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M51 LR(Ha)GB Done!

Whippy

By Whippy
in Imaging - Deep Sky

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Whippy

Whippy

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Clear skies and a near full moon? An ideal time to grab some Ha data I think! So here it is, M51 after several sessions of imaging, processing, asking questions (thanks to all who helped!) and general tomfoolery. I'm especially proud of this one as I think I've managed to get round certain issues and this is also the first time I've integrated Ha data into an RGB image plus I think it's rather pretty!

Total exposure time: 12 hours 20 mins (5 hours 40 mins luminence (34 x 10 mins), 1 hour each of RGB (12 x 5 mins) and 3 hours 40 mins of Ha (22 x 10 mins)). Taken with an Atik 16hr with Baader RGB, IR cut and Ha filters plus an IDAS LP filter through an ED120. Guided with a QHY5 through a ZS66 with PHD, all atop an EQ6.

Stacked in DSS and processed in Photoshop.

Enjoy!

Tony..

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Whippy

Whippy

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Thank you for the kind comments :).

what exactly does Ha do? I've many people talking about it and mentioning get dslr's modded to Ha.

Ha is shorthand for Hydrogen Alpha which is one of the emission lines that you'll find in many deep sky objects along with others such as OIII (Oxygen 3) and SII (Sulphur 2). Without going into too much detail they're basically excited gases producing light at certain wavelengths.

In this case adding some exposures using a Ha filter have highlighted the areas that look like red speckles in the arms. Here's my previous version without the Ha: http://stargazerslounge.com/imaging-deep-sky/132030-m51-lrgb-nearly-there.html .

The problem with DSLR's is the filter used to cut out infra red (IR) also reduces the camera's sensitivity to Hydrogen Alpha (the frequency of the Ha light is deep in the red near infra red) so people modify their cameras by either taking the filter out or replacing it with a filter that cuts out the infra red and leaves the Ha.

HTH

Tony..

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MikeD

MikeD

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Excellent result Tony.:)

The Ha brings it alive and helps with the colour generally, that's why I nearly always shot Ha on my galaxy images.

By the way which method did you use to add the Ha. it's worked very well?

Mike.

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Whippy

Whippy

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Thanks guys :hello2:.

Excellent result Tony.:hello2:

The Ha brings it alive and helps with the colour generally, that's why I nearly always shot Ha on my galaxy images.

By the way which method did you use to add the Ha. it's worked very well?

Mike.

Indeed Mike, once I worked through a method and did a bit of re-balancing, it makes a world of difference. I ended up using this method described my Martin: http://stargazerslounge.com/imaging-deep-sky/69873-m33-l-r-ha-g-b-2.html , it sounds just like the one I was trying to use but the way Martin describes it, it seems to work!

So I take it you'd only use Ha for Deep Sky, not lunar or planetary

Yes :hello2:.

Tony..

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