Orion mosaic - 2 seasons - M42, IC434, NGC2024, M78

[alexbb]

I've been processing this image for quite a long now.

I started acquiring data the last season when I only managed to shoot 3 panels with the Canon 6D through the Esprit 80 for a total of ~7h.

This season I restarted and I added more data and covered a wider area. So a mix of portrait and landscape panels were planned and shot with the same scope and camera. Now every pixel represents at least 3-4h of integration, some have more.

All the above were shot from Bortle 2-3 sites where I traveled sometimes even for an hour of exposure.

To the RGB data I added 17.5h of Ha, same story with the panels. Some were oriented N-S, others E-W. These were shot with the SW 72ED and the ASI1600 from home and Bortle ~7.

Then I figured out I still had time and I planned and shot 9 more panels of luminance with the 72ED and ASI1600, each consisting of 1h of exposure.

I combined all of these into an image, processed it and for the Orion nebula and Running Man nebula I also blended some data I shot last season with the 130PDS and ASI1600 from home.

Below it's my first final version of all data combined. You can watch it in full resolution on astrobin: https://www.astrobin.com/full/jni0w8/ or Flickr: https://flic.kr/p/2iBGUXq

 

Edited March 7, 2020 by alexbb

[alexbb]

Here are some intermediary stretched stacks

All DSLR

 

9 panels of 1h of luminance

17.5h of Ha

[souls33k3r]

Bloody hell Alex, this is one fantastic image mate. Wowzer! 

[MarkAR]

Outstanding. I especially like the first intermediary stretched image, looks very natural and delicate.

[mackiedlm]

Fantastic image.

[sloz1664]

Fabulous images, well captured & processed.

Steve

[alexbb]

Thank you very much!

[geoflewis]

Superb...!!

[Nikodemuzz]

Great stuff! Very interesting to also see the intermediary stacks!

[alexbb]

Thank you too!

Here's one more intermediary image I used for aligning the FOV. All framing was done manually, rotating the scope in the rings and slewing the mount slightly.

[david_taurus83]

Hi Alex. Incredible image! It was also your first take on it last year that convinced me to buy a Canon 6D! Great camera!

https://stargazerslounge.com/topic/331573-orions-belt-and-sword-with-the-esprit-80-and-canon-6d/?tab=comments#comment-3610234

[alexbb]

22 hours ago, david_taurus83 said:

Hi Alex. Incredible image! It was also your first take on it last year that convinced me to buy a Canon 6D! Great camera!

https://stargazerslounge.com/topic/331573-orions-belt-and-sword-with-the-esprit-80-and-canon-6d/?tab=comments#comment-3610234

Thank you, David! It is indeed a very capable and robust camera and quite cheap used. In the far future I'm thinking of modifying it, once I buy one of those new Canon mirrorless for everyday use.