Horsehead and Flame Nebula in HaRGB

[R1k]

Equipment:

- Skywatcher EQ6-R pro

- AKSAR FRA400 with 0.7x reducer (f3.9)

- ZWO 32mm f4 guidescope + ASI 120MM-mini

- ZWO ASI 294MM pro

- ZWO EAF

- Optolong 36mm RGB filters, Optolong 3nm 36mm Ha filter

- Pegasus Powerbox advance

 

Acquisition:

- Lights, Ha 23 x 300s, RGB 20 x 180s, total integration 225 minutes

- Darks: 30

- Flats: 20 per filter

- Darkflats: 20 per filter

 

Processing:

-        Stack and calibrate al subframes in APP

-        Light pollution removal and batch crop on Ha, R, G and B stacks

-        Combine as HaRGB, star colour calibrate

-        Save stretched version of Ha alone and HaRGB as 16bit TIFFs

-        HaRGB file in PS – noise xterminator, starxterminator, create star mask, saturation, vibrance, light stretch

-        Ha file in PS – noise Xterminator, starXterminator, curves, ACR, contrast

-        Use processed Ha file as luminance on starless HaRGB file at 25% opacity

-        Further sharpening and adjustments using Topaz AI and a series of masked high pass filters

-        On Star only layer, minimisation using highlights selection and minimum filter

-        Add stars back into main image using blend mode “linear dodge, add”

-        Crop to taste

 

hi res: https://www.astrobin.com/2rhh8c/

[Neil_104]

Wow - we see numerous pics of this area of sky (in fact, I'm working on one myself 😀) but you've really captured a great depth of field in this image!

[Robculm]

Very nice and particularly interesting / unusual to see this target in 'portrait' rather than landscape 👍