Soul Nebula experiment: SHO with OSC, Bortle 8

[Lee_P]

This image was an experiment in mixing filters with my 2600MC OSC camera. I used an Optolong L-Ultimate (3nm) for Ha and OIII, and an Askar Colour Magic D2 (6nm) for SII and OIII. I think it turned out well! 

This is also my first attempt at including RGB stars in a narrowband image. Thanks to @powerlord for encouraging me to give it a go. I've got the gist, but any tips for improved star colour gratefully received.

Anyway, more info about this image can be found on my website here, and imaging details are below. Thanks for looking

 

 

 

* January 2023
* Bristol, UK (Bortle 8 )
* Telescope: Askar 130PHQ Flatfield Astrograph
* Camera: ZWO ASI 2600MC-PRO
* Mount: Sky-Watcher EQ6-R PRO
* Guide: William Optics 50mm Guidescope with 1.25″ RotoLock; ZWO ASI 120MM Mini
* Control: ASIAIR Plus
* Software: PixInsight, Lightroom
* Filters:
– Optolong L-Ultimate (Ha / OIII): 300 x 120 seconds (10 hours)
– Askar Colour Magic D2 (SII / OIII) : 420 x 120 seconds (14 hours)
– No filter (for RGB stars): 90 x 120 seconds (3 hours)

Total integration time: 27 hours

By Lee Pullen

[Gary Clayton]

Very nice, this is something that I will have to look into doing myself.

[Paul Holdsworth]

Very nice indeed ! Love the  colour palette with the OIII 👍

[powerlord]

good job Lee. It's a personal taste thing I suppose, but I find when I'm adding the rgb stars back in, they need a good boost on saturation - in affinity photo I usually max out the saturation with one live adjustment, then add another and push it a bit higher still. Then I use one of @James Ritson s macros to remove the colour halos a bit - and I get much more colourful stars.

It's the same process I use, whether I'm adding em back in to an RGB WB pic or a NB one - so have a look at my M45 I posted yesterday and see what you think.

I've been working away this week on similar ideas - gathering data on quite a few different targets with L-ultimate, D2 and RGB. It's interesting how the D2 subs look - usually you can't see the oiii as the ha masks it into a white, but with the D2 the subs look quite stunning in themselves don't they - with the red and the cyan blues.

[Lee_P]

@powerlord Yep OK, next time I'll try boosting the saturation even more. 

I'm enjoying the D2 filter. My current thoughts are to use L-Ultimate + D2 for targets that have a decent amount of SII, but just L-Ultimate if the SII is lacking.

[carastro]

A very nice result, and like powerlord I do an increase in saturation for the stars.

Carole 

[MarcuSmythe]

That is lovely.

[powerlord]

11 hours ago, Lee_P said:

@powerlord Yep OK, next time I'll try boosting the saturation even more. 

I'm enjoying the D2 filter. My current thoughts are to use L-Ultimate + D2 for targets that have a decent amount of SII, but just L-Ultimate if the SII is lacking.

yeh - my thoughts too.