North American Take Two!

[Grant93]

Hello everyone!

Got another clear night on a Saturday last weekend. So I decided to try and capture some more data for my last attempt at the North american nebula, which was posted here not too long ago. First time I've tried to add data to a picture from more than 1 night, I would say it didnt go too successfully. I was using the Samyang 135mm, and when stacking the pictures all together, I noticed the outcome was insanely white. Even when saved to a TIFF when it gets even darker, it wasn't very dark, which I will also upload for everyone to see. So I think I over exposed the picture, the NA wasn't at the zenith, but it was very high when I started imaging, so I don't think its the surrounding bortle 5 light pollution that was the problem. I was shooting 90 second exposures which is the same exposure length as what I was adding to, at F2.8. Now I didnt take note last time at the F stop, stupid of me, so am I right by assuming I just had it open too wide?

If so, would it be better next time to shorten the exposures and have it wide open, or keep it at 90 seconds and find the sweet spot F stop (Seems to be the most I can get before trails, unguided)? The stack is only bright when I add last Saturdays shots, not my month old ones.

What I am pleased with is I feel its picked up far more structure of the Pelican and NA by stacking the combined 2 nights worth of data. And to be perfectly honest, I think the extra color just comes from me experimenting with saturation for the first time haha, not the extra data. But just to reiterate, I do believe the extra structure and density of the nebula is from the extra data.

I understand these sort of targets aren't great for unmodded, but what other bright HA targets are good to have a go at? And in comparison to the NA nebula, how bright are they?

Stock EOS 800D

iOptron Skyguider Pro

Samyang 135mm

800 ISO

2hrs of Lights @ 90 second exposures

30 Darks

30 Bias

No Flats (I want a sock I can pull over my lenses and rest a tablet on it, anyone know where to find one?)

Heres the new, heavily cropped as you will see from the TIFF the edges are terrible from my framing.

The old one which has been posted here before.

And the TIFF, feel free to experiment with it I know it terribly bright though!

Edit: Also one thing I forgot to mention, on the new picture, also not happy with them unusually blue stars! I feel the first attempt look more 'real'

 

na2ndtry.TIF

Edited July 12, 2021 by Grant93

[alacant]

1 hour ago, Grant93 said:

And the TIFF, feel free

Hi

Well captured. Some lovely colour and detail.

Cheers

 

[Grant93]

1 hour ago, alacant said:

Hi

Well captured. Some lovely colour and detail.

Cheers

 

Woah, I'm always amazed when someone else makes a brilliant image out of my captures. Shows I really have a lot to learn on processing! Maybe I should learn something along the lines of pixinsight or photoshop.

Cheers

[The Lazy Astronomer]

6 minutes ago, Grant93 said:

Maybe I should learn something along the lines of pixinsight or photoshop.

Cheers

Or Startools 😉

[Grant93]

2 minutes ago, The Lazy Astronomer said:

Or Startools 😉

Woah! You posted this just as I am downloading the free trial hahahaha Must be fate

[The Lazy Astronomer]

7 minutes ago, Grant93 said:

Woah! You posted this just as I am downloading the free trial hahahaha Must be fate

Hope you it find it to your liking 👍

Plenty of tutorials on youtube to help you out learning it. Be sure to check out the unofficial manual too, loads of tips and tricks in there (pdf download available on Startools website).

[alacant]

22 minutes ago, The Lazy Astronomer said:

Startools

+1

 

[AstroMuni]

On 12/07/2021 at 19:31, Grant93 said:

Woah, I'm always amazed when someone else makes a brilliant image out of my captures. Shows I really have a lot to learn on processing! Maybe I should learn something along the lines of pixinsight or photoshop.

Cheers

Welcome to the club 🙂 Yes, its a steep learning curve to understand the jargon and pick up the relevant tools to enhance your images. Still learning........