Start of a new M27

[JamesF]

Other than a couple of weeks back as my first test from the new observatory, I last imaged this six years ago.  It's one of my favourites, so an obvious choice to revisit as I'm getting everything together again and ironing out the little niggles.  Also trying to remember how to make everything work again, like merging the LRGB stacks together into a single image in PS.

But for the time being, here's my luminance frame. 110 minutes of 5 minute subs from my 80ED (without reducer/flattener) and 314L+, stacked, stretched and cropped.

I'm not unhappy with it, though I think I need longer subs and more focal length (I think last time I used my 127 Mak).  I'm not sure if I should pull the blacks down a bit to get a bit more contrast.  But for now I shall go back to scratching my head at Photoshop.

James

[Craney]

I like the Dumbell,  such a big, bright and unmistakable target that it tells me straight away if the  Polar /Star alignment is playing up.

Even this week with forecast clear skies and promising myself I would go for the propellor Nebula.... I took time to snap up a few frames of M27.

Re. Combining channels.     I use  https://www.eprisephoto.com/astro-actions  ,  works from within PS as well so you don't need to export /import versions.  It has RGB  LRGB  Bi Colour and HST options.

 

Sean.

[JamesF]

I'll have a look at that.  I did used to do all this stuff myself, but after being out of imaging for a fair while I've forgotten a lot of it

James

[JamesF]

In the end I went back and collected more data -- 250 minutes of luminance (600s subs) and 50 minutes each of red, green and blue (300s subs).  Six hours forty minutes total?  This is my first attempt at processing it all.

There are a couple of strange artefacts in the full size version that look as though they might have crept in during stacking, but overall I'm not unhappy with it.  I'd like a bit more image scale I think, but the sub length might have to increase quite dramatically.  One to revisit when I work out how I'm going to do that...

James

[ollypenrice]

Ha and OIII would bring in the outer extensions which would take up a lot of your 'empty' frame, here...  The imaging is holding together nicely

Olly

[LongJohn54]

I'm following this with interest as I've also started a M27 image.   I have the same camera and am using a 102ED refractor with an 0.8 reducer/flattener.

[JamesF]

2 hours ago, ollypenrice said:

Ha and OIII would bring in the outer extensions which would take up a lot of your 'empty' frame, here...  The imaging is holding together nicely

Olly

Thanks Olly.  If the weather plays ball this weekend I shall try that.

James

[JamesF]

The clouds wouldn't play ball this evening, but I managed an hour of Ha (6 x 600s) and actually it doesn't look too bad at all.

Are there any good explanations of how to add this to an image during processing in Photoshop?  (And OIII, come to that.)  Preferably that make the Dummies Guide to Photoshop look like degree-level stuff.

James