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My First Ever Deep Sky Stack, a quick M42...

AlexxxAA

By AlexxxAA
in Imaging - Deep Sky

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AlexxxAA

AlexxxAA

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Tonight i finally had an hour or two of clear skies to try my new optical tube. So i decided to take a few quick shots of M42 to see what i could do.

Keep in mind this is my first attemp at stacking and editing.

35 x 30seconds (unguided) luminance with AT8IN using a CLS clip on my unmodded Canon 500D. 13 darks at the same subs and outside temperature. Stacked in DSS and edited (well i tried) with Levels and Curves in CS5.

Commends and suggestions are very welcome please :hello2:

Hopefully one day ill be able to take amazing pictures like everyone here in this forum :hello2::icon_salut:

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Keiran

Keiran

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Thats a very nice first image... did you take this with a full moon... I think that you may have a bit more detail in that image if you were to have a bit more of a play in PS with that. but other that the lack of blue you have a cracking image, what a great start. Hooked is i think the word :hello2:

Keep them coming.

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AlexxxAA

AlexxxAA

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Thanks everyone :hello2: Im so glad that everyone approves :')

Carole: Yes im very pleased with the results of my new equipment. and it was just with a quick hour that i spent outside with clear skies.

Jannis: it is the regular CLS Astronomik clip (non-ccd) for the Canon :hello2:

Bulldog: It was actually pretty clear last night. The moon hadnt come out yet. Just the regular severe smog and light pollution of my area. And unfortunately i caught M42 somewhat low in the horizon.

And i do plan to maybe take some more subs and combining some more data. And i only played with PS for a few minutes before going to bed. but i was pleased enough that i decided to post it :hello2:

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AlexxxAA

AlexxxAA

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Definitely bob.

I bought it from the largest telescope dealer here in southern california. It's called Oceanside Photo & Telescope. It cost me $129.95 (US). Here is the link to their website for the clip:

Astronomik CLS Light Pollution Filter for Canon EOS Cameras - 8H001C - OPT Telescopes

But i think that Atronomik sell it ships directly there to the UK? maybe you might want to compare the local price from Astronomik and what ur might cost to shop from the dealer herr... It's a great product though. As you can see I'm very pleased with the result and with such little data :hello2:

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gary1968

gary1968

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Thats a good start Alex, lots of detail and colour. One thing you can do to improve your images is take flats, that will take care of the vignetting.

Other than that its a cracker, you should be pleased.

Gary

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cloudbuster

cloudbuster

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thanks Alex....much appreciated:icon_salut:

cheers

bob:)

Definitely bob.

I bought it from the largest telescope dealer here in southern california. It's called Oceanside Photo & Telescope. It cost me $129.95 (US). Here is the link to their website for the clip:

Astronomik CLS Light Pollution Filter for Canon EOS Cameras - 8H001C - OPT Telescopes

But i think that Atronomik sell it ships directly there to the UK? maybe you might want to compare the local price from Astronomik and what ur might cost to shop from the dealer herr... It's a great product though. As you can see I'm very pleased with the result and with such little data :hello2:

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AlexxxAA

AlexxxAA

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Thanks for all your help gary.

Do you know of a good way to take flats?

Or somewhere that I can read up on the subject?

From what I've heard, it's somewhat more complicated than just taking darks... :hello2:

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gary1968

gary1968

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Alex, this is my take on taking flats...... :p After the imaging session you will have your lights and darks. Do not take the camera off the scope, try not to strip anything down in fact..... Now, in daylight, with a good bright sky cover the fron of the scope with a white Tee Shirt or Bed sheet or similar and point the scope at the sky, or other flat / even light source. Set the camera to Auto and fire of a load of flat subs, maybe 100 or so.

With darks what you are doing is imaging the camera chip and its flaws, hot pixels, noise, amp glow etc, with flats what you are trying to do is image the optical path and any defects, dust or dirt anywhere in the path, any vignetting that might be present.

In Deep Sky stacker you put in your lights, your darks and your flats...... and it works its magic subracting all the 'unwanted' from the final image.

When taking flats it is very important that the camera / scope relationship is not disturbed after taking the lights, if the gear has been stripped down flats will not be possible for that set of images. If you are lucky and you dont have to take your gear down after every session then you might get away with only taking 1 set of flats and using them for all your images.....

Hope this helps mate, and if I have made any mistakes / ommissions I hope someone will point it out....... :D

Cheers,

Gary

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AlexxxAA

AlexxxAA

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ok im starting to get it :D

will the flats need to be the same sub lengths as well???

also ive noticed that there is an option on DSS to upload Dark-Flats... What are these? Will putting the cap on my scope at night and taking the darks that way achieve this??? Will these dark-flats be enough? or are separate darks and flats better???

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Uranium235

Uranium235

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I try to do flats at the end of a session with the laptop screen. This is becuase the focus point changes with temperature, so if you shoot the flats in the daytime it wont be quite as accurate (for removing dust spots) as it would be when the optics are cooled.

Even better if you have an EL panel, quicker and safer than using the lappy.

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