M101 in under an hour

[tomato]

Here is my latest go with the ASI 178 and Esprit 150, just 30 x 1 min L, 3 x 3 min each on RGB giving a total integration time of 57 minutes. Calibrated and stacked in APP, processed in APP and Startools.

There is a lot of noise as you would expect, but I am really surprised at the level of detail captured. I think the seeing was reasonable last night based on the APP quality scores on each sub, there were tiny ice crystals falling from a clear sky, the scope had quite a covering by the end of the session, and as it was pointing nearly straight up, there were droplets of water on the refractor lens?. The camera was at 0 deg C for the imaging.

I’m still struggling with the colour balance on these images, but then I only have 9 minutes of each to play with.

Thanks for looking

[Craney]

Detail right into the core as well.

20 years ago I would have expected an image like that from a professional  observatory in the USA, high up in the Sierra Nevada.

I think I can pick  out the black hole......  

[cfpendock]

Well, I am very impressed with the level of detail.  That Esprit 150 seems to be rather a good scope.  More time should let you improve the colour and perhaps give even more detail.  Chris 

[tomato]

Thanks for the comments, the Esprit 150 is a lot of scope for the money, and low maintenance too if I keep the precipitation off it! 

I will try to add to the data tonight as the forecast looks reasonable, however Astro darkness is down to 2 hours now in North Yorkshire.

[tomato]

I didn't get any more data thanks to the clouds but took a lot more dark frames to calibrate the lights I already had. I reran the data and I think this is better, perhaps to my more patient approach to the processing rather than anything else.

[Ouroboros]

Pretty good given the limited amount of data. That scope looks superb. Pricey though!  If anything the image is a little too blue for my taste. Nice detail though. What mount are you using? 

[Star101]

I love the detail in your image. 

Yes, the colour is out in my eyes but the detail, wow. 

Very nice. 

 

[tooth_dr]

That’s a seriously good image. Detailed to core on zooming in. 

[cfpendock]

I prefer the first.  You seem to have lost a some of the very faint stuff in the second, and there seems to be more colour noise.  Sorry, it's easy to criticise.......

Chris

[tomato]

Thanks to all for the comments, the scope is on a Mesu 200 but with only 3 min exposures, it does beg the question if a lower capacity mount could be used when using CMOS cameras.

It definitely needs more data, and I am struggling with the colour to be honest. In my experience combining the CMOS LRGB channels definitely needs a different approach compared to CCD. Also I am taken aback at how different the image can look when viewed across different displays. I use a calibrated monitor at home but I have to say it has a decidedly red hue to my eye after calibration. The colours seemed reasonably  muted on my ipad last night when I posted the image although I did up the saturation compared to the first image to highlight the star formation regions, but on my monitor at work right now it definitely looks too much.

It is however,  only 9 minutes each of RGB, so my first port of call should be more data, alas I think that will now have to wait until after the summer.