Gabriella Revealed!

[Andy01 (Andy)]

Out from behind the curtain and fully dressed with her RGB stars, here is my full tricolour NB image just completed during Melbourne's third lockdown. (Thanks Dan )

Good to revisit this object again with the new toys.
It's been six years since I last visited this target!
If you're interested, you can see the previous one here.

New toys and more experience sure do make a difference, and thanks to Stellarmate, it all happens while I'm sleeping now

Here she is!

Approx 12 hrs data, swapped out the NB stars for RGB as the Gem cluster is so pretty!

NGC 3324 is located in the southern constellation of Carina roughly 7500 light-years from Earth. It is on the northern outskirts of the chaotic environment of the Carina Nebula, which has been sculpted by many other pockets of star formation. A rich deposit of gas and dust in the NGC 3324 region fuelled a burst of starbirth there several millions of years ago and led to the creation of several hefty and very hot stars that are prominent in this picture.

Stellar winds and intense radiation from these young stars have blown open a hollow in the surrounding gas and dust. This is most in evidence as the wall of material seen to the centre right of this image. The ultraviolet radiation from the hot young stars knocks electrons out of hydrogen atoms, which are then recaptured, as the electrons cascade through the energy levels, showing the extent of the local diffuse gas.

As with clouds in the Earth's sky, observers of nebulae can find likenesses within these cosmic clouds. One nickname for the NGC 3324 region is the Gabriela Mistral Nebula, after the Nobel Prize-winning Chilean poet. The edge of the wall of gas and dust at the right bears a strong resemblance to a human face in profile, with the "bump" in the centre corresponding to a nose.

[gregbradley]

Gee, that is a terrific image. Quite a leap from the earlier image.

Greg.

[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.

[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 :-)

[Nikolas (Nik)]

Awesome image Andy.
this high level cloud is really annoying me as the weather seems glorious but oh so misleading

[Placidus (Mike and Trish)]

That worked brilliantly. Excellent colour, depth, detail. The RGB stars worked well.

[Andy01 (Andy)]

Originally Posted by gregbradley

Gee, that is a terrific image. Quite a leap from the earlier image.

Greg.

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

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.

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.

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 :-)

Cheers Robert! Delighted to be able to lift your spirits! thanks for the good vibes

Originally Posted by Nikolas

Awesome image Andy.
this high level cloud is really annoying me as the weather seems glorious but oh so misleading

Cheers Nik, all we need now is a cloud filter and we're all set!

Originally Posted by Placidus

That worked brilliantly. Excellent colour, depth, detail. The RGB stars worked well.

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.

[rustigsmed (Russell)]

nice one Andy, really like the area around the Gem cluster it has come up nicely.

[strongmanmike (Michael)]

Oi!...You didn't just plonk the subject in the middle, did you?

Seriously though, a great looking Gabby region there Andy you sure got plenty of nebulosity and loving all the striations and wisps

Very nicely done

Mike

[marc4darkskies (Marcus)]

Yep. I'll definitely pay that one Andy! Chalk & cheese compared to the earlier effort.

The colour palette doesn't poke me in the eyes and smack me in the face. It's quite pleasing. Also, I see no sign of AI sharpening - no artefacts (that I can see) and it looks "natural" & unforced. Am I right or are you just being very selective in it's application?

Very nice work!

[Andy01 (Andy)]

Originally Posted by rustigsmed

nice one Andy, really like the area around the Gem cluster it has come up nicely.

Hey Russell, thanks for the good vibes - the Gem cluster really is a lovely thing, both photographically or visually. I was astounded how much nebulosity was lurking behind it when going deep with the Ha & O3

Originally Posted by strongmanmike

Oi!...You didn't just plonk the subject in the middle, did you?

Seriously though, a great looking Gabby region there Andy you sure got plenty of nebulosity and loving all the striations and wisps

Very nicely done

Mike

Ha Ha! Got me there Mike well almost, was a real challenge to get some kind of 'rule of thirds' type composition with this one!

Thanks for your encouraging words

Originally Posted by marc4darkskies

Yep. I'll definitely pay that one Andy! Chalk & cheese compared to the earlier effort.

The colour palette doesn't poke me in the eyes and smack me in the face. It's quite pleasing. Also, I see no sign of AI sharpening - no artefacts (that I can see) and it looks "natural" & unforced. Am I right or are you just being very selective in it's application?

Very nice work!

Thanks heaps Marcus - relieved to have passed your AI test
I guess it's like any kid with a new toy, play with it to death at first, then learn to use it selectively. Seems to be working pretty well now

[Kuz]

Hi Andy . Gladstone sure has changed over the years mate . My family moved here in 1975 when I was only 4 . I still can't get over the cloud cover at night lately hardly a cloud in the sky during the day and then clouds all night. Lucky I live far
Enough from QAL . So I still have borte 4 skys . Place is booming as usual . Look forward to your next rendition.

[PKay (Peter)]

She is very pretty, however the jewels are missing the sapphires.

The nebulosity is beautiful Andy.

Well done, but more (or less) to do on the stars.

Easy for me to say, I don't have the skills.

But you do...

[JA]

Superb Image Andy.

The sharpness especially evident at the "cave entrance" is set-off really well against the softer billowy textures in the cloud and together with the red/bluish transition create a credible sense of depth /3D effect. I had a nice sail through the clouds of the high res....It was definitely worth the investment in time.

Best
JA

[Andy01 (Andy)]

Originally Posted by Kuz

Hi Andy . Gladstone sure has changed over the years mate . My family moved here in 1975 when I was only 4 . I still can't get over the cloud cover at night lately hardly a cloud in the sky during the day and then clouds all night. Lucky I live far
Enough from QAL . So I still have borte 4 skys . Place is booming as usual . Look forward to your next rendition.

Cheers Kuz, I left in 1974, sure was a different town in 2019!

Originally Posted by PKay

She is very pretty, however the jewels are missing the sapphires.

The nebulosity is beautiful Andy.

Well done, but more (or less) to do on the stars.

Easy for me to say, I don't have the skills.

But you do...

Cheers & thanks for your confidence in my abilities Peter, but I would likely need to have dark skies to get better stars. My Bortle 6 suburban backyard skies are a challenge for LRGB. That said, I'm working on a new technique so you never know.

Originally Posted by JA

Superb Image Andy.

The sharpness especially evident at the "cave entrance" is set-off really well against the softer billowy textures in the cloud and together with the red/bluish transition create a credible sense of depth /3D effect. I had a nice sail through the clouds of the high res....It was definitely worth the investment in time.

Best
JA

Many thanks JA for your very positive feedback and delighted that you enjoyed the high res journey!