M45 - The Pleiades (11/11/2023)

[rob_r]

My first processed deep sky image for this season. Imaging was done last weekend 11th Nov 2023, on a bitterly cold night. Seeing was decent with some high thin cloud.
Taken just outside Preston, Lancs.

• 100x 25s lights
• 20x darks
• 20x bias

Processed in Siril on Mac OS. AutoStretch and Green Noise Removal.
Further processing in Photoshop, levels, hue/saturation, curve adjustments, and Camera Raw filter.
Equipment used SW Evostar 72ED, StellaMira 2" Adjustable Field Flattener & Canon 600D (unmodded). Thanks for the advice offered in this thread regarding focus and field curvature, everything in the imaging train was screwed together for this run.

Pleased with this despite the exposure short time and a definite improvement for me. Thanks for looking and any feedback is welcome.

Thanks!

Edited November 17, 2023 by rob_r

[powerlord]

Hi rob. good effort. It doesn't mention flat ? Those would have helped eliminate the background gradient I think. As is, if you havn't had a go with siril back ground extraction I\d try that - there might be a bit more detail of the dust around the sisters visible.

Also, for rgb it's worth getting Siril to plate solve, and then doing a photometric colour calibration.

Siril can also do start removal now if you install starnet++. And here it would really help you put out background detail without peaking out the stars.

cheers

stu

[knobby]

Nice effort, in leue of flats you could try Graxpert, free application.

[rob_r]

Thanks @powerlord and @knobby. I will certainly look into those functions in Siril. No flats as yet, I need to figure out a good method for getting those so will read up on here further. Thanks!

[AstroNebulee]

Brilliant image, for your first this season it's really well done. Looking forward to seeing wgat you can achieve from the tips on the processing. 

 

Lee 

[LaurenceT]

Very nice image of my favourite object in the night sky.

[powerlord]

6 hours ago, rob_r said:

Thanks @powerlord and @knobby. I will certainly look into those functions in Siril. No flats as yet, I need to figure out a good method for getting those so will read up on here further. Thanks!

no need to overthink it - all I do it stick a white sheet over the end in the morning and take em. job done. just set exposure to get in the middle of the histogram. use same iso, focus position, aperture as during the night - just chance the exposure.

[AstroNebulee]

2 hours ago, powerlord said:

no need to overthink it - all I do it stick a white sheet over the end in the morning and take em. job done. just set exposure to get in the middle of the histogram. use same iso, focus position, aperture as during the night - just chance the exposure.

Good point 👍, one thing if you move your mount after taking your flats you may move any dust particles or foreign objects that won't match up to your lights or your focus position could get knocked a touch. I know it's a slim chance but I don't risk it after collecting all that data. You can just put a t-shirt over the end of your scope and get the histogram correct. 

I think with my old dslr set up I stretched a t-shirt over the end with elastic bands, shone a white phone screen through and set the dslr to AV mode and keeping all the settings the same and fired off my flats. I may be incorrect but it's what worked for me at the time and of course there are many ways to take flat frames. 

I know use an asiair pro and astro camera so changed procedures now. I use a homemade light box from light pad and sheets of paper at the end of each session now. 

Lee 

Edited November 18, 2023 by AstroNebulee

[powerlord]

I used to use led panels, but frankly I just don't think they add anything other than extra hassle.

what I did do is make an easy to use 'flat flap'® -