3 nights and 3 months...

[RSM]

3 nights of great data capture and then what feels like 3 months of cloud. Finally got this image of M81 & M82 to the point where I'm going to stop tweaking. Been learning some techniques from Warren Keller's Inside PixInsight which has taken some time to get decent results. Before buying and reading this book, I was always a bit gung-ho to stretch the image, de-noise coarsely and add colour to get a half decent image quickly. Warren walks you through the finer points of linear processing before the all revealing stretch, not to mention Pixel Math which is, quite simply put, brilliant. 

Anyway, enough waffling, here is the image. Hope you enjoy. Love to hear any critique of my new found linear abilities!

Richard. 

[PatrickGilliland]

Nice work Richard - been hard slog here in UK!  You have done well.

[RSM]

Thanks Patrick. Clear outside tonight but glaring full moon.