First Astrophotography Image

[Krackedace]

Hi All

Here is my first astrophotography image ever. Could I get some advice on what to improve next time. 

Rig:

Skywatcher Eq6-r pro

Skywatcher f/4 8" Carbon quatro

Skywatcher Aplanatic CC

Zwo asi 294 pro

Image:

240 lights 30sec gain medium

20 darks

30 flats

Post:

Gimp exposure, levels, curves, saturation

PS saturation, gradient removed

 

Thanks for your advice

Thomas

[teoria_del_big_bang]

If that's a first then you should be really happy, it is a great first image.

Steve

[Erling G-P]

3 hours ago, teoria_del_big_bang said:

If that's a first then you should be really happy, it is a great first image.

Steve

Can only second that; a very impressive first image!

More subs is the best suggestion I can make, as it would bring out more of the galaxy structure.

[Galen Gilmore]

That's fantastic, my first definitely didn't look like that.

Edited May 5, 2020 by Galen Gilmore

[Knight of Clear Skies]

Very fine first first image. Possibly the background is a little too dark.

[ollypenrice]

Certainly a better and more ambitious image than my first efforts. Like Knight above, I would look at the black point during processing. I suspect that you've brought it in a tad too far and clipped some of your faintest outlying signal. But, yes, what a great start.

Olly

[MarkAR]

Very well done.

Maybe longer exposures next, get a few more targets under your belt, tweak processing and play with different results.

Final results are never really final, you may in the future add more data to this, use different processing software.......

[miguel87]

Nothing?

[wimvb]

Great first. As said by others: more data never hurts. Longer exposures probably means you have to consider guiding. But if you keep the camera gain high, you can avoid guiding (for a while at least) by using short exposures. But that means lots of subs.

For processing, I suggest concentrating on only one software package untill you know that inside out. Then add another if the need arises. In your case, you'll find more information online for image processing in PS than GIMP.

[richard ashbee]

Very good for first attempt