NGC 281, IC1590, Pacman Nebula, L(Ha)SHO narrow band composite, Foraxx Palette

[windjammer]

Hi
Here is NGC 281, the Pacman Nebula in L(Ha)SHO narrow band.  A light crop and annotated image. The image is rendered with the Foraxx Palette Utility script in PixInsight. Apart from a little cosmetic tweaking at the end, the product is all Foraxx.  Rig and processing details at the end.

Data taken in Astronomik narrowband filters: Ha (656nm), Sii (672nm) and Oiii (501nm). Total exposure time 16.3 hrs.

Ha 1x1 bin - 33x 600s = 5.5hrs, 19-20 August, scope West side, prime focus
Sii 1x1 bin - 32x 600s = 5.3hrs, 20-21 August, scope West side, prime focus
Oiii 1x1 bin - 33x 600s = 5.5 hrs, 21-22 and 22-23 August, scope West side, prime focus

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Plate solver:
Resolution ............... 1.248 arcsec/px
Focal distance ........... 750.63 mm
Pixel size ............... 4.54 um
Field of view ............ 56' 19.6" x 44' 34.7"
Image center ............. RA:  0 52 49.480  Dec: +56 37 45.92
Image bounds:
   top-left .............. RA:  0 49 35.794  Dec: +57 02 01.01
   top-right ............. RA:  0 56 28.155  Dec: +56 57 36.20
   bottom-left ........... RA:  0 49 14.640  Dec: +56 17 32.09
   bottom-right .......... RA:  0 55 59.035  Dec: +56 13 12.43

 

and annotated:

 

 

Simon

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Rig:
Imaging scope: SW Startravel 150mm F5 Refractor, Baader Diamond Track, (2.5x Celestron Luminos 2inch imaging barlow), Atik 460EX mono

Guide scope: SW Evostar 90mm F10, with guiding XY stage, ZWO 120MM camera

Guiding: 2 stage PHD: high frequency guide scope (mount tracking) and low frequency OAG image train guiding (guidescope flex)

Mount: Home made German Equatorial pillow block mount, permanently rooftop mounted.  Spring loaded DEC axis gearing.

Other gadgets: ST4 based anti vibration shutter, ST4 based PEC
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Processing Lights:
PixInsight: Lights, Darks, Flats, Biases: master dark/dark library-> masterbias-> superbias-> calibrated flats-> master flat-> calibrated lights-> cosmetic correction-> aligned lights-> master light-> BXT

PixInsight: Master lights-> crop-> linfit-> final master lights

PixInsight: final master lights->StarNet2 starless-> LRGB Channel Combination (Ha, SHO)-> export xisf starless master.

GradXpert Gradient removal:->import xisf-> GXPT(20pc,3sg)-> export xisf, fits 

Affinity Photo 32 bit image processing:-> import LSHO gxpt starless fits-> reject default stretch-> curves-> highlight reductions-> high pass masking x3-> paint (cosmetic star halos)-> Topaz Denoise(SN,19,0)-> Tpzdn(ST,15,1)-> export tiff 16 bit

PixInsight: import tiff16-> channel separation-> Foraxx Palette Utility Script-> export Foraxx tiff 16

Affinity Photo final tart ups:-> import Foraxx tiff 16-> levels-> Shadows/Highlights live filter-> paint (cosmetic star halos)-> sel colour-> Tpzdn(ST,7,1)-> import star mask, blend mode 'screen'.

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Processing Star Mask:
PixInsight: final master lights-> RGB Channel Combination (SHO)-> export xisf

GradXpert Gradient removal:->import xisf-> GXPT(20pc,3sg)-> export xisf

PixInsight: import SHO gxpt master-> StarNet2 star mask-> export fits starmask

Affinity Photo 32 bit image processing:-> import SHO gxpt starmask fits-> accept default stretch-> levels(G,B)-> vibrance-> brightness+contrast-> export tiff16 star mask

PixInsight: import tiff16 star mask -> channel separation-> Foraxx Palette Utility Script (star mask and background LSHO channels)-> StarNet2 star mask-> export Foraxx starmask tiff 16

Affinity Photo 32 bit image processing:-> import Foraxx starmask tiff16-> accept default stretch-> levels(B)-> vibrance-> Ha master light star mask overlay (blend mode 'luminosity')-> paste Star Mask layer on top of starless final (blend mode 'screen').
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[MartinB]

This is an excellent Pacman, nicely detailed without looking over sharpened.  I like the pastel colours