6 (or 55) Years in the Making: Heart Soul & Double Cluster

[Knight of Clear Skies]

Splashed out on Registar today and had a go at combining a recent Ha image with an RGB one from 2014. Here's the Heart & Soul nebulae along with the Double Cluster.

This was a collaboration between two 135mm camera lenses. The RGB image was shot with an old Takumar 135mm f3.5 lens (wide open). The Ha data was taken with my Samyang f2 lens (at f2, using a clip-in filter). Camera used were a modded 100D for the RGB image and my 1100D for the Ha. The RGB image was 38 minutes and the Ha was 50 minutes (2 minute subs in both cases).

This image has been gestating for a while, looking at the serial number on the Takumar lens it was manufactured in about 1965. It cost me £18.50 on eBay. Think I may have stumbled on a really nice combination for RGBHa imaging, I will think about a dual rig for the Autumn.

Field of view is 9.26 x 6.13 deg, here's its location straddling Cassiopeia and Perseus.

And here's the plate-solved version. I like this composition as it shows two stages of a star's life-cycle, formation and early life in a cluster.

This is the Ha image I blended into the red channel.

Really pleased with this, would welcome any feedback. Ended up making the starfield very sparse with a Tighten 1 pixel action in StarTools, as it showed the nebulosity off better (for comparison, a 2016 reprocess of the RGB image is here). Still could use a little work, NGC 869 and some bright doubles have blobbed up a bit in processing but I need to work out how to blend in a less stretched version selectively. If anyone has any tips or could point me towards a simple PS tutorial I'd be grateful.

[happy-kat]

You might try the layer tool in StarTools and the nifty ways you can manipulate actions. 

[Knight of Clear Skies]

Sorry mods, meant to put this in the Widefield Imaging section. Would you mind moving it for me please?

[Stu]

11 hours ago, Knight of Clear Skies said:

Sorry mods, meant to put this in the Widefield Imaging section. Would you mind moving it for me please?

Sorted 👍👍

[Knight of Clear Skies]

Here's a slightly toned version I made after checking on another device, not sure about my monitor calibration now I've moved my desk.

I also found an object of interest in frame. A microquaser has been ejected from the vicinity of the Heart nebula by a supernova kick.

[sloz1664]

Superb images. Splendid colours and sharp detail. Processing is top notch. Love em.

Steve

[Knight of Clear Skies]

7 hours ago, sloz1664 said:

Superb images. Splendid colours and sharp detail. Processing is top notch. Love em.

Steve

Thanks, much appreciated. I went a bit cross-eyed on this one, my processing workflow is a bit erratic and probably could use an overhaul.