Witch Head Nebula

[tooth_dr]

I took a bit of break from processing (I dont enjoy it) and concentrated on just capturing data, so I have fortunately collected a decent amount of exposures over the past three months.

I started on the data last night and went straight to IC2118 - it's one I've wanted to image since I first saw it on the forum.  In total I have 3 hours of luminance data and 3 hours of OSC.   100% not happy with it, but until I establish a proper routine for processing, I'm going to continue to have to poke around in the dark.  (I think it is a fairly faint one and I can only just get about an hour or so per night before the bottom of my dome opening gets in the way).

 

Anyway thanks for looking!  I've rotated the image in the orientation that best matches it name.

CS

Adam

 

[paul mc c]

Brilliant.. as always. 

[juno16]

That is a beautiful image. Nicely done!

[assouptro]

That's just freaking awesome!

I too prefer data acquisition to processing so I know where you are coming from but I wish I had your processing skills!

I have wanted to capture this myself ever since I became aware of its existence but I just haven't been successful as its so feint and I probably don't have the right camera  

What equipment did you use?

What were your integration times?

Also, one last one, (sorry for all the questions) What is your night sky like on the Bortle scale?

Thanks for sharing, once again, I love it!

Bryan

[simmo39]

V nice!

[tomato]

Great result on what I believe is quite a short integration time for this target.

It’s heartening to know I’m not the only imager who prefers data acquisition to processing.

[clarkpm4242]

Love the deft touch on the processing!

Paul

[teoria_del_big_bang]

Really nice image Adam, I love the dark stuff with the blue.

Forgive me being a bit naive but not familiar with OSC so when you say 3 hours luminance and 3 hours OSC does that mean you took the luminance with a mono camera or used the OSC and made a sort of artificial luminance by creating a mono image from the OSC images ?

And, you say you may not like the processing but you certainly can do it well when needs must that is beautifully processed 🙂 

Steve

Edited April 5, 2022 by teoria_del_big_bang

[Same old newbie alert]

Awesome target and you processed it equally as awesome... Is this with the frac?

[ollypenrice]

Heh heh, I'm indifferent to the business of capture but love the processing!

I very much like your processing of the nebulosity, which is boldly visible but still fluffy and - well - nebulous. It's easy to end up with it looking rather solid. I'm less keen on the stars, which seem admirably tiny but somehow a bit 'spikey,' somewhat sharp and hard.

There's a band of Ha crossing the Witch. Well worth having that, in my view, if you're feeling inspired.

Olly

[gorann]

That is an outstanding rendention of this nebula Adam! Nice soft and fluffy. I like everything about it.

Edited April 6, 2022 by gorann

[tooth_dr]

On 04/04/2022 at 23:32, paul mc c said:

Brilliant.. as always. 

Thanks Paul, much appreciated.

On 04/04/2022 at 23:40, juno16 said:

That is a beautiful image. Nicely done!

Thank you very much!

On 05/04/2022 at 01:34, assouptro said:

That's just freaking awesome!

I too prefer data acquisition to processing so I know where you are coming from but I wish I had your processing skills!

I have wanted to capture this myself ever since I became aware of its existence but I just haven't been successful as its so feint and I probably don't have the right camera  

What equipment did you use?

What were your integration times?

Also, one last one, (sorry for all the questions) What is your night sky like on the Bortle scale?

Thanks for sharing, once again, I love it!

Bryan

Thank you Bryan 👍

I used the following equipment:

APM LZOS 105/650 refractor with a 0.75 M63 Riccardi reducer and QHY 268M with Baader UV-IR filter

APM LZOS 105.650 refractor with a 0.75 M63 Riccardi reducer and ZWO 2600MC with IDAS HEUIB-II filter

Mesu e200 mount, guided with OAG with 290MM

On 05/04/2022 at 06:01, simmo39 said:

V nice!

Thank you kindly!

[tooth_dr]

On 05/04/2022 at 08:29, tomato said:

Great result on what I believe is quite a short integration time for this target.

It’s heartening to know I’m not the only imager who prefers data acquisition to processing.

Thanks Steve, I think just with the ever changing programs like Starnett and so on, I just feel like I'm getting the hang then everything has moved on!

On 05/04/2022 at 09:05, clarkpm4242 said:

Love the deft touch on the processing!

Paul

Thank you Paul for taking time to reply! 

On 05/04/2022 at 09:05, teoria_del_big_bang said:

Really nice image Adam, I love the dark stuff with the blue.

Forgive me being a bit naive but not familiar with OSC so when you say 3 hours luminance and 3 hours OSC does that mean you took the luminance with a mono camera or used the OSC and made a sort of artificial luminance by creating a mono image from the OSC images ?

And, you say you may not like the processing but you certainly can do it well when needs must that is beautifully processed 🙂 

Steve

Hi Steve, many thanks.  Yes I just took 3 hours luminance with a mono camera, and at the same time, 3 hours with a colour 'OSC' camera, on a dual rig.  I use the OSC as an alternative to taking R G B data though separate filters, because the current crop of OSC cameras are very good indeed.

[tooth_dr]

On 06/04/2022 at 05:14, Same old newbie alert said:

Awesome target and you processed it equally as awesome... Is this with the frac?

Thank you!  Yes it is taken through a dual rig of APM 105/650 LZOS refractors.

17 hours ago, ollypenrice said:

Heh heh, I'm indifferent to the business of capture but love the processing!

I very much like your processing of the nebulosity, which is boldly visible but still fluffy and - well - nebulous. It's easy to end up with it looking rather solid. I'm less keen on the stars, which seem admirably tiny but somehow a bit 'spikey,' somewhat sharp and hard.

There's a band of Ha crossing the Witch. Well worth having that, in my view, if you're feeling inspired.

Olly

Thank you Olly, appreciate the feedback.  The stars were removed using the new PS plugin StarXterminator, and rather clumsily put back in, this is something I would definitely like to develop.  I think next year I would like to add Ha, so thanks for the tip.

16 hours ago, gorann said:

That is an outstanding rendention of this nebula Adam! Nice soft and fluffy. I like everything about it.

Thanks very much, really nice to get this feedback.

[MarsG76]

"Not 100% happy with it"??? That image is great... nice data and very nicely processed...  

[juno16]

Your image is really quite nice!

I would be proud of that capture (and processing).

I am never 100% satisfied with my images. I think that it is just part of this hobby.

[tooth_dr]

Thanks for the likes and replies.  Here is an annotated version too.  NGC1752 some 150 million light years away!

[carastro]

Lovely result Adam.  This one is on my bucket list.  But need dark skies when it is up and never seem to be able to get to astro camp at the right time.    Normally because the weather is not good enough to camp.  
 

I love the processing part, but then l am a bit of a dinosaur and don’t attempt to use newer software, just keep trying to improve on Photoshop.   
 

Looking forward to seeing this progress. 
 

Carole

Edited April 30, 2022 by carastro

[Sp@ce_d]

Nice result 👍. I’ve never been able to get to this one from my obsy as it’s too low. I also get more out of the thrill of the chase than trying to “cook the meal” after. Processing frustrates me because I don’t seem to be that good at it & invariably overcook! I remember seeing Ollys Witch Head years ago & since then wanting to have a go. His comment about Ha intrigued me & I see that IDAS HEUIB-II has a notch in the graph to enhance Ha as well. Although I guess the exposure time needed to pull it out would blow the rest with a OSC. You can see where I’m going here trying to fathom out out what kind of mobile rig is needed if travelling to a dark site to get all the data in one session. Still needs a dual mono/OSC rig I guess or maybe a OSC with filter wheel & a dual band? I’ve never tried processing OSC broad & dual band together.