NGC 3718

[Rodd]

Back in action!  What a pain.  The new ZWO ASCOM driver just would not work with the new ascom platform and my older ASI 1600.  I decided to tri the ASI studios deep space acquisition platform and found it to be just about the same as Maxim or SGL, and Nina.   Still getting familiar with it, but so far no major complaints.  

Certainly not a finished image--but its the first data I have collected in almost 2 months--so I decided to post.  151 120 sec red subs using C11Edge, 0.7x reducer and ASI 1600 mm cool pro.  the median FWHM for the image is 2.2".  I used all subs as I need the signal--but over 50% of the subs had a FWHM value less than 2".  This data has been binned 2x2.  Very little processing as its only a red stack.  Mostly curves and histogram stretches to try and bring down the background without losing the faint extensions of NGC 3718.   My sky is poor, so to achieve a better result, I will need allot more data.  This is 5 hours--the RGB final image will have about 25 hours if I duplicate the green and blue stack and double the Lum stack.    Not sure if its worth going for Ha for these galaxies.  Bin 3 may be better--but so far it has not proven so....no doubt due to my inability to process it appropriately

Still working out the kinks--but an encouraging step.

 

 

 

 

Edited March 5, 2022 by Rodd

[simmo39]

Glad to see you back in action.

[Rodd]

Just now, simmo39 said:

Glad to see you back in action.

Thanks. I was getting desperate

[Rodd]

Here is a bin 3 version

[alan potts]

Nice detailed image Rodd, good to see your back.

Alan

[Rodd]

1 hour ago, alan potts said:

Nice detailed image Rodd, good to see your back.

Alan

Thanks Alan.  It was a brain teaser that’s for sure. What’s funny is I haven’t heard of anybody else with the same problem. 

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Lovely images of an intriguing set of galaxies. I had a go at these targets with the 6" Schmidt-Newton last year. Should try to get more data on them this year

[Rodd]

3 hours ago, michael.h.f.wilkinson said:

Lovely images of an intriguing set of galaxies. I had a go at these targets with the 6" Schmidt-Newton last year. Should try to get more data on them this year

Thanks Mike--something tells me I will need way too many hours of data to achieve the result I want.  Can you imagine imaging from a truly dark site?  My skyis for the most part gray--except on the best nights of the year (which are few and far between).  Its really hard to get the faint extensions.  I need to by 100 square feet of land in some remote area at 12,000 feet.  They should have a real estate category for astro imaging lots--100 square feet!

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

6 hours ago, Rodd said:

Thanks Mike--something tells me I will need way too many hours of data to achieve the result I want.  Can you imagine imaging from a truly dark site?  My skyis for the most part gray--except on the best nights of the year (which are few and far between).  Its really hard to get the faint extensions.  I need to by 100 square feet of land in some remote area at 12,000 feet.  They should have a real estate category for astro imaging lots--100 square feet!

You need a lot of data. My skies aren't that good: Bortle 5-6 I would say. I do hope to set up at some dark site at some time

[Rodd]

2 hours ago, michael.h.f.wilkinson said:

You need a lot of data. My skies aren't that good: Bortle 5-6 I would say. I do hope to set up at some dark site at some time

I am thinking of finding a cabin or something to rent for a week in Bortle 2.