B33 Horsehead with NGC 2023 and 2024 + M106 and friends

[geeklee]

Over a couple of nights (30th and 31st December) I captured around 6 hours of data on M106 and a quick couple of B33 (couldn't resist having a first look).  I wish I'd switched that time around now as there was either poor focusing on my part, poor seeing, some cloud or a combination of all the above to produce a mixed bag with iffy guiding at times & bloated stars - especially in the M106 image.

Thanks for looking.  As always all comments or feedback welcome.

Equipment - Sky-Watcher 80ED DS Pro, 0.85x FF/FR, ASI533 MC Pro.
Software - PHD2, Captured in Apt, integrated and processed in APP and Affinity Photo

B33, NGC 2023, NGC 2024 - 45 x 180s (calibrated), -10degC, Gain 100 (unity) & Offset 70

M106, NGC4248, NGC4232, NGC4226, NGC4217, NGC4220 (some of these are being generous saying they're in the picture😂)
116 x 180s (calibrated), -10degC, Gain 100 (unity) & Offset 70

[tooth_dr]

You can’t go wrong with a nice B33!! And I like how you’ve processed M106, really very vibrant, and the detail in the edge on galaxy below it is awesome!  I really like my ED80 too, don’t think I’ll ever sell it.

This is a fairly new our camera isn’t it with the square sensor. How long have you had it?

 

Adam. 

[Craney]

Really nice shots.

......and the Horse Head was taken with the 533 colour camera without any  fancy filters ??   That's impressive.

[geeklee]

11 hours ago, tooth_dr said:

You can’t go wrong with a nice B33!! And I like how you’ve processed M106, really very vibrant, and the detail in the edge on galaxy below it is awesome!  I really like my ED80 too, don’t think I’ll ever sell it.

This is a fairly new our camera isn’t it with the square sensor. How long have you had it?

 

Adam. 

Thanks Adam, both images needed some additional colour adjustment coming out of star calibration in APP, especially B33 - turning the Ha red instead of purple mainly.  M106 started to show some colour with a little saturation after star calibration.

You're right, the 533 is one of the new batch from ZWO - entry level one.  I must have had one of the earlier shipments as I got it from FLO early to mid December 2019.

[geeklee]

10 hours ago, Craney said:

Really nice shots.

......and the Horse Head was taken with the 533 colour camera without any  fancy filters ??   That's impressive.

Thanks Craney.  The 533 is just standard at the moment (except for an IR/UV Cut filter).

As mentioned above, B33 was a little messy coming out of integration (gradients, mixed colour correction, obviously noisy with low integration time) but the end result looks so much better (APP and Affinity Photo get the credit 🙂).