M81 and M82 (first image in a while)

[Aza]

Hi all

Here is a few hours worth of 10 minute subs, taken with a 400D and Skywatcher 8" Newt.

I am not very happy with this...I find it hard to keep the background looking nice, and I also have trouble with the colours. Processed on my laptop, which probably doesnt help!

[jgs001]

Very nice indeed.

[jonbarr87]

For first image in a while, thats beautiful. I love that I can see the dust clouds!

[Tim]

Aza, that's a great result. The colours look very well indeed.

To get that kind of result in the arms of M81, means you will have also picked up in the background traces of the 'flux'. This makes it very difficult to work on the background for this scene. But this pic looks just great.

Nice to see you posting pics again.

TJ

[Psychobilly]

Welcome back AZA and what a cracking image to mark your return

Billy...

[markcol]

Gorgeous shot Aza!

Mark

[brendant]

Cracking image Aza, nice processing and lovely feint detail visible. Well done.

Brendan

[trudie]

A lovely image, I'd be chuffed with half that good.

Trudie

[steppenwolf]

This is a lovely image, the colours look good to me. You've captured some nice reds in M81 so you should be very pleased with that.

[beamish]

Nice way to return. Well done !

[Aza]

Thanks for all the comments everyone

Was nice to get back out again, seems like an age ago I last took any images, the weather has just been terrible for it.

To get anything from the galaxies meant making a mess of the background, would more exposures allow me to get the detail without stretching the background so much?

Cheers

[Darth Takahashi]

WOW, and your not happy with it? I'd definately yes that it raises the bar to a very high standard for a DSLR... I'd love to have taken it...

Neil.

[Aza]

Thanks Neil

I am never really satisfied with my images, and I blame this forum!!

I see so many great pictures, that I wished mine were better.

[Beyond_Vision]

Nowt wrong with the background and both galaxies look superb plenty of detail and colour picked up. A great job Arran

Regards

Kevin

[MikeD]

A fantastic image, lovely colour and detail.

Mike.

[Aza]

Thanks guys.

I reckon the background looks blotchy, I think this is the smoothing of the noise. I am going to try to get some more data and see if it improves.

[JAO]

AZA, what a superb shot, you must be very pleased with this.

Adrian

[MartinB]

Well Aza, I'm looking at this on my work monitor which doesn't pick up dark levels very well so I can't see the noise you are talking about. The longer you go the dimmer the detail you pick up and the more you can stretch the image to show it. You will always come to the point where the real stuff merges in with the background noise.

TJ makes a good point though, some of the background "noise" in this area is actually real stuff! With your long exposures you might be picking some of this up.

The image looks fantastic here.

[CELESCOPE]

Looks lovely on my monitor here at Home Aza, do like those colours, excellent job Aza

Rog

[Taff]

Hi Aza'What a nice capture of them both nice and clear with you.Mark

[Aza]

Cheers guys.

I shall give it some more subs and see what happens, hopefully get some more improvement.

[Tim]

I think you might find the background gets 'worse', whereas in fact you are just getting extra data from the very faint integrated flux.

The way to tell, is to stretch your image way beyond what you should, smooth out all the background with "dust and scratches" tool, then increse the contrast a bit.

Then compare the light and dark areas to this image;

http://astrosurf.com/jordigallego/album/Files_dark_sky_SBIG/M81_M82_with_Integrated_Flux_Nebulae.jpg

You'll probably see a correlation between the detail in the flux and the background noise. It's a pig to try and bring out though.

Cheers

TJ

[Doc]

Looks really neat on my monitor as well.

Even picked out red stars in the spiral galaxy. Awesome

[Aza]

Cheers Doc

Thanks for that TJ! Just setting up now for some more subs and that image will come in handy for my next process

[Sam]

The wait was well worth it Aza! that's a marvelous image!!!