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NGC 7635 The Bubble Nebula my close up season continues


assouptro

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Hi Starfolk!

I Can't look at this any longer!

I've been working on this since July, part of my "close up" season. I've been gathering data when possible with a Meade Lx200 OTA, not the ideal imaging scope but when paired with the Starizona LF field flattener/ focal reducer seems to give pleasing results. 

This image has around 40hours of data, a mixture of ha sii Oii with some rgb thrown in for some star colour 

I seem to have a habit of pushing my data too far, I really need to find a new work flow but I've spent far too much time staring at this image and have to put it to bed for now until I learn new skills!

The image was taken with my trusty Atik460 with astrodon filters amazingly handled by my AZEq6 mount that astounds me that it can handle this weight and guide sometimes as low as 0.4!

I have a new (to me anyway) camera, a QHY 268m which I have yet to use, mainly due to my lack of 2" filters to fit the QHY filter wheel and the fear of new software and processing considerably larger files however I am looking forward to the challenge!

I am including an image I produced a month ago which I was pleased with but realised I had gone overboard with the processing 

Anyway, here is the data 

 

bubble_22_hso_1st_Oct.thumb.jpg.8e39e014950e49f98627251a3f1d1976.jpg

 

Here is the previous version 

531670231_Bubble22shosofarv8.thumb.jpg.02515c10c6e685c7f91ec5b893ffda76.jpg

 

Thanks for looking!

Bryan

 

Edited by assouptro
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Wow!  😲  They're both wonderful images Bryan, but I actually prefer the second one for the extra wow factor. I don't think it looks overprocessed, as it shows much more detail, still looks 'natural', and gives the bubble a 3D effect. Extra credit for using the LX200 to good effect. 😊

Alan

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I would agree with the previous posts, there is more detail in the second image, but to my eye it’s not overdone. There are no artefacts around the stars when you zoom in which is what normally happens if you go too far. And yes, it is nice to see a Meade scope being used in DSO imaging.👍

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Beautiful images.  I too prefer the second (previous) image.  It looks very skilfully processed to me and not at all ‘overboard’.  I have just started with the QHY268M.  You will love it!

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Lovely images and the second one is clearly more striking with regard to details. However, you indicate yourself that you may have pushed the data a bit too far in the second image. Comparing the two makes me wonder if you for the second image used any AI procedure like Topaz that may create details that are really not in the data (typically hairlike structures in dust). I once processed Liverpool Telescope data of the Bubble (https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap180205.html?fbclid=IwAR1FQ7Zy_xk0fX8ei6rkiD3Z1MztKhLHYVA1iBfJXCcG-n3RX_GTRWMkxAo) and you seem to have details in the second image that not even this 2-meter RC telescope on a mountain top picked up. However, I may of course not have done total justice to the Liverpool Telescope data and your 0.4" guiding suggest that you had very good seeing.

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2 hours ago, gorann said:

Lovely images and the second one is clearly more striking with regard to details. However, you indicate yourself that you may have pushed the data a bit too far in the second image. Comparing the two makes me wonder if you for the second image used any AI procedure like Topaz that may create details that are really not in the data (typically hairlike structures in dust). I once processed Liverpool Telescope data of the Bubble (https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap180205.html?fbclid=IwAR1FQ7Zy_xk0fX8ei6rkiD3Z1MztKhLHYVA1iBfJXCcG-n3RX_GTRWMkxAo) and you seem to have details in the second image that not even this 2-meter RC telescope on a mountain top picked up. However, I may of course not have done total justice to the Liverpool Telescope data and your 0.4" guiding suggest that you had very good seeing.

Thanks Gorann 

Great Apod! Have you had any more?

There was a bit of topaz denoise, but I didn’t go higher than 1 on the scale 

Most of the “sharpening” was in photoshop using soft light with high pass filter then deduce the opacity down below 30% then repeat if necessary, this is done on individual stacks on starless stacks 

The seeing was exceptional on a couple of nights, and I was brutal with my sub selection rejecting anything with the slightest star bloat or movement 

Thanks again 

Bryan 

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3 hours ago, AMcD said:

Beautiful images.  I too prefer the second (previous) image.  It looks very skilfully processed to me and not at all ‘overboard’.  I have just started with the QHY268M.  You will love it!

Thanks AMcD

I’m not sure about skill, and I would probably struggle to reproduce the same workflow! I was lucky with the weather and brutal with the frame selection not to mention 40hrs of data! 
I am looking forward to getting up and running with the 268 but I cannot afford the astrodon or Chroma filters 

What filters do you use? 
 

Thanks 

Bryan 

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4 hours ago, teoria_del_big_bang said:

I can only agree with comments above, firstly that they are both absolutely fantastic images, definitely some of the best Bubble images I have seen with such detail 🙂  and secondly I also prefer the 2nd image, but not much in it tbh.

Steve

Thanks Steve 

I appreciate your comments 

Bryan

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4 hours ago, tomato said:

I would agree with the previous posts, there is more detail in the second image, but to my eye it’s not overdone. There are no artefacts around the stars when you zoom in which is what normally happens if you go too far. And yes, it is nice to see a Meade scope being used in DSO imaging.👍

Thanks Tomato 

I appreciate the input and the kind words 

I love my lx200 and the Starizona flattener/ reducer has given it a new lease of life! 
 

Thanks again 

Bryan 

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6 hours ago, The Admiral said:

I agree, the Bubble looks so 3D in the second one, perhaps there's a bit more local contrast, I don't know.

Ian

Thanks Ian 

I had to mask in the bubble from a previous part of the process as it has lost some of the details as I had pushed the outer gas

I think this re-introduced data gave it that 3d look? 

anyway, Thanks for taking the time to comment 

Bryan 

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10 hours ago, symmetal said:

Wow!  😲  They're both wonderful images Bryan, but I actually prefer the second one for the extra wow factor. I don't think it looks overprocessed, as it shows much more detail, still looks 'natural', and gives the bubble a 3D effect. Extra credit for using the LX200 to good effect. 😊

Alan

Thanks Alan 

I appreciate your kind words 

I was hoping to create something in between the two images keeping that 3d look but less “sharp” but I guess the second image (my first attempt) will remain the better image until I gather the energy and impetus to start again!! 
And thanks for the extra credit! 
I still really enjoy using the Meade scope! 😊

Thanks again
Bryan 

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I prefer the top one, more image like than picture like of the second... Topaz is a really powerful tool and easily overdone

Regarding the 2 inch filters have you looked at Antlia,not in the same price bracket as chroma etc but have decent feedback, Flo are now selling them.. you may not need 2 inch as you will have some vignette due to the image circle, especially using reducers.. you may be able to get away with 36mm... Have a little research

 

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The detail is incredible, can only dream of getting a decent long focal length image like this one day!  For me the top one is a little soft and the bottom one a little hard, but if I was going by my own preference, top one for me.

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37 minutes ago, newbie alert said:

I prefer the top one, more image like than picture like of the second... Topaz is a really powerful tool and easily overdone

Regarding the 2 inch filters have you looked at Antlia,not in the same price bracket as chroma etc but have decent feedback, Flo are now selling them.. you may not need 2 inch as you will have some vignette due to the image circle, especially using reducers.. you may be able to get away with 36mm... Have a little research

 

Thanks Newbie I know what you mean, the second image started to resemble a painting to my eyes and I was trying to produce an image so I started again 

I have looked at Antlia filters and specifically the 4.5nm HD filters as they seem reasonably priced and claim to work down to 3 or 2.8 (which is my fastest scope) 

Thanks again 

Bryan

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37 minutes ago, gorann said:

What I sometimes do when I cannot decide on a version is to make a 50-50 mix of them.

I thought about this and was going to do it but last night I couldn't get them to align as they came from different stacks in APP and I was too tired to think but in the fresh light of day I realised I could just use star align in PIX!!

293160351_bubble_22_hso_1st_Octmix.thumb.jpg.e55ce692afd58104be55da0af190c8c2.jpg

Something like this?

Thanks Gorann

Bryan

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