SGL 2024 Challenge 1 - Narrowband

[Stuart1971]

Elephant Trunk Nebula in SHO, shot with my Optolong 6.5nm filters and processed fully in Pixinsight…which is still pretty new to me. Taken on the 9th of January 2024

Not a long integration so had to be careful with the stretching on this, just 3 hours of 5 min subs in total spread across the 3 filters. Although most of the detail came from the Ha data,  Using my Esprit 100 and my QHY268 mono camera, the image had been cropped for the original to show the trunk more.

Used dark structure tool in PI, and also tried the new GHS stretch tool, but ended up using the Histogram as I have always done, I have done this object before a couple of years ago with a different scope, but prefer this one as has better colour and dark structures, well in my opinion anyway…

Thanks for looking.

Edited February 9 by Stuart1971

[Bluemoonjim]

IC 1396 – Elephant's Trunk Nebula

• 127 x 180s (6.35 hrs) OSC camera using Optolong dual band L-eXtreme

Scope: Altair Astro Starwave 102mm ED-R + Flattener
Camera : Altair Hypercam 269c Tec
Mount: Exos2 PMC8
Dates : 16/17/18.01.24

Processed DSS, PixInsight, Photoshop

 

Quote

 

Edited February 12 by Bluemoonjim

[Bluemoonjim]

 

 

Quote

 

Edited February 10 by Bluemoonjim
Sorry! Accidently posted twice

[Steve Foulkes]

IC410 - Tadpole Nebula. Narrow band image using the Foraxx colour palette.

SII:25x300s, Ha: 30x300s, OIII:27x300s.

Location: Near Hereford Bortle 4, Telescope: SW Esprit 150ED, Mount: Paramount MX, Camera: QHY268M, Guiding: TS-Optics Off-Axis Guider with ZWO 174MM camera, Software: TheSkyX, Nighttime Imaging 'N' Astronomy (N.I.N.A. / NINA), PHD2, PixInsight, GraXpert (A.I.).

[francis8]

Flaming star nebula

15 hours  total integration

HSOO

player one ares mm

sho zwofilters

heq5

 

[francis8]

Flaming star nebula

15 hours  total integration

HSOO

player one ares mm

sho zwofilters

heq5

 

[Varavall]

Horsehead Nebula

Kit: Nikon 300mm AI lens at f4.5, ZWO Nikon-filter wheel adapter, ASI1600MM-Cool, ZWO EAF, Astrodon 5nm Ha, Sii and Oiii filters, HEQ5 Pro modded mount, NINA, PHD2

Ha 40x300s, Sii 13x60s, Oiii 15x60s

Processed in ASTAP, Siril and GIMP

Taken 19th February

[Xsubmariner]

LBN576 in Cassiopeia  known as the Garlic Head or Popped Balloon Nebula. A faint supernova remnant, it lies 10,000 light-years away with a diameter of 98 light-years. Processed using PixInsight core tools plus Russ Croman’s BXT, NXT, SXT. GraXpert and Foraxx script were also employed.

Equipment: TOA150 with 0.7 reducer, QHY268M with QHYFW and Antlia 36mm 3nm Ha and Oiii filters. Mesu200 mount with guiding supported by PHD2 using OAG/LoadstarX2. Acquisition controlled by Sequence Generator Pro. 

Frames: 37x Ha 600s, 34x Oiii 600s Total integration 12 hours.

Capture dates: 9/17/18th January 24.

 

[AstroGS]

For my first "proper" image since I setup the telescope in Spain, I chose the Jellyfish Nebula using my Redcat61, 2600MM camera, and Antlia 2.8nm LRGBSHO filters mounted on an AM5. 

 

Over 24 hours of data were collected, with the focus on revealing the nebula's full colours in SHO. However, a setback occurred as nearly 7 hours of OIII-filtered data proved unusable due to unexpected halos and star bloating. Despite efforts during the image processing phase, the OIII data remained unusable.

 

Undeterred, I decided to salvage the project by combining the excellent Ha and SII data with RGB stars, using Pixinsight and the Foraxx script, resulting in an image that I am pleased with. Although the outcome diverges from a faithful representation, the artistic approach yielded a dramatic and interesting scene, in my opinion.

 

Ha: 68 x 600 sec

SII: 38 x 600 sec

RGB: 40 x 120 sec each

Calibration files: Flats, Darks and Bias (50 each)

Edited February 20 by AstroGS

[900SL]

Some excellent images here.

This narrowband challenge is proving to be a challenge in more ways than one. The weather here has been atrocious, I think only two clear evenings since i got my mono set up, and then -15C to -27C. Plus I have a limited field of view which minimises available time on target, and then there is the learning curve in mono imaging and processing. But we like a challenge, otherwise why do this, right? Astro-imaging: A one man orchestra wearing a wetsuit..

 

Anyway, here's 150 minutes total comprising 3 x 10 x 300s frames in Ha, Oiii and Sii, 50% moon, poor seeing, target 30 degrees or less, The Rosette in a somewhat vomitous pixelmath combo SHO. Work in progress

TS 90mm f6 and 0.8 WO reducer, ASI 533MM Pro, Antlia Edge filters

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 21 by 900SL

[Kinch]

HDW 3 :    This one took some time - a total of 37 hours which I know is even more difficult for those of you in the British Isles....but still a challenge in itself here in Cartagena. (NB: 24 hours Ha & 13 hours OIII)

I have made a version with RGB stars (on my website) but in keeping with the rules for this challenge - this one is purely Ha & OIII data 

Edited February 22 by Kinch
Target name added

[AndysAstroPix]

Hi Folks, 

Imagine imaging DSO's with a One Shot colour camera but with the added detail and sensitivity of full Narrowband.

Here we have my interpretation of IC2944 (aka The Running Chicken Nebula) using a "natural" palette, taken with a mono camera, with the Sii in 'ultra-red', Ha in red and Oiii in green and blue channels, with the stars removed.

There's also a curious unclassified object, seen at the top left of the frame, that is reminiscent of a mini Vela supernova remnant. I haven't seen it imaged before, so I'm not sure what it is! 🤣

Approximately 30 hours of data were taken with the kind assistance of my Astro buddy 'Blue', from his property in rural Victoria, Australia. 

Takahashi TOA-130F Atik APX60 Mono iOptron CEM70G Chroma H-alpha 5nm Bandpass 2" · Chroma OIII 3nm Bandpass 2" · Chroma SII 5nm Bandpass 2" Pegasus Astro Ultimate Powerbox 2 · Takahashi TOA-35 Reducer for 130 Adobe Photoshop · Aries Productions Astro Pixel Processor (APP) · DxO Image Science NIK Collection · Open PHD Guiding Project PHD2 · ProDigital Software Astronomy Tools Actions Set · Russell Croman Astrophotography NoiseXTerminator · Russell Croman Astrophotography StarXTerminator · Starkeeper Voyager

Edited February 24 by AndysAstroPix
typo

[AndysAstroPix]

Accidental duplicate post

Edited February 24 by AndysAstroPix
Duplicate post, oops sorry mods!

[AndysAstroPix]

As above (sigh) sorry!

Edited February 24 by AndysAstroPix
duplicated post, mods please remove!

[Bluemoonjim]

NGC 2237 – Rosette Nebula

50 x 60s OSC camera using Optolong dual band L-eXtreme

Scope: Altair Astro Starwave 102mm ED-R + Flattener
Camera : Altair Hypercam 269c Tec
Mount: Exos2 PMC8
Dates : 24.02.24

Processed DSS, PixInsight, Photoshop

Managed to grab this with just 50 x 60sec exposure on a rare clear sky between the almost constant cloud cover.
I was surprised at how much detail was captured for such a short session and 60 second subs.
Rather than going with my usual settings I decided to let SharpCaps' smart histogram do the calculations.
I have been looking at a mono camera setup but with this almost constantly bad weather we seem to be having I can't imagine doubling (trebling) up on the hours of data to achieve a result so I think I will stay with the osc camera for now.

Edited February 27 by Bluemoonjim
Typo

[bdlbug]

This image is using new data aquired this year 2024 from my back garden in central England, mainly  in January and then a couple of rare opportunities in February when rain clouds dispersed.

The colour mix is an SHO baseline and inspired by a SHO image posted up several years ago by Sara Wagner, that image is still on her website to see.
The stars are a HOO pixelmath combination with some curves that results in a close approximation to RGB stars

Bryan

Image details :

Dates:
    17 / 18 / 24 / 26 / 30 Jan 2024
    22 / 24 Feb 2024
    Frames:
    Antlia 3nm Narrowband H-alpha 2": 154×300″  (12h 50′)
    Antlia 3nm Narrowband Oxygen III 2": 19×300″  (1h 35′)
    Antlia 3nm Narrowband Sulfur II 2": 55×300″      (4h 35′)

Integration:     19h

Equipment

Imaging Telescope :     Astro-Tech AT106EDT
Imaging Cameras :       ZWO ASI2600MM Pro
Mounts :                       Sky-Watcher AZ-EQ6 GT
Accessories :               APM-Riccardi Apo Reducer 0.75x M63 (APM-RIRED-M63-small)
Software :
Stefan Berg Nighttime Imaging 'N' Astronomy (N.I.N.A. / NINA)                
Aries Productions Astro Pixel Processor (APP)
Pleiades Astrophoto PixInsight
Adobe Photoshop CC
BlurXTerminator / NoiseXTerminator / StarXTerminator

 

[Lucas M]

C49 The Rosette Nebula

Captured over 2 nights in January under Bortle 5 skies in Lytham St Anne's on the UK's north west coast

• RedCat51
• ASI533MC Pro OSC camera
• Star Adventurer GTI Mount
• Optolong L-Extreme Ha_Oiii dual narrowband filter (7nm per channel)
• 150 x 300 seconds - 12.5 hours total integration + calibration frames
• Stacked using Sirilic
• Processed in Photoshop

 

Edited March 1 by Lucas M

[gorann]

Finally a competition where I can contribute. Actually, virtually everything I have imaged so far this year fulfills the criteria for this competition. So I will here post a series of images all taken with IDAS NBZ dual-band (Ha+Oiii) filters, either with my dual-RASA8 rig (on a Mesu 200) with ASI2600MC OSC, or with my Samyang 135 piggybacking on the RASAs with an Omegon veTEC571C OSC. Some of the images are a mix of RASA and Samyang data. All are imaged from my backyard in central Sweden.

I strive to process the NBZ images just like RGB images to make them look fairly "natural", where Ha is red and Oiii is picked up by both the blue and green pixels.

Here is the first one. Supernova remnant SNR G156.2+5.7 in Auriga. Imaged with RASA8 5th January. About 22 hours.

Edited March 4 by gorann

[gorann]

Here is an image of Sh2-133 and LBN 472 in Cepheus. Imaged 7th January with RASA8, NBZ filter and ASI2600MC. 12 hours.

[gorann]

Here are Sh2-280 and Sh2-282 in Monoceros. Imaged 8th January with RASA8, NBZ filter and ASI2600MC. 6 hours.

[gorann]

VdB 35 and VdB 37 are two surprisingly rarely imaged objects from Sidney van den Bergh's catalogue, just north of Orion's head. Imaged 9th January with RASA8, NBZ filter and ASI2600MC. 6 hours.

[gorann]

Hartl-Dengel-Weinberger 3 - a faint planetary nebula among dust in Perseus. Imaged 10th January with RASA8, NBZ filter and ASI2600MC. 14 hours.

[gorann]

VdB16 and its eastern neighborhood in Aries.  A two-panel mosaic imaged 12th January with RASA8, NBZ filter and ASI2600MC. Totally 12.5 hours.

VdB 16 is a blue reflection nebula situated just south of the well known NGC 1333 in the Perseus molecular cloud. Instead of including NGC 1333 in this two panel mosaic I decided to look east instead. Also since the many images of this area are virtually all RGB images, I thought it would be interesting to see what it looks like through an IDAS NBZ filter (a Ha + Oiii dual band filter). Among other things this filter picked up a red Ha emitting band down to the left of the image. Not sure what it may be but it does not seem to be picked up in RGB images. Since I was using my dual-RASA rig and see the band in both scopes, I am at least sure it is not an artifact. Actually I also see it in the image that my Samyang 135 picked up piggybacking on the RASAs. That image indicates that it may be part of a larger Ha emitting structure hiding behind all the dust.

[fwm891]

Just give him the mug now - magic shot Goran

[gorann]

Planetary Nebula IsWe 1 among dust in Perseus. Imaged 16th January with RASA8, NBZ filter and ASI2600MC. 15.5 hours.

This large (spanning 22 arc min) but rather faint ancient planetary nebula was discovered by Ishida and Weinberger in 1987. It also has the designations PNG 149.7-03.3 and PK 150-031). It is 1400 light years away, and has a diameter of 9 light years. As a bonus I accidentally caught a possible planetary nebula near the bottom edge of the image, seen as a rather small red circular object to the right of the center line. It is PNG 150.1-04.5 (or IPHASX J034659.8+484900). The rather pretty blue reflection nebula at 8 o'clock from IsWe 1 has apparently no designation.