NGC 281 - Ha Only

[Tim]

Pacman again. Getting a bit like a stuck record. I have never spent as long on a single target as this one. But these narrowband filters seem to add so much more to each series that it's hard to resist.

I've never really been a fan of mono Ha images, but since getting the baader 7nm filter for myself, I have to admit that watching the subs roll in can be quite a thrill with the level of detail they show right off the camera.

I started this one with 900 second subs, then 1200, then 1500, and finally last night added 8 X 1800 seconds (yes imaging for four hours ) It was a bit cloudy, but the Ha filter does a pretty good job of eliminating the glow from the city that lights up the clouds and ruins the subs. Not only that, the moon was huge and bright, I could barely see a star.

So, I was pleased to see that the latest 4 hours, still added extra detail to the image, and reduced the noise, which has given me the confidence to use it again under a full moon.

Its up to about 11.5 hrs so far, might yet give it another night, but I really need more of the other bands. Ha is by far the prettiest though!

Imaged and guided through a WO72 with FFII, Truetech wheel, and SX H9 mono camera. Captured in Nebulosity2, stacked DSS, processed in PS.

Thanks for looking.

TJ

[Psychobilly]

Like you Tim I never thought I'd spend time imaging in "mono" but even with the wider filete and a OSC colour DSLR i am finding it quite useful especially on moonwashed nights...

I am wondering how the modded DSLRS would perform with a narrower filter...

SO you have spent more time on this than the search for flux around M81-82 which was probably your previous marathon...

I cant wait for M42....

Peter...

[Whippy]

You can see where all that time has gone, all that outer nebulosity you just don't see normally, looks nothing like a Pacman now! The Bok globules stick out like a sore thumb too . 30 minutes subs on top of that, great stuff mate.

I'm guessing you're going to need what, 20-odd hours of OII and 40 or so of SII to balance it up for false colour? At this rate you'll still be going at this come Kelling!

Tony..

[barkis]

Yep, you're really wringing the detail out of the old Pacman TJ.

The NB Filters certainly open normally closed doors. You deserve a gong for perseverence mate, but then there's no other way to do it.

Ron.

[minimalist]

Wow, 30min subs Tim, that's very impressive! Definitely worth it though, got a lot of the faint stuff around the edges.

Daniel

[Tim]

Tony, don't I just know it mate

Peter, spent a good 8 hours more on Pacman so far than M81. The NB filters make a huge difference to me, I guess because of the LP here.

Still, I think it'll be worth it, here's the HST version so far.....

Cheers

[minimalist]

Wow Tim, I think that version looks even better than the one Alan posted a link to. Awesome!

Daniel

[Aza]

Great work Tim.

Please keep getting subs for the other channels as the HST version is coming along so well.

Do you have RGB filters yet? You have put so much time into this, I think it would be worth getting an RGB starfield your your final image.

I dont have RGB filters yet, but I think it does not need much time to do the star field.

It would really set the image off once you have finished the narrowbands.

[Tim]

Arran, I bought the full set of new Baader filters, LRGBC + Ha,S2,O3.

I nicked the RGB from Kevin's pic from last week and dropped it in to my image, it was nice to see the star with their natural colour, however I have found that when pulling the narrowband colours about a bit, the stars sometimes find their proper colour anyway, which is nice.

Cheers

Tim

[Beyond_Vision]

A Marathon effort Tim and worth every minute put in

Regards

Kevin

[Milliways]

Incredible!

[ollypenrice]

Yikes, I think I spot a glimmer of light in that one!!! Incredible depth. My own feeling about Ha is that it is soooo beautiful, yet so difficult to apply as powerfully as you'd hope. Maybe mono is just the way and that's that.

\olly