NGC7380 - The Wizard Nebula (2019 data)

[emyliano2000]

Lately I've been looking at the photos that I shot since I started and I decided to try and redo the ones that I'm not really happy with. 

I learned a few new things over time and I'm trying to see if I can use them to improve the photos. The first photo is the result that I got yesterday and the second is the original attempt. 

I find the new one to be an improvement over the original but I would love it if you would give me your opinion. 

Technical data:

AstroTech 106LE
TSFlat 2" field flattener
Qhyccd QHY183M Coldmos, cooled at - 20°C
7x1.25" Starlight Xpress USB filterwheel
Baader 1.25" filters, 7nm Ha, 8.5nm Oiii and 8nm Sii

1x600sec Ha @ gain 11, offset 8

20x300sec Ha @ gain 11, offset 8

40x600sec Ha @ gain 16, offset 76

40x600sec Oiii @gain 11, offset 8

40x600sec Sii @ gain 16, offset 76

Total integration time 21 hours and 50 minutes

Emil

 

Edited January 31, 2021 by emyliano2000

[BCN_Sean]

Can't really comment on the technical aspects of this as I'm still very new to the non-terrestrial photography, but from an inexperienced viewer's point of view the first one has a lot more in the way of clout and dimension to it where the second (the original, right?) seems to be a bit flat but having them both side by side does show an improvement to me in what your post capture workflow was.

[emyliano2000]

48 minutes ago, BCN_Sean said:

the second (the original, right?) seems to be a bit flat

Thanks, that's exactly what I thought about the original one too 😁

Emil

[Kinch]

Likewise - I would go with the 2nd one (top image on this page). I think a little more contrast in the original would make it equally as good - just then comes down to individual taste on the colours.

[emyliano2000]

8 minutes ago, Kinch said:

Likewise - I would go with the 2nd one (top image on this page). I think a little more contrast in the original would make it equally as good - just then comes down to individual taste on the colours.

Thanks. Indeed a bit of contrast on the original might change its overall look and make it more appealing.

In the new one I used a star reduction script that seems to work quite well on some photos. I tried the starnet star removal but couldn't get a nice finish, way too many stars that gave me a very dirty finish, even after tweaking it in photoshop to remove the leftovers. 

Regarding the colour, I also tend towards the new one but again it's a personal taste 🙂

Emil

[Luke Newbould]

Definitely your new image for me, it's leaps and bounds ahead of your already pretty darned lovely original. - I especially like the new colour palette!