely example of why remote imaging has such appeal. Very nicely processed indeed, Steve.

[alacant]

2 hours ago, AKB said:

remote astrophotography observatory

Ah, OK. That sounds interesting. What's the setup? You are allocated time?

[AKB]

Try here: http://deepskywest.com/

 

[Gedan]

beautifully done! 

[swag72]

I'm clearly an old grump when compared to everyone else  It's time to take a back seat

[gnomus]

35 minutes ago, swag72 said:

I'm clearly an old grump when compared to everyone else  It's time to take a back seat

You may or may not be an old grump Sara, but I really appreciate your feedback.  I had to look up 'cerise', but I agree that the central portion of the nebula did look a bit inflamed and angrier than I was aiming for.  I have tried to deal with that in this new version.

4 hours ago, ollypenrice said:

I think Sara's is the first SGL post in which I've read the word 'cerise!' She may have a point in regard to the most intense parts.

This is a stunning M42, though, and the 'natural' objective has been met admirably. For one thing the Running Man has remained in the right brightness proportion to M42. I can never keep the blighter down when I do this target. Also the emergence of the glowing parts from the dust is nicely seamless. There's one small thing I'd work on though, and that's the colour immediately around the Trapezium. We often see this as burned to white, I guess because this is what generally happens to very bright signal. I see you shot luminance for your shortest subs. I tend not to. L is there to collect more signal in less time but you already have more than enough signal just in the RGB. So I'd be inclined to use just the RGB for the Trap region and to bump up the colour saturation in there considerably before combining the various exposure lengths. I suspect the L will just dilute the colour.

Excellent framing. You have both main nebulae plus the very important 'dust prong' which adds interest to the darker structures. Do you have a rotator at DSW?

Olly

Thanks Olly.  I took a look athe core again and used the 15 second RGB subs to try to just hint at some colour without making it look like a patchwork quilt.  I think this does work better.

They do have a rotator on the DSW Tak.  This was shot at 325 degrees.  It is a great boon for framing and composition.  But it does mean that new flats are shot each time.  (I know this is probably optimal, but it doesn't half add to processing time.) 

 

[gnomus]

And thanks to everyone else (those whom I have not quoted) for their encouraging comments. 

[The Admiral]

I know I'm an old grump Sara, 'grumps' is the name the grandchildren use (my own fault really, I don't like grandad!). But you actually chrystallised exactly what it was that didn't quite chime with me, but not able to express - cerise! As I said, we each have a different take on colours, and I don't feel qualified to judge, that's a far better result than I could achieve.

Ian

[Singlin]

This M42 with Olly's are the nicest I have seen so far.

[ollypenrice]

I do prefer the new core. It looks more integrated.

Olly

[gnomus]

Thanks Olly.

[Red meteor]

There's a lot of smoke there! I thought only NB filters could produce that kind of detail. Superb result.

Graham

[gnomus]

Thank you.  I do have some Ha for it, but I haven't got round to trying to incorporate that.  (I may not bother, since I am not sure how much it will help.)

[toxic]

Beautiful image and processing  i just love the wispy gas and dust.

[ollypenrice]

2 hours ago, gnomus said:

Thank you.  I do have some Ha for it, but I haven't got round to trying to incorporate that.  (I may not bother, since I am not sure how much it will help.)

Always worth a look, but I think that a slightlly wider framing would let the Ha strut its stuff. It can be good in the faint structures. In the bright structures it can blur the Running Man and some tasty features in M42.

Olly

[gnomus]

13 minutes ago, ollypenrice said:

Always worth a look, but I think that a slightlly wider framing would let the Ha strut its stuff. It can be good in the faint structures. In the bright structures it can blur the Running Man and some tasty features in M42.

Olly

Yes.  An initial 'look-see' showed the running man all but disappearing.  As it is a particular favourite of mine ....    

[Mr Spock]

Lovely looking image. The second version is more natural looking. Very nice indeed!