Quote:
Originally Posted by gregbradley
Gee, that is a terrific image. Quite a leap from the earlier image.
Greg.
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Thanks Greg!
Total exposure time was similar for both images. Seeing was better in the old one as it was from a dark site. Filters Astrodon vs. Chroma = near identical.
So what were the key differences?
1) Takahashi Glass vs. William Optics - Both scopes were purchased 2nd hand. The WO cost me $1500, but the Tak was over $6000! Money well spent to get much nicer stars.
2) QSI 683 APS-C vs QSI 6162 APS-H sensor - Bigger sensor = significantly more real estate, better quality, bigger enlargements possible.
3) Astropixel Processor & Starnet++ vs. Nebulosity. APP is a game changer and produces better, more accurate star registration and brilliant results!
I'm also 6 years further along the AP journey now than I was back then, so experience counts, a lot! Much help appreciated from nice folks here on IIS on the journey too
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kuz
Another top effort there Andy . I have been trying to get out and try my luck with this one myself but we have cloud cover at night now for 12 weeks straight.
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Dang clouds! How's life in my old town? I grew up there and only visited for the first time in 40 odd years when presenting for the World Science festival in 2019.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Robert_T
this seems a superb image to me on so many levels, the details are so fine and pull you in deeper and deeper, composition likewise, and the colours, wow, these just make me feel all warm and happy with the world :-)
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Cheers Robert! Delighted to be able to lift your spirits! thanks for the good vibes
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nikolas
Awesome image Andy.
this high level cloud is really annoying me as the weather seems glorious but oh so misleading
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Cheers Nik, all we need now is a cloud filter and we're all set!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Placidus
That worked brilliantly. Excellent colour, depth, detail. The RGB stars worked well.
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Cheers M&T!
For those interested in the technique, I use Starnet++ on the NB master stacks for star removal. Tricky to operate on a mac but there are long threads on CN that I was able to interpret to get it to work successfully.
For RGB stars, I capture short 120 sec subs, and only 15 of each.
(More time/subs only produces more skyglow & gradients from my location.)
These are combined and Topaz NR is used (very sparingly) to reduce noise in this simple RGB composite.
This RGB image is then tweaked in PS to boost star colour by shifting to LAB mode, increasing contrast in channel B, then reverted back to RGB.
Finally, it's laid over the starless NB masters using 'Screen' blend mode in PS. The starless masters are then assigned colours etc. loosely based on HST and tweaked
(Andyfied? ) to a colour palette of my aesthetic choice.