M27 An Imaging Journey 2015 - 2018

[Stub Mandrel]

I thought I'd share how my imaging  has changed over a few seasons!

This is July 2015, using the 150PL and an ancient Canon 10D. Obviously I had a lot to learn about processing the sky background!

May 2016 with an astro-modded 450D, 150PL:

October 2016, rather over processed (hard to tell stars from noise!!!) but these may and october images show how astra dark brings out the fainter nebulosity:

2017 with 130P-DS:

This is last night, using the 150PL and 450D, now guided on the HEQ5. The astro mod brings out the Ha and there are vastly more small stars, but sadly the lack of astro dark and a 55% moon rising at the start of the imaging run have washed out the faint nebulosity and detail in the nebulosity. Interestingly this image is without darks, flats or bias, and when I slewed straight up the power lead for the cooler was too short and disconnected itself, so uncooled! 600s subs have given excellent star colour without blowing it out. Messages - guiding of 1.0" is ample for the 150PL, and look forward to astro dark and make a longer lead for the cooler!

 

 

[cuivenion]

Great post, my journey has been similer to yours. Wish I could get your stars colours though. Mine are suffering from colour misalignment.

[Stub Mandrel]

7 minutes ago, cuivenion said:

 Wish I could get your stars colours though. Mine are suffering from colour misalignment.

I process two versions one for colour and one for detail. I put the detail one on top and us it as a 'luminosity' layer, the colour one gets blurred a bit to smooth colour.

I'll let you in on a secret, my biggest four or five stars still lacked central colour, so I selected them on the colour layer, expanded the mask, feathered it then applied a little blur.

[cuivenion]

It's certainly working for you, I just have have to figure out how you expand a mask and feather it now. Do you use Pixinsight?

[Stub Mandrel]

3 minutes ago, cuivenion said:

It's certainly working for you, I just have have to figure out how you expand a mask and feather it now. Do you use Pixinsight?

No, astronomy has made me poor enough already so I can't afford pixinsight ?

Photoshop, astra image and sometimes photo paint and paint shop pro.

[cuivenion]

Cool, I'll probably use GIMP for layer stuff. It does 16 bit, 32 bit floating point now. Not really used to working with layers though. Pixinsight seems to do everything with masks.

[Hallingskies]

Great last image.  I love my 450D too much to butcher it for astrophotography though...?

[Stub Mandrel]

16 hours ago, Hallingskies said:

Great last image.  I love my 450D too much to butcher it for astrophotography though...?

I bought mine to butcher, so it wasn't as traumatic :-0

 

[wornish]

Great images.

Have to say the May 2016 is my personal favourite.

[Stub Mandrel]

27 minutes ago, wornish said:

Great images.

Have to say the May 2016 is my personal favourite.

Much more nebulosity. If I can get the 2018 stars with the 2016 nebulosity under a darker sky, I will be well happy ?