First image for a while - Andromeda

[Grant93]

Hello everyone,

Been inactive for a while due to terribly cloudy skies. But finally a target is up more suitable to my setup that I can actually capture from my backyard, although many HA targets are up and visible from the backyard, my camera is stock (Will change in september when I purchase a modded camera , a decent astrodedicated is way way way out of my budget at the moment).  Although I feel that the target is still reasonbly low in the skies at the moment when I start imaging at 23:00, which I think is reflected in the photo. But it will glide across the zenith later in the year, which I will then target it again , for hopefully more exposure time also.

It's taken me a while, but I think I am happy with the finished product.

EOS 800D

iOptron Skyguider Pro

ZS61

Its 2 hours and 30 minutes worth of 45 second exposures.

20 Darks

40 Bias

20 Flats (First time using flats also, didnt know it was easy as a white t shirt, elastic band and pointing it towards the sky!)

Let me know what you think Critism always welcome!

Grant

[Stargazer33]

Nice dust Lanes and a good size in the frame. I would have probably tried to rotate the frame to get Andromeda more across the diagonal. I think it would also benefit from lightening a little too. 

Very nice image all the same. 👍

[smashing]

14 minutes ago, Grant93 said:

Hello everyone,

Been inactive for a while due to terribly cloudy skies. But finally a target is up more suitable to my setup that I can actually capture from my backyard, although many HA targets are up and visible from the backyard, my camera is stock (Will change in september when I purchase a modded camera , a decent astrodedicated is way way way out of my budget at the moment).  Although I feel that the target is still reasonbly low in the skies at the moment when I start imaging at 23:00, which I think is reflected in the photo. But it will glide across the zenith later in the year, which I will then target it again , for hopefully more exposure time also.

It's taken me a while, but I think I am happy with the finished product.

EOS 800D

iOptron Skyguider Pro

ZS61

Its 2 hours and 30 minutes worth of 45 second exposures.

20 Darks

40 Bias

20 Flats (First time using flats also, didnt know it was easy as a white t shirt, elastic band and pointing it towards the sky!)

Let me know what you think Critism always welcome!

Grant

Nice, those dust lanes are coming through nicely!

How are you processing it? I think there is quite a bit in there (although my processing is poor compared to others)

[Grant93]

20 minutes ago, Stargazer33 said:

Nice dust Lanes and a good size in the frame. I would have probably tried to rotate the frame to get Andromeda more across the diagonal. I think it would also benefit from lightening a little too. 

Very nice image all the same. 👍

Such simple but such brilliant advice I didnt know about, with a very very slight levels adjustment in GIMP and adjusting the white point, its brought out more detail, whilst still not revealing too much noise! I didnt want to stretch too much as to not overexpose the core. Cheers! Updated below

7 minutes ago, smashing said:

Nice, those dust lanes are coming through nicely!

How are you processing it? I think there is quite a bit in there (although my processing is poor compared to others)

Thank you! I start in startools, then as I'm not too good with the colors in startools, I do some RBG levels adjustment in GIMP, and also run their noise reduction to see if it improves it further

Edited August 14, 2021 by Grant93

[smashing]

3 minutes ago, Grant93 said:

Thank you! I start in startools, then as I'm not too good with the colors in startools, I do some RBG levels adjustment in GIMP, and also run their noise reduction to see if it improves it further

I am a sucker for a good Andromeda shot  and I really like how the dust lanes look in that 2-3 o'clock position near the core  blowing out the core is a pig which I struggled with all last year which is how I ended up learning about masks lol...this year I'm going to try the two shot blend approach (well if the skies clear anyway)

Edited August 14, 2021 by smashing

[AstroNebulee]

16 minutes ago, Grant93 said:

Such simple but such brilliant advice I didnt know about, with a very very slight levels adjustment in GIMP and adjusting the white point, its brought out more detail, whilst still not revealing too much noise! I didnt want to stretch too much as to not overexpose the core. Cheers! Updated below

Beautiful image you have there 😍, if you wanted to stretch the inage more without blowing the core out you can use layer masking not sure if gimp has layer masking as I don't use it but it's what I do in photoshop with bright core subjects eg M13 here 

[Tommohawk]

Looks very nice - maybe a bit short of colour? But safer than being over-processed!

[Grant93]

19 hours ago, AstroNebulee said:

Beautiful image you have there 😍, if you wanted to stretch the inage more without blowing the core out you can use layer masking not sure if gimp has layer masking as I don't use it but it's what I do in photoshop with bright core subjects eg M13 here

Yes it does! I use layer masks for stars but for some reason never thought of using it for the core, good idea

11 hours ago, Tommohawk said:

Looks very nice - maybe a bit short of colour? But safer than being over-processed!

My thoughts exactly, I was hoping for more color, and if you stretch it enough it does come out, but so does more noise

[MKHACHFE]

Stunning image mate. I personally think you can go a bit brighter in order to show more detail. Obviously it's down to personal taste.

Great work. Gorgeous.

Cheers

[Grant93]

12 hours ago, MKHACHFE said:

Stunning image mate. I personally think you can go a bit brighter in order to show more detail. Obviously it's down to personal taste.

Great work. Gorgeous.

Cheers

Thank you Gonna have another play with processing it on the weekend I think

[autonm]

There's a few slight variations on how to use the StarTools color module:
https://youtu.be/wnx_9v3vdeg