an attempt at SHO - California Nerbula

[Horwig]

This is only my second attempt at NB work, so please go easy, this is my third attempt at processing this image, and I'm not sure if I'm getting anywhere with it, comments please.

Tech details:

FSQ106 reduced, ZWO 6200Mono with Baader filters,  AZ-EQ6

8 x 900sec S2, 5 x 900sec Ha, 10 x 900sec O3

[tomato]

Nice image, deep and detailed. Can I ask what was your thinking on the relative integration times for each channel, less Ha time because this is the strongest signal or perhaps the Welsh weather had a role to play?

On my monitor there is a hint of green on the top right hand corner background, but this could of course be tenuous gas coming through from the nebula. 

[Horwig]

51 minutes ago, tomato said:

Nice image, deep and detailed. Can I ask what was your thinking on the relative integration times for each channel, less Ha time because this is the strongest signal or perhaps the Welsh weather had a role to play?

On my monitor there is a hint of green on the top right hand corner background, but this could of course be tenuous gas coming through from the nebula. 

Thanks, I'm desperately rusty in processing, it's been so cloudy over the last year or two.

Initially I was aiming at two hours per filter, I had a roughly six hour window to image between darkness and when it went behind the house, but when I saw the relative signal strengths, I adapted, 5x900 gave good Ha, 10x900 still gave pants O3.

There is so much extended Ha, yes the green is real.

Incidentally, I'm not at all happy with the sharpness, BXt has cleaned everything up, but to my eye the nebula is still not crisp, well not compared to Kinch's excellent 'Clouds of California' here. I'm imaging at probably half the resolution, but even then...

Huw

 

[Horwig]

I 've been really unhappy with this image, but managed to get a few clear hours Wednesday night, so here we go again.

Fresh 5x15 minutes of Ha was captured , and 5x15 of S2 before snow clouds closed in. I captured the final S2 frame with snow swirling about, but this patch of sky remained clear, very strange feeling.

The original night of imaging was very windy, I was getting about 5.5 pixels FWHM, down to 2.3 with an application of BlurXTerminator, 1.4 pixels with two applications, but it was looking over processed.

Wednesday's new subs were 2.3 pixels un touched, a result!

So here's a compromise image

The fresh 75 minutes Ha, new S2 subs added to the original, making 195 minutes, and the original 150 minutes O3.

Still not sure of the colours, but at least it's sharper

 

And a grovelling apology to Tomato.

On 13/01/2024 at 13:15, tomato said:

On my monitor there is a hint of green on the top right hand corner background, but this could of course be tenuous gas coming through from the nebula. 

No, that green tint really was not all Ha was it.

 

Huw