M42, Some fun between the clouds.

[Allinthehead]

Hi all, just a quick effort between the clouds last Sunday. Lucky to get anything as the conditions were so poor.

114 minutes in 2 minute subs gain 0

Asi2600mc through the Tak Epsilon 160, mounted on an AzEq6

Captured with Sgpro, stacked in APP and processed in PI,PS and APP. 

Regards,

Richard.

New Version

Edited February 20, 2021 by Allinthehead

[Padraic M]

Fantastic! It's amazing what you got with 114 minutes, and amazing that you got 114 minutes!

[Allinthehead]

😁 Thanks Padraic, not looking good for this week either. Really need a non weather dependent obsession.

[Xiga]

Lovely Richard. Amazing amount of dust for less than 2 hrs. I did have to download and rotate it, because it was messing with my head looking at it upside-down lol. Nice use of Starnet too btw - the filename gave the game away 😁

How did you find using Gain 0 vs the more often used higher Gain (can't remember what it is for the 2600mc)?

I feel your pain on the weather front, this winter has been terrible! In my case, it's even worse, as even when the weather does play along, i can't image anything below 60 degrees South due to the large (leafless!) trees out the back of our house 😒

Curious - i wonder has anyone ever had 'Some fun between the branches'?! With CMOS subs being so short, i wonder if i just decided to let it rip for a night, what sort of percentage of the total subs would i end up actually being able to keep? Hmmmm...

[Allinthehead]

8 hours ago, Xiga said:

Lovely Richard. Amazing amount of dust for less than 2 hrs. I did have to download and rotate it, because it was messing with my head looking at it upside-down lol. Nice use of Starnet too btw - the filename gave the game away 😁

Thanks Ciarán. I've added a rotated version, I had intended to post the rotated version but I just preferred the other orientation. I think it has to do with the way I framed it.

8 hours ago, Xiga said:

How did you find using Gain 0 vs the more often used higher Gain (can't remember what it is for the 2600mc)?

I think I prefer gain 0 as I get to use the large full well and the stars should end up with better colour. As long as you swamp the read noise with signal in theory you should end up with a better image.

8 hours ago, Xiga said:

i can't image anything below 60 degrees South due to the large (leafless!) trees out the back of our house 😒

Curious - i wonder has anyone ever had 'Some fun between the branches'?! With CMOS subs being so short, i wonder if i just decided to let it rip for a night, what sort of percentage of the total subs would i end up actually being able to keep? Hmmmm...

Sounds like a challenge

[tooth_dr]

Very nice Richard!  I dunno which version I prefer, both look ok but perhaps the framing is just a little off centre. 

I hadnt really though of using starnet for OSC, i though it was more for NB etc.

[Davey-T]

Nicely caught Richard, had plans for similar but the M42 season has been pretty much a washout here and once it's past the meridian it disappears into South London LP, moved along to Rosette now as get a bit more time on it when it's not raining 

Dave

[Allinthehead]

1 hour ago, tooth_dr said:

Very nice Richard!  I dunno which version I prefer, both look ok but perhaps the framing is just a little off centre. 

I hadnt really though of using starnet for OSC, i though it was more for NB etc.

Thanks. Ya, I think I tried to fit too much in. 

I use Starnet on every image and then add the stars back in from a slightly less stretched version.

Below is what it does with a Osc.

[Allinthehead]

8 minutes ago, Davey-T said:

Nicely caught Richard, had plans for similar but the M42 season has been pretty much a washout here and once it's past the meridian it disappears into South London LP, moved along to Rosette now as get a bit more time on it when it's not raining 

Dave

Thanks Dave. My house gets in the way at this time of year for most nebula targets. Still waiting on Takahashi to release the extender for the 160 so I can give galaxies a go.

[tooth_dr]

24 minutes ago, Allinthehead said:

Thanks. Ya, I think I tried to fit too much in. 

I use Starnet on every image and then add the stars back in from a slightly less stretched version.

Below is what it does with a Osc.

Thanks Richard.  Have yet to get another go with my 2600MC.  Waiting on an adapter to get my FF attached to the scope (M74-M68)

[Davey-T]

3 hours ago, Allinthehead said:

Thanks Dave. My house gets in the way at this time of year for most nebula targets. Still waiting on Takahashi to release the extender for the 160 so I can give galaxies a go.

Spent so much time messing with the SharpStar that I didn't even get the Star 71s set up for nebulas so still got the WO110FLT setup for galaxies.

Was going to have a shot at M86 and friends with the SharpStar the other night after Rosette but clouds arrived plus the ASIAIR was playing up, after a flip on the Rosette it pronounced that it  couldn't GoTo and plate solve Rosette because it was below the horizon, always something 

Dave

[Allinthehead]

5 hours ago, Davey-T said:

Was going to have a shot at M86 and friends with the SharpStar the other night after Rosette but clouds arrived plus the ASIAIR was playing up, after a flip on the Rosette it pronounced that it  couldn't GoTo and plate solve Rosette because it was below the horizon, always something 

Indeed, always something. To be fair when I've got issues it's usually something I forgot to do, when I was setting up for this image the camera wouldn't connect. I spent about 20 minutes trying all sorts until I realised that the usb connection wasn't pushed all the way in.  

[Davey-T]

16 minutes ago, Allinthehead said:

Indeed, always something. To be fair when I've got issues it's usually something I forgot to do, when I was setting up for this image the camera wouldn't connect. I spent about 20 minutes trying all sorts until I realised that the usb connection wasn't pushed all the way in.  

Just been having more fun with the ASIAR Pro, it's set to stop 5 minutes before the meridian but then the app just freezes so have to turn it off and on again and restart everything, started taking more subs while I had a cuppa, went out to check them and focus was way off, it seems that the autofocuser doesn't hold position when power is cut so have had to make a note of the position so I can do flats indoors tomorrow.

Also forgot to restart dithering but can't be bothered now, only doing O3.

Dave

[Allinthehead]

22 hours ago, Davey-T said:

Just been having more fun with the ASIAR Pro, it's set to stop 5 minutes before the meridian but then the app just freezes so have to turn it off and on again and restart everything, started taking more subs while I had a cuppa, went out to check them and focus was way off, it seems that the autofocuser doesn't hold position when power is cut so have had to make a note of the position so I can do flats indoors tomorrow.

Also forgot to restart dithering but can't be bothered now, only doing O3.

Dave

The fun continues.

[MartinB]

That dust is just phenomenal Richard!  Beautifully processed.  What are your sky conditions like?

I've just got a 2600mc and think 0 gain makes a lot of sense.  The file sizes are big so being able to use longer exposures are an advantage.  Higher gain doesn't get you more photons after all 

[Allinthehead]

11 hours ago, MartinB said:

That dust is just phenomenal Richard!  Beautifully processed.  What are your sky conditions like?

Thanks Martin, I live in a housing estate in rural East Cork, bortle 4. Unfortunately loads of public lights and recently my neighbours on both sides have installed floodlights. Using short subs helps with the light pollution, I've tried 300 second subs but I find the colour gets washed out.

Gain 0 is definitely the way to go to take advantage of the deeper wells. I'm torn between getting the Asi2600mm and Qhy268m for lum and Ha. I like the fact that the 268 has an extended full well mode, but the 2600 might make more sense as I can simply remove the colour cam and replace it with the mono as backfocus is the same. I think I'll wait until next season as the nights are getting shorter now. 

This is what it's like for me when the neighbours lights are on.😥

Edited February 20, 2021 by Allinthehead

[Allinthehead]

Added a new version, cropped and rotated to improve framing, reprocess with some added saturation.

[Laurin Dave]

Nice one Richard..  quite amazing given the neighbours lights...  looks like light trespass to me 

Dave

[Allinthehead]

29 minutes ago, Laurin Dave said:

Nice one Richard..  quite amazing given the neighbours lights...  looks like light trespass to me 

Dave

Thanks Dave. Light pollution getting worse around my area and led lights to be retrofitted soon too, at least they will be dimmed after midnight.

[Xiga]

KiThe results you get are amazing Richard, I really hope the LED lights don't have too much of an effect on your imaging. It's good that they will turn them down after midnight, that's something at least.

We bought our new house 2 years ago. My heart sank when we came to view it near the end and I saw the LED light literally smack bang right at the front (see below) 😥 Out the back (South) isn't much better, tall trees blocking everything below 60 degrees. Annoying, as my LP isn't too bad either, Bortle 5, not far off 4. 

I might try phoning the council to see if they can turn the light off after midnight. Not holding out much hope though

[peter shah]

what a stunning rendition....and a beautiful scope....I was hoping to see some results from the an ED160 soon

[Kon]

Amazing capture. Excellent amount of details on the surrounding nebula.

[Allinthehead]

10 hours ago, Xiga said:

I might try phoning the council to see if they can turn the light off after midnight. Not holding out much hope though

That looks really bright, definitely worth a call. There really is no need for that level of lighting. I have one like that right outside my front door too, kills the colour of anything I'm imaging in that direction. We have a five year plan for moving house, we want to stay in the area but we want a little bungalow out on it's own away from public lighting. I just have to guarantee a kitchen island😁

[Allinthehead]

1 hour ago, peter shah said:

what a stunning rendition....and a beautiful scope....I was hoping to see some results from the an ED160 soon

Thanks Peter, It's a great scope well worth the upgrade from my 130.

All taken with the 160

[Allinthehead]

21 minutes ago, Kon said:

Amazing capture. Excellent amount of details on the surrounding nebula.

Thanks Kon, glad you like it. Hopefully next season I can give it a good run.