NGC7000 - Colour Version

[RichieJarvis]

Hi All,

I've been watching some very useful tutorials today about how best to sharpen up detail - link is: Ken Crawford Tutorials

Anyway, after running through this on the Luminance layer from my North American Nebula data from last night, it made a huge difference! You can see the 'before' and 'after' images on my website: http://deepsky.org.uk/nebula/ngc7000.shtml

Here is the final image:

Details:

Date: 2009-04-27

Location: South Common Observatory

Scope: Celestron C8 @ F/3.3

Camera: Starlight Xpress SXV-H9

Guide Scope: Astro Professional 102ED @ F/7

Guide Camera: SX Guidehead

Exposure (Ha): 12 x 600 seconds

Exposure (RGB): 7 x 200 seconds

Thanks for looking!

Cheers,

Richie

[MartinB]

The colour has brought out the nebular detail very nicely but the stars seem a bit too green for me.

Thanks for the link, some good stuff there from Ken Crawford

[RichieJarvis]

Thanks Martin - I see what you mean! I'll have to have another go at that and see if I can sort the colour out

[iamjulian]

Gosh, the difference on your black and white version is quite clear. Thanks for sharing the link.

[Paxo]

Some excellent detail in there Richie. The 'green stars' come from the Ha data giving slightly 'bloated' stars, have you tried running a deconvolution algorithm on the Ha data (CCD Sharp, available from the SBIG website does an excellent job), it does add something to the image though, so it's probably just a question of taste!

Steve..

[RichieJarvis]

I'll have to give that a try Steve - cheers for the hint.

This processing is taking longer and longer - wish I could automate it!

[barkis]

Nice work Richie, I like the colours. It's certainly different, but not outlandish.

How did you get down to f3.3, via the Celestron reducer?

Ron.

[steppenwolf]

There is some great detail in there, Richie - this is one of those areas that looks good in both widefield and up close and personal!

[jgs001]

Very good Richie, superb details and that difference is very clear.

[RichieJarvis]

Thanks all - yup - used a Meade 3.3 Focal Reducer - the spacing is critical to get round stars, even so, some are a bit 'suspect' i fear!

[roundycat]

Richie, do you really think you are gaining anything from all that deconvolution? Using de-con on the Ha channel (your M27 image) is an attempt to make the stars smaller in the channel in which they are already smaller! The NA Neb above shows some brownish artefacts around the stars which just look odd. If that is from de-con you are better off without it. Sorry to be picky but your exposure times at f3.3 are adequate to give you a good picture, something seems to be stifling it.

I must disagree with Paxo. Ha data normally gives you cyan stars when mixed with RGB. The Ha stars are not bloated, quite the opposite as they tend to be smaller and dimmer. Using de-con on stars that are already smaller than the RGB data would be counter productive.

Dennis

[RichieJarvis]

Hi Dennis - I've not blended the deconvolved stars - only the deconvolved edges of the nebula - thats what gives it the sharpness. Have a look at the before and after B&W images on my website, and you'll see what I mean.

Cheers,

Richie

[roundycat]

I just had a butcher's at your web site pictures and I see what you mean about the sharpening. Have you tried a simple duplicate layer and careful high pass in PS?

Dennis

[RichieJarvis]

yeah - this includes all three methods - smart sharpen, dcon and high pass blend.

[Imahumanbeing]

Spectacular Richie, awesome detail and colours!

All the best

Jamie

[narrowbandpaul]

i dont spend too long processing.

align stack ddp a bit of levels and curves to stretch the histogram, and usually richardson lucy deconvo on the ha layer since it has a better SNR

i have never used photoshop, and have never used masks or layers

as long as the histogram has a good shape, thats all you need. And good skies.

paul

[Taff]

Good god Richie' thats a cracker of the neb.Some great colours of the gases very nice.Mark