Iris Nebula NGC7023 and Gyulbudaghian's Nebula LBN468

[carastro]

I went with a small group of Astrophotographers to the Cotswolds last week Bortle 4, so nice after my horrible home location of Bortle 8.  This is the first of 2 images I managed to acquire on the 2 clear nights we had.

Been wanting an opportunity to get this combination of targets for some time, but given my lack of dark sky opportunities, I didn't dare risk starting a Mosaic, so I used my Samyang lens.  

Atik460EX and Samyang 135mm @ f2.8

Lum 23 x 600 (3hours 50mins)
RGB 14 x 150secs binned each filter (35m each) total 1 hour 45 mins
Total imaging time 5 hours 35mins

Stupidly forgot to cool the camera, so the whole lot was done uncooled (gun to head).

[alan potts]

Uncooled camera, yes done that too, lovely image.

Alan

[carastro]

Thanks Alan

Carole 

[newbie alert]

Beautiful dust Carole..superb

[Allinthehead]

That looks great, some lovely detail from the 135. Pity about the cooling but it really doesn't show.

[Xiga]

That's wonderful Carole, really nicely processed. Amazing what a difference even a Bortle 4 sky can make. The Samyang 135 F2 is a great lens, and one I'd like to get myself at some point in the future.

Ps - one small piece of feedback, if I may. The image could benefit from a bit more contrast. A quick blast of Dehaze in PS might do the trick, or even just a small curves adjustment, but either way it's still amazing. 

[carastro]

Thanks everyone. 

Thanks Xiga, means a lot.

Quote

A quick blast of Dehaze in PS 

Not heard of this, and I use PS all the time, but maybe it's in the later versions of PS,  I use CS3.  

Carole 

[JeremyS]

Nice job Carole @carastro 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[carastro]

Thanks Jeremy

[Xiga]

13 minutes ago, carastro said:

Thanks everyone. 

Thanks Xiga, means a lot.

Not heard of this, and I use PS all the time, but maybe it's in the later versions of PS,  I use CS3.  

Carole 

It's a slider in Camera Raw under the Filters menu. I'm on PS CC 2014 so it's possible it's not on the earlier versions. 

[carastro]

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It's a slider in Camera Raw under the Filters menu. I'm on PS CC 2014 so it's possible it's not on the earlier versions. 

It sounds like I don't have it, I don't even have Camera Raw.  

[Padraic M]

Well done Carole, that's amazing!

[carastro]

Thanks Padraic

[fwm891]

Superb imaging Carole. Sami looks a nice lens combined with the 460😀

[carastro]

Thanks Francis.

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Sami looks a nice lens combined with the 460

I have had a ball with it in the last 18 months great lens.

Carole 

Edited September 18, 2021 by carastro

[tomato]

You have made full use of the dark sky, and the lack of cooling hasn’t stopped you producing a wonderful image.

I am trying for first light on my Samyang 135, coupled to a good old KAF 8300 sensor.

[carastro]

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I am trying for first light on my Samyang 135, coupled to a good old KAF 8300 sensor.

Wow that will be a big FOV

[Astroscot2]

Who needs cooling 😉 Great image, so much going on in that area of sky. 

[Magnum]

well done Carol, tried this last week with my Samyang @ f2.4 + my ASI533mc from my garden bottle 5/6 but could only get just the iris, even in massive stretch I could barely see a hint of the strongest dark neb on the right. I think I will have to try again with my mono 460 or 383, though I was really hoping the OSC would work on this as ive seen may people getting a good image using OSC, maybe they have darker skies than me. I do fine with narrowband or goalies just never really get anywhere with dark nebulas / IFN.

 

Lee

 

[carastro]

Quote

well done Carol, tried this last week with my Samyang @ f2.4 + my ASI533mc from my garden bottle 5/6 but could only get just the iris, even in massive stretch I could barely see a hint of the strongest dark neb on the right. I think I will have to try again with my mono 460 or 383, though I was really hoping the OSC would work on this as ive seen may people getting a good image using OSC, maybe they have darker skies than me. I do fine with narrowband or goalies just never really get anywhere with dark nebulas / IFN.

I  haven't used OSC for donkeys years, I imagine you would struggle.  My combo was Samyang/460 which is what you have.

Carole 

[ollypenrice]

That's nice, Carole, and not badly damaged by the cooling issue. We've all done that. Ten days ago in my case!

Olly

[carastro]

Quote

That's nice, Carole, and not badly damaged by the cooling issue. We've all done that. Ten days ago in my case!

Olly

Thanks Olly, and it's reassuring to know that I am not alone in my idiocy.  

However considering I thought this was going to be a write off because of being uncooled, I was totally gobmacked to receive the following message from Astrobin this evening:

Congratulations! Your image was voted Top Pick: Iris Nebula NGC7023 and Gyulbudaghian's Nebula LBN468

Carole 

[morimarty]

Well done Carole and congratulations on being voted top pick.  An absolutely fantastic image and what a great camera & lens combination.

[Padraic M]

Well done! But it is an amazing image.

Edited September 20, 2021 by Padraic M

[carastro]

Thanks Morimarty and Padraic.

Carole