The Pleiades - Old data new edit

[emyliano2000]

Since I started my astrophotography journey, I upgraded my equipment quite a few times but the small TS65 quadruplet apo refractor has been a favourite telescope which always amazed me so it always survived the upgrades.

3 years ago, in January 2020, I put together all the data I had on M45, The Pleiades to see what I get out of it. The data was captured using the same TS65Q telescope but 3 different cameras that I had during that period, a modified DSLR, Canon 700D, a QHY10 OSC CCD camera and a ZWO ASI294MC pro CMOS camera.

Together with the equipment upgrades, I would like to think that I am also upgrading my knowledge and processing skills and a few days ago I went back over the data to see if I can bring any improvements. The famous BlurX, StarX and NoiseX have been used in the process.

In my opinion I did bring an improvement, especially on the stars, what do you think?

First photo is the new edit and the second is the one edited in 2020.

Technical details on astrobin:https://www.astrobin.com/gakuj5/E/

Emil

 

Edited January 8, 2023 by emyliano2000

[Rodd]

Yes indeed--a significant improvement of an already decent image.  The stars look excellent--no halos at all.  How is your sky?

[emyliano2000]

Just now, Rodd said:

Yes indeed--a significant improvement of an already decent image.  The stars look excellent--no halos at all.  How is your sky?

Thank you Rodd. I was living in Bushey Hertfordshire when I shot, bortle 6-7.

Emil

[Rodd]

How can you do this with a Osc in high Bortle. How many hours?  I use a tak scope with a mono camera in Bortle 6 and can’t touch this result. There are aspects of this endeavor that I just don’t understand. 

[emyliano2000]

7 minutes ago, Rodd said:

How can you do this with a Osc in high Bortle. How many hours?  I use a tak scope with a mono camera in Bortle 6 and can’t touch this result. There are aspects of this endeavor that I just don’t understand. 

It 21 hours over the course of 2 years but I shot all sort of exposures including 300 and 600sec.

You can see the details on astrobin. 

Emil

[emyliano2000]

Here's a screenshot of the data if you don't believe me

[Graham Darke]

Emil, I know exactly what you mean about that TS65Q. I did regret selling it afterwards. So much so in fact that I bought another....well the TS71Q anyway! These Russell Croman exterminator plug-ins are amazing. Lovely image of M45 by the way. 

[CCD Imager]

Excellent image, the amount of data collected has certainly paid off and shows what can be done from polluted skies. I agree there is much to be gained from reprocessing old data with new software tools, the only problem is I have 30 years worth of data!

Adrian

[ollypenrice]

The improvement is obvious and the result lovely. I guess you and I are both re-processing using StarX, in particular. There's a strong parallel between how my M45 changed with the new methods and the way yours did. Smaller stars, harder stretch of the faint stuff, etc. This is all really great fun.

Nice one, anyway.

Olly

[CCD Imager]

Hi Olly

Russ Croman has really changed the landscape for astro editing over the last year. Its Star, Noise and recently Blur Xterminators.

Wish I had these 20 years ago

Adrian

[ollypenrice]

7 hours ago, CCD Imager said:

Hi Olly

Russ Croman has really changed the landscape for astro editing over the last year. Its Star, Noise and recently Blur Xterminators.

Wish I had these 20 years ago

Adrian

I totally agree, Adrian. The great thing about StarX, though, is that it can work wonders with processed images. Of the three Russ Croman packages it is, I think, the most important so we're lucky that we don't need access to original linear data to exploit it. Sometimes I have these data, sometimes I don't. I suspect others are in the same boat.

Olly

[emyliano2000]

1 minute ago, ollypenrice said:

I totally agree, Adrian. The great thing about StarX, though, is that it can work wonders with processed images. Of the three Russ Croman packages it is, I think, the most important so we're lucky that we don't need access to original linear data to exploit it. Sometimes I have these data, sometimes I don't. I suspect others are in the same boat.

Olly

In my case, I was lucky to have the stack in linear state, I tried it on the finished image and because of those huge halos, it looked horrible. 

I usualy move the stacks, masters and finished image into the folder where I have all the data for that particular target. 

Emil

[CCD Imager]

49 minutes ago, ollypenrice said:

I totally agree, Adrian. The great thing about StarX, though, is that it can work wonders with processed images. Of the three Russ Croman packages it is, I think, the most important so we're lucky that we don't need access to original linear data to exploit it. Sometimes I have these data, sometimes I don't. I suspect others are in the same boat.

Olly

Olly, I have every single raw image from 1992  The good old days with an ST4, lol

Ive just started reprocessing the horsehead data I took with you , now 6 years ago! The difference is marked

Adrian

[tomato]

Here is another take on M45 old and new processing, just 90 mins of data from the RASA8/QHY268c/IRUV cut filter, the first one processed pre the RC suite of Xterminator tools and my effort after using them this morning, working on the original linear stack.

[Mr Spock]

On 08/01/2023 at 21:56, emyliano2000 said:

 

Absolutely love this edit. It's perfect 👍

[Magnum]

They are both really nice and I myself have always strived to get tiny stars on most images, but with the exception of open clusters which kind of need to keep the main stars big and bright to keep their impact, I think I prefer the stars in the original version when viewed small but when zooming in then the halos spoil it a bit,  both the Seven Sisters and the brighter orange stars  seem rather dim in the new version so for me some  combination of the 2 would be ideal.

Cheers

Lee

[emyliano2000]

58 minutes ago, Mr Spock said:

Absolutely love this edit. It's perfect 👍

Thank you very much, I love it too, made it my desktop and phone wallpaper and I think I will make a large print out of it. I'm so glad I went back to it and re-edited it 😊

Emil

[emyliano2000]

28 minutes ago, Magnum said:

some  combination of the 2 would be ideal.

Thank you Lee. I do have a version with more stars and no halos too but I prefer this version because it make the nebulosity muck more visible 😊

Emil