2021-04-20 59% Waxing ** Full Mosaic Added!

[WestCoastCannuck]

The night of the 19th was good....   this night, the 20th, was a little better.  Wish I had had more time - was a 180MAK night for sure.  At any rate, it gave me a good idea of what I can do moon wise in good seeing with my APM 140.  I can now bring back the MAK in my plans as well.

 

First off, here is the single disc at prime with APM 140,  183MM and Baader Green 520nm.  (make sure to open in a separate window and view full size!)

 

Next up are a couple of crops from my failed mosaic at F9.8.  (APM140+183MM+Green 520nm - best 300of3000 per panel)   On the fail...  I missed a little piece in the middle at terminator. 

These are large...  please view at full size in separate window!  Pretty happy with the detail and IQ here and the next pic.   I love the view here of Hadley,  Thor's Hammer,  Aristillus,  Rima Hyginus...  well, lots.  

I DID blow some highlights in the processing....  perhaps I will revisit it at a later date - done for now. 

A good chuck of Mare Ibrium.....

 

Another crop from the failed mosaic...  also large.   Probably my best catch of Moretus, maybe Clavius and others too.

 

EDIT!!  By correcting a rotation of one panel outside of ICE's limits, I was able to complete my mosaic.   I found it hard to process and have it all look more or less balanced.  I think I got there to my satisfaction for now.  lol

 

7 panels - 27MP. 

 

 

 

Regards and Clear Skies!!

 

 

Mike

 

 

 

Edited April 25, 2021 by WestCoastCannuck
mosaic added

[wouterdhoye]

Excellent work!

[WestCoastCannuck]

34 minutes ago, wouterdhoye said:

Excellent work!

Thanks Wouter!  Clouds have rolled in for foreseeable future.  Hopefully some good windows next month!

[Andy ES]

Mike 

yes excellent stuff - again!

standard setting for me

Cheers.

[neil phillips]

Hi Mike as you can see from my pbase stuff i was obsessive about excessive highlights. As i get older it seems to bother me a little less. Often more detail can be seen and a more vibrant image will come from pushing histogram a little more, either at capture or post processing. Or even both. Of course we can always change our minds again. (I often do) But dull images do not excite me as much these days, maybe because of the scope sizes i am using i am not sure.

As usual smooth silky detail in these. And certainly not dull. Maybe your headroom is a little reserved on some of this. Think there is more hidden detail in there. But better to under sharpen than over sharpen i guess. As we have said everyones mileage is different. Certainly think your understated style is a breath of fresh air. 

Just getting that balance can sometimes be tricky. You may not agree. Regardless you ooze quality thats for sure

[WestCoastCannuck]

6 hours ago, neil phillips said:

Hi Mike as you can see from my pbase stuff i was obsessive about excessive highlights. As i get older it seems to bother me a little less. Often more detail can be seen and a more vibrant image will come from pushing histogram a little more, either at capture or post processing. Or even both. Of course we can always change our minds again. (I often do) But dull images do not excite me as much these days, maybe because of the scope sizes i am using i am not sure.

As usual smooth silky detail in these. And certainly not dull. Maybe your headroom is a little reserved on some of this. Think there is more hidden detail in there. But better to under sharpen than over sharpen i guess. As we have said everyones mileage is different. Certainly think your understated style is a breath of fresh air. 

Just getting that balance can sometimes be tricky. You may not agree. Regardless you ooze quality thats for sure

As always, thanks so much for your thought provoking reply Neil.  You have vastly more experience than I do, and your thoughts are appreciated.  (Helps also that we are more on the same page in tastes than off...  lol)  Your eye is better than mine, and indeed, there was more to bring out, even to MY taste.    Perhaps still not enough for some, but there is more, yet still clean detail to be seen here in this version of the lower region.  (you would have to compare side by side.  lol)  Also brightened a tad...  and did a spot highlight lowering on Tycho rim.  You can really see the difference in Werner, among many other features.  I am happier, if that is possible...  Thanks!

 

 

Edited April 24, 2021 by WestCoastCannuck

[WestCoastCannuck]

6 hours ago, Andy ES said:

Mike 

yes excellent stuff - again!

standard setting for me

Cheers.

Thanks so much Andy!

 

Clear skies

 

Mike

[neil phillips]

5 minutes ago, WestCoastCannuck said:

As always, thanks so much for your thought provoking reply Neil.  You have vastly more experience than I do, and your thoughts are appreciated.  (Helps also that we are more on the same page in tastes than off...  lol)  Your eye is better than mine, and indeed, there was more to bring out, even to MY taste.    Perhaps still not enough for some, but there is more, yet still clean detail to be seen here in this version of the lower region.  (you would have to compare side by side.  lol)  Also brightened a tad...  and did a spot highlight lowering on Tycho rim.  You can really see the difference in Werner, among many other features.  I am happier, if that is possible...  Thanks!

 

 

One thing thats almost never considered on here Mike, is the different monitors we are all viewing on. I do most of my viewing and processing on a 50" plasma tv, it glosses over noise too much, and makes a lot of stuff look amazing. Switch to my Lenovo laptop screen, and it reveals the flaws far better. Always good to check on the laptop if i want a balanced perspective. There is the problem right there, in discussing views with each other. No standard setting point. We are all looking at it on a myriad of different screens. No wonder our perspectives can vary from person to person. 

But anyway its great chatting with like minded lunar imagers. My missus bless her, hears a lot. I prefer this last one i think Mike, can see more of the tiny craterlets, But still a great balance. As long as the balance doesnt go out the window. (we all do it from time to time) Both under and overcooked. Then more detail but with a nice balance. Is a better, finer place to be in my book.

[Sunshine]

beautiful image!

[WestCoastCannuck]

1 minute ago, neil phillips said:

One thing thats almost never considered on here Mike, is the different monitors we are all viewing on. I do most of my viewing and processing on a 50" plasma tv, it glosses over noise too much, and makes a lot of stuff look amazing. Switch to my Lenovo laptop screen, and it reveals the flaws far better. Always good to check on the laptop if i want a balanced perspective. There is the problem right there, in discussing views with each other. No standard setting point. We are all looking at it on a myriad of different screens. No wonder our perspectives can vary from person to person. 

But anyway its great chatting with like minded lunar imagers. My missus bless her, hears a lot. I prefer this last one i think Mike, can see more of the tiny craterlets, But still a great balance. As long as the balance doesnt go out the window. (we all do it from time to time) Both under and overcooked. Then more detail but with a nice balance. Is a better, finer place to be in my book.

So true on viewing hardware!!!!  I have thought about that a lot lately.  I have even seen some post versions for 4K vs  1080p...   It DOES certainly impact us imagers!  For myself, its something I have been thinking on lately a lot.   Do I go to a 4K monitor?  They are cheap as chips these days.   I use a Dell 24 inch 1920X1200 IPS monitor - still happy enough with it.....  but, I am behind the times perhaps.  If most people use 4K...  I suppose its time.  The new one will likely cost less than this one did.

[neil phillips]

2 minutes ago, WestCoastCannuck said:

So true on viewing hardware!!!!  I have thought about that a lot lately.  I have even seen some post versions for 4K vs  1080p...   It DOES certainly impact us imagers!  For myself, its something I have been thinking on lately a lot.   Do I go to a 4K monitor?  They are cheap as chips these days.   I use a Dell 24 inch 1920X1200 IPS monitor - still happy enough with it.....  but, I am behind the times perhaps.  If most people use 4K...  I suppose its time.  The new one will likely cost less than this one did.

Maybe. But i do worry do my old eyes still work in 4k ? Lol. Got to be better. Going from a oculus go. to the higher resolution quest vr headset showed me what i was missing. i would say got to be a lot better

[PXR-5]

Awesome 👍

Very nice 🙂

[WestCoastCannuck]

32 minutes ago, neil phillips said:

Maybe. But i do worry do my old eyes still work in 4k ? Lol. Got to be better. Going from a oculus go. to the higher resolution quest vr headset showed me what i was missing. i would say got to be a lot better

LOL.....  I am guessing my eyes not much younger than yours. 

 

BTW....  so excited.  My missing piece of mosaic was NOT missing.  It was a dropped frame in ICE!!  Rotation.  (plague of ALT AZ mosaics).   I guesstimated the rotation of the tossed frame just now....  and VOILA!   My mosaic goes to gether just fine.  Will be my best.    I suppose I should add it here.  hehe

[WestCoastCannuck]

1 hour ago, Sunshine said:

beautiful image!

Thanks Sunshine!  hope you are getting some out there in T.O.!  I miss hanging out there on occasion when I lived back home.  (Guelph)

1 minute ago, PXR-5 said:

Awesome 👍

Very nice 🙂

Thanks Jeff!!

[Sunshine]

1 hour ago, WestCoastCannuck said:

Thanks Sunshine!  hope you are getting some out there in T.O.!  I miss hanging out there on occasion when I lived back home.  (Guelph)

Thanks Jeff!!

Nice! I use T.O. because it is the nearest major city as no one would recognize the small town just 30min outside Toronto (Stouffville) where I live.

[WestCoastCannuck]

1 minute ago, Sunshine said:

Nice! I use T.O. because it is the nearest major city as no one would recognize the small town just 30min outside Toronto (Stouffville) where I live.

I worked the Stouffville Flea Market a few times a long time ago in another life.    (mid nineties)   Had a booth at the 400 Market, one in Guelph another in Grand Bend...  but went out and tried lots of others - including Stouffville.

Hope Lockdown is successful.

Stay safe

Mike

[neil phillips]

5 hours ago, WestCoastCannuck said:

LOL.....  I am guessing my eyes not much younger than yours. 

 

BTW....  so excited.  My missing piece of mosaic was NOT missing.  It was a dropped frame in ICE!!  Rotation.  (plague of ALT AZ mosaics).   I guesstimated the rotation of the tossed frame just now....  and VOILA!   My mosaic goes to gether just fine.  Will be my best.    I suppose I should add it here.  hehe

That must have been a great feeling knowing all the data was there. Doesnt hurt as much on a rubbish night. But on the best nights, well, hide the ropes.

[vineyard]

Your lunar images are outstanding.  The single disc at prime 👍🏾👍🏾this will sound bizarre but in that image I really struck by the delicate patches of grey on the floor of all the little craters towards the limb!  It really adds something to the whole image when viewed in full-size click-mode.

[WestCoastCannuck]

5 hours ago, neil phillips said:

That must have been a great feeling knowing all the data was there. Doesnt hurt as much on a rubbish night. But on the best nights, well, hide the ropes.

It certainly was!  It was a great feeling at first, then a bunch of frustration as I gradually figured out what was wrong, then despair that I could not get it to join.  I actually made a post to ask for help....  but then, realizing I already had a good guess why it tossed the frame, I should do my best to confirm it first and just try with the limited tools I have.   I KNOW photoshop can fix this sort of thing easily, but I don't use photoshop - never have, even though I have years of photo editing behind me.  Nothing for it, though....  I just lined up the errant frame next to one of it's neighbors in two different reduced windows and did my best visual on how much rotation there was and attempted to rotate manually in Lightroom about the same amount.  It worked, at the first effort.    ICE will handle and correct for a very small amount of rotation, but not much.

38 minutes ago, vineyard said:

Your lunar images are outstanding.  The single disc at prime 👍🏾👍🏾this will sound bizarre but in that image I really struck by the delicate patches of grey on the floor of all the little craters towards the limb!  It really adds something to the whole image when viewed in full-size click-mode.

Thanks so much vineyard!!   Does NOT sound bizarre to me.  I still like the single the best myself for that reason.  This post is the first time I have captured finer scale that I like ALMOST as much as the single - but not quite.    I am only just now finally coming to terms with the fact that I can very rarely, if EVER, capture finer scales and make them look like the prime captures do sometimes at 100%.   😏  That is a major reason I bought the modular barlow.  I am hoping, that with the increased aperture of the 140ED over the 120ED it has replaced, that I can at least push things just a little, say 1.2X, and achieve that same look with zero loss in IQ.   We shall see!  Its top of the list for things to try on my next window of decent seeing!!   :))))

 

 

Cheers and clear skies!!

 

Mike

Edited April 25, 2021 by WestCoastCannuck

[Luke]

Thanks for the sweet views. Delightful!

[Trevor N]

Very good images as usual Mike. Interesting to know we all go through the same ups and downs. The 140 seems to hit a sweet spot. Well done . Trevor

[Mr Spock]

Nice set of images.