This new moon was a solid sort of week. As well as the M42 image I posted earlier (http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/s...d.php?t=187567) I was able to gather data on the witches head (21 X 600 second subs with the SVX80T and ASI2600 but I need to re frame and re shoot to get rid of light from Rigel)
At the same time, with the C925 and ASI294 I got some final data on Fornax A and B, and a good start on an image of NGC1398.
Thank you both, I am pretty happy with the couple of nights work there.
I like the witches head but I think I will have to mosaic it, one with Rigel in frame to avoid the flare, and a second panel with it further out of frame to hopefully eliminate the flaring that way too, then crop it for what I want. I mainly imaged that to see how the ASI2600 would go on a darker target, the flat framing issue in the ASI294 made targets like that frustrating as very heavy stretching for fainter reflection nebulae or dark nebs would reveal an odd colour cast to the background that appears to be unfixable.
I like the witches head but I think I will have to mosaic it, one with Rigel in frame to avoid the flare, and a second panel with it further out of frame to hopefully eliminate the flaring that way too, then crop it for what I want.
All three look really good but I particularly like the Witches Head. I tried to image the same target a few nights ago with the same camera but with a smaller FOV and Rigel a bit further out of the field. It gave me some horrible streaks. I've attached a really quick and dirty process to show the streaks. I was planning to image again and try to move Rigel further out but looking at your image I wonder if it be better to move Rigel more into frame?
What are you using for integration/stacking? I have had some success when I had reflections like that in using extreme dithering between subs (Which will likely move the streaks around) and making a mosaic with the offending star in view (Getting rid of the streaks) The net result was a pretty fair elimination of them.
What I am going to try with this one is a mosaic of two panels, one aimed further from Rigel to hopefully get rid of the flare of light, and another with Rigel just in frame (Which should also be flare free) if that works I can then crop Rigel out of the final image.
Three good results there Paul. That Godly ray of light shooting straight at the wicked witch is kinda' a cool, I love NGC 1398, reminds me of a dream catcher 1316/17 is good too but seems just a bit blue to me?
Thanks Mike, could be off colours wise with the Fornax twins, I have never imaged those before so the colour was a bit of a guess. I am using APP and it is usually pretty good with OSC data. I might try it again with a really heavy stretch when I do the background calibration step to make sure I didn't perhaps include any of the faint shells of Fornax A in the background cal. If you do that it can skew the colours.
I aimed at 1398 on a whim while waiting for something else, I reckon I need to have a red hot go at it, it is a really pretty galaxy.
Overall I think I need to find some money to retire the SCT for something more suitable though, it just lacks that ultimate sharpness. I can see some major rejigging going on in future. Like a new newt for smaller image scales that the SCT is doing now, and a new OAG setup for my SVX80 so it can go back on my Orion AZEQ6 clone (Which would surely struggle with a decent sized newt though it carries the SCT and guides to around 0.6") and the new newt to go on the Ioptron CEM70 which has currently got my SVX80 on it, it looks tiny on there.
The SCT and Orion mount are officially my sons now, but he would not complain if I swap the scope out for something better. We share the data on those and he is learning to drive Voyager so he can capture his own with less help from me (He is 12)
What are you using for integration/stacking? I have had some success when I had reflections like that in using extreme dithering between subs (Which will likely move the streaks around) and making a mosaic with the offending star in view (Getting rid of the streaks) The net result was a pretty fair elimination of them.
What I am going to try with this one is a mosaic of two panels, one aimed further from Rigel to hopefully get rid of the flare of light, and another with Rigel just in frame (Which should also be flare free) if that works I can then crop Rigel out of the final image.
I am using Pixinsight for the entire workflow (with medium dithering during acquisition). I imaged the Witch head with the same Esprit but an ASI1600mm a couple of years ago. The fov was smaller and Rigel was well out of field and not a problem. I might experiment with Rigel in frame as well as further out and see what happens.
1316/17 is good too but seems just a bit blue to me?
Mike
I have not put this up anywhere in high res yet, but how about now? I retried the colour calibration process in APP to be sure the edges of the shells were not included in any of the steps. I have not settled on any sort of reference image there yet, googling Fornax A I come up with everything from even more blue than my first go to relentlessly brown from edge to edge, including that ring of blue stars that stands out so well in Fornax B in Mikes image. I am still showing a bit more blue in the shells than Mikes most excellent image..
Thanks all for the comments on the other shots. I am in two minds about how to redo the witches head, on the one hand I could make the ray of light a feature and just get a lot more data to smooth it out, and on the other I could work to try to get rid of it by fair means of foul. The one thing I don't want to be doing is getting out the clone tool in PS. That is not in my ethos, so to speak.
1316/17 is good too but seems just a bit blue to me?
