M45, 2 panel mosaic

[symmetal]

I've never been happy with my previous attempts at M45 so thought I'd have a go with the RASA 11 which is a bit overkill for such a bright object but it has revealed some extra dust on the outskirts.

RASA 11 v2, ASI2600MC on EQ-8r, 90 mins per panel of 90s exposures. Stacked in APP, processed in PI and finished off in PS. Binned 2x in processing.The PI PhotometricMosaic did a good job in blending the panels too. 🙂 I first processed it without using star removal and tried again using star removal, so see which you prefer.

Using star removal

Without star removal

Alan

[WolfieGlos]

Very nice, and I like both versions but for different reasons.

First image looks to be “cleaner” with the star reduction, but the second one the stars are part of the show. I’d have probably done the same and posted both!

[Roy Foreman]

I prefer the first one because the dust shows up better.  I've imaged M45 many times with different instruments but never been totally happy with the final results. I might follow your lead and use my RASA 11 if the weather is ever clear enough for long enough to warrant setting it all up.

Nice image, love the dust !

[geeklee]

Both great versions.  I prefer the first overall, but the second still has its own (many) positives.

Great stuff Alan.

[simmo39]

Yep both look good, but as above the first one has the edge for me.

[Fegato]

Nice ones, I think I prefer the first too.  I don't think the RASA is overkill at all - it's great for pulling out the surrounding fainter dusty areas (although there comes a point where masking is required to stop the reflection area blowing out).  I'm in the middle of an M45 myself with my RASA - a wider field 3 panel effort (full frame too), with the aim of showing all the surrounding dusty bits....   but it's been a bit of a marathon, going in since before Christmas, due to lack of clear sky time. 

[tooth_dr]

I like them both Alan, possibly somewhere in the middle would be ideal for me.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

The first shows the dust very nicely, the second has more bling 😉, which distracts a bit from the dust, but the dust is definitely shown very well too.

[ONIKKINEN]

Both are amazing, but i think i very slightly prefer the second one.

[ollypenrice]

Great results. The RASA isn't overkill at all. You could push significantly harder for the faint stuff if the mood took you. It's in there.

Olly

[symmetal]

Thanks everyone for your kind replies. 😃

13 hours ago, Roy Foreman said:

I've imaged M45 many times with different instruments but never been totally happy with the final results. I might follow your lead and use my RASA 11 if the weather is ever clear enough for long enough to warrant setting it all up.

My first attempt many years ago with a smaller sensor and LRGB imaging needed a four panel mosaic and with the more basic processing tools of the time it was impossible to match the panels so I've not tried again until now.🙂 I used to carry the RASA 11 out to the fixed pier in the roll-off shed each time it looked promising, but ended up dropping it one time, so I leave it out pretty much all the time now, until the shed blew down 😬when I had to bring it indoors for a few days.

3 hours ago, Fegato said:

I don't think the RASA is overkill at all - it's great for pulling out the surrounding fainter dusty areas (although there comes a point where masking is required to stop the reflection area blowing out).  I'm in the middle of an M45 myself with my RASA - a wider field 3 panel effort (full frame too), with the aim of showing all the surrounding dusty bits....

Yes, you're right there. I'd like to see your wider angle view when it's done. I think it stands out more when it's surrounded by a darker background. Using the new GHS (Generalized Hyperbolic Stretch) tool in PI is good for stretching just a narrow range of brightnesses using the Symmetry Point slider, so you can stretch the faint dust without affecting the brighter areas. 

3 hours ago, tooth_dr said:

I like them both Alan, possibly somewhere in the middle would be ideal for me.

Just for you Adam, how's this 😊

46 minutes ago, ollypenrice said:

Great results. The RASA isn't overkill at all. You could push significantly harder for the faint stuff if the mood took you. It's in there.

I think it would need a bigger mosaic to show off the fainter dust better Olly, as Fegato is doing, so I'll have to hope for a longer spell of good weather. 🙂

Alan

[tooth_dr]

1 hour ago, symmetal said:

Just for you Adam, how's this 😊