First Attempt at Processing

[hyak]

I've taken a DSO images over the past couple of years - single images with poor guiding and no stacking or processing. Here's my first go at a processed image. It needs improvement, but I'm happy with it as a first attempt. 

I did learn a lot over the weekend, most importantly I learned that I should sleep for a few hours before processing an image. I spent several hours trying to correct a color issue, and I was so tired that I missed what was right under my nose (wrong bayer matrix for my camera). 

I also learned the importance of a good mount. I used my shiny new EQ6-R Pro for the first time this past weekend and my guiding has never been so good. 

Here are the details:

Telescope: William Optics Zenithstar 81

Guide Scope: William Optics Guide Star 61

Imaging Camera: Atik Horizon II OSC

Guide Camera: ZWO ASI120MM

Mount: Skywatcher EQ6-R Pro

Lights: 30 @ 120 seconds

Darks: 20 @ 120 seconds

Processed in Pixinsight, LightRoom and PhotoShop

Feedback is welcome. I might have cropped the image too much, M27 might not have been the best target for my camera/telescope. 

[John Nodding]

I wish my first attempt at a processed image was as good as this! In fact, I wish my second, third.........(you get the picture!) 👍🏻
 

Noddy

[MarkAR]

Very good start. Only thing I can see is some very slight mottling in the background, might be something like a touch too much noise reduction.

[hyak]

2 hours ago, MarkAR said:

Very good start. Only thing I can see is some very slight mottling in the background, might be something like a touch too much noise reduction.

Thanks for the feedback. I was following a tutorial and there were quite a few steps focused on noise reduction. I'll try re-processing the image to see if I can cut down on the mottling. 

[MarkAR]

2 hours ago, hyak said:

Thanks for the feedback. I was following a tutorial and there were quite a few steps focused on noise reduction. I'll try re-processing the image to see if I can cut down on the mottling. 

Probably just need to tweak one or two settings a touch.

[alacant]

16 hours ago, hyak said:

Feedback

Hi

Lovely image.

i agree with @MarkAR. I had a go at the mottle. It's very much personal preference though.

Cheers and HTH.

[hyak]

2 hours ago, alacant said:

Hi

Lovely image.

i agree with @MarkAR. I had a go at the mottle. It's very much personal preference though.

Cheers and HTH.

 

That's much cleaner than my image. Would you mind sharing what tool you used to touch it up? 

[alacant]

43 minutes ago, hyak said:

what tool

Hi

StarTools, but any decent photo app will fix it.

Perhaps best though to go easy(ier) on the development of the image early on.

HTH

Edited July 21, 2020 by alacant

[x6gas]

Great effort for a first processed image - well done!