AAPOD

[Rodd]

The universe works in mysterious ways.  I was congratulated by a friend regarding the AAPOD for 8/1/18 and thought he had the wrong guy.  Sure enough, when I checked, there it was....and image from 2 years ago.  Maybe not even the final/best version....I forget.  But, since I lost my external drive, its all I have to go on.  While not a APOD, its my first award, and I would like to dedicate it to SGL, and all the folks who have helped me (and put up with me) over the last couple of years.  Thanks.  Here is the image--copied right from the AAPOD website, so I hope there are no compression artifacts (its 1.8mb, so I think it should be fine.

Televue, np101is with .8x reducer, STT-8300 with 3um Astrodon filters.  About 30 hours SII: 14 30min, OIII: 15 30min, Ha: 19 30min

 

[sloz1664]

Congratulations Rodd, and a very fine image it is. Worthy of an AAPOD.

Steve

[Rodd]

Just now, sloz1664 said:

Congratulations Rodd, and a very fine image it is. Worthy of an AAPOD.

Steve

Thanks Steve.  I guess they don't notify.  

Rodd

[MarsG76]

Congrats.. deserving image it is too...

[carastro]

Congratulations Rodd, a very nice image.

Quote

I guess they don't notify.  

They do actually as I was notified recently that I got an AAPOD on 16.7.2018 - maybe they don't have your up to date E mail address.

http://www.aapodx2.com/2018/20180716.html

[tomato]

That’s a mighty fine image Rodd, worthy of your award.

I didn’t think I would get into Narrowband imaging but your shot (and others like it) has motivated me enough to go beyond Ha and invest in the other filters to produce a colour image.

Steve

[Rodd]

38 minutes ago, carastro said:

Congratulations Rodd, a very nice image.

They do actually as I was notified recently that I got an AAPOD on 16.7.2018 - maybe they don't have your up to date E mail address.

http://www.aapodx2.com/2018/20180716.html

Thanks, Caro;le.  Well--I have stopped receiving notifications from SGL as well--or, sometimes I receive an email a week after someone comments on a thread that I follow--so maybe its something with my browser.

Rodd

[wimvb]

Congratulations. Well deserved.

1 hour ago, tomato said:

I didn’t think I would get into Narrowband imaging but your shot (and others like it) has motivated me enough to go beyond Ha

I'm actually contemplating the same. But I'd need a larger sensor and a smaller scope.

[Rodd]

1 hour ago, tomato said:

That’s a mighty fine image Rodd, worthy of your award.

I didn’t think I would get into Narrowband imaging but your shot (and others like it) has motivated me enough to go beyond Ha and invest in the other filters to produce a colour image.

Steve

Thanks Steve.  Narrowband is allot of fun.  Not as sensative to LP, or less than perfect conditions perfect conditions, and Nautical dark is OK, and it really brings out different structures.  

Rodd

[Rodd]

4 minutes ago, wimvb said:

I'm actually contemplating the same. But I'd need a larger sensor and a smaller scope.

I don't know.....NB with the C11Edge and STT 8300 worked really well--that's a pretty restricted FOV.  Its really no different than broadband--there are vistas to see and appreciate at any focal length and big or small FOVs.

Roidd

[Sunshine]

I cannot speak of the technical aspects behind the image, i can only marvel at its sheer beauty, its clarity, colour, contrast, and depth. This image is beautiful on so many levels, i have not seen better images in astronomy magazines, 

Congratulations, it is wondrous to peer into.

[Rodd]

2 minutes ago, Sunshine said:

I cannot speak of the technical aspects behind the image, i can only marvel at its sheer beauty, its clarity, colour, contrast, and depth. This image is beautiful on so many levels, i have not seen better images in astronomy magazines, 

Congratulations, it is wondrous to peer into.

Thank you Sunshine.  I appreciate your critique.  Glad you like it!

Rodd

[Petergoodhew]

Congratulations Rodd - well deserved.

[ollypenrice]

Thoroughly well deserved. This is a hard object to make interesting, I think, and in natural colour I've certainly never managed it. Here the contrasts bring out relief and structure on attractively different scales and that nice neutral charcoal background sets off the rest of the palette perfectly.

Olly

[gorann]

That is a mighty fine image Rodd. Congratulations! Well deserved indeed. You really should try to rescue the data from your hard drive.

[Rodd]

4 hours ago, Petergoodhew said:

Congratulations Rodd - well deserved.

Thanks Peter

Rodd

[Rodd]

3 hours ago, ollypenrice said:

Thoroughly well deserved. This is a hard object to make interesting, I think, and in natural colour I've certainly never managed it. Here the contrasts bring out relief and structure on attractively different scales and that nice neutral charcoal background sets off the rest of the palette perfectly.

Olly

Thanks Olly.  I do want to try this in natural light, which has been growing on me lately.

Rodd

[Rodd]

2 hours ago, gorann said:

That is a mighty fine image Rodd. Congratulations! Well deserved indeed. You really should try to rescue the data from your hard drive.

 

Thanks Goren.....data recovery is expensive...the minimum fee is $700.  I was told the most likely fee for my situation would be about $2,300.  Maybe someday,

Rodd

[wimvb]

1 hour ago, Rodd said:

Thanks Goren.....data recovery is expensive...the minimum fee is $700.  I was told the most likely fee for my situation would be about $2,300.  Maybe someday,

Rodd

Data loss is tragic as it represents a lot of hard work. And for $2,300, I would also think twice before spending. Still, it's nice to see that some of your "early work" gets appreciation.

[Rodd]

2 hours ago, wimvb said:

Data loss is tragic as it represents a lot of hard work. And for $2,300, I would also think twice before spending. Still, it's nice to see that some of your "early work" gets appreciation.

And not so early--all the data for many of my recent images were transferred to the drive to make room on my lap top.  Thank god for Astrobin.  But no--I don't save my raw data there.  maybe I should.  I wonder what the download times for 10 gigs is.  But--I am exited to start phase II of my imaging career.  I have dark frames and some master flats.  It will be fun to revisit some old friends and see if I can "do it better"

Rodd

 

[wimvb]

3 hours ago, Rodd said:

It will be fun to revisit some old friends and see if I can "do it better"

I had a look at your earlier work, and the main difference in data between then and now is the number of hours spent. With much of that data, you would ideally need more time to improve. So maybe this is the opportunity. Btw, I also found raw stacked data for Sh2-132, which I had a go at. I posted my result in the original thread:

 

[Rodd]

31 minutes ago, wimvb said:

I had a look at your earlier work, and the main difference in data between then and now is the number of hours spent. With much of that data, you would ideally need more time to improve. So maybe this is the opportunity. Btw, I also found raw stacked data for Sh2-132, which I had a go at. I posted my result in the original thread:

Wow, looks good.  Is that PS gold, or can you get that gold in PI--I can;t and I like it.  -I was able to redo that one to good effect awhile back (on Astrobin).  But the data is gone now, except on this forum.  Every time I shoot a target it comes out a bit differently.  I am looking forward to a longer focal length on this--or LRGB, which I am getting more and more into.  Well see,

Rodd

[wimvb]

1 minute ago, Rodd said:

Is that PS gold, or can you get that gold in PI

PS? Never!  Pure PixInsight.

In this case SHO palette with tweaking in CurvesTransformation. Just get creative with a, b, c and H in their respective colour spaces.

It's important to keep the midpoint of the curves centered, as indicated. Using this, I didn't even have to use scnr Green to get rid of the green cast.

[wimvb]

Speaking of Sh2-132, have a look at today's aapod:

http://www.aapodx2.com/2018/20180802.html

Coincidence?

Imo, your data was better.

[Rodd]

30 minutes ago, wimvb said:

In this case SHO palette with tweaking in CurvesTransformation. Just get creative with a, b, c and H in their respective colour spaces.

I don't really know what the a, b, c and H correspond to.  I have played with c a bit--but I still don't really know what it is.  By the way, thanks for the tip with curves.  I use curves allot and can see how the mid point is important--I have never done it correctly before though I guess, so it will be interesting to try.

28 minutes ago, wimvb said:

Imo, your data was better.

Thanks--Here is my most recent and what I am calling the final version.  Note there is no rich gold.  The hardest thing about this image for me was keeping the stars within the cavity of the head color free--they all seemed to be surrounded by the brown/red dust even when the cores were white (I like white NB stars unless they are RGB).  I had to work really hard to get this result (and I don't remember how I did it!)  I tried again since and failed!

https://www.astrobin.com/303452/F/?nc=