Making progress on Orion

Gavin1234 · #1 15-08-2018, 09:56 PM

This is probably my favourite target. I have to get up at 5am to catch it though and don’t get much time on it before sunrise.

I haven’t added any calibration frames yet and still need a lot more data and processing work but I like the way this is turning out. PixInsight can’t reduce the brightness of the core any further so I’m going to get more data and probably start processing over again.

xelasnave · #2 15-08-2018, 10:14 PM

You certainly are making progress.
Maybe some very short exposures for the core but its a great image of which you should be very proud.
We can always do better but its worthwhile to enjoy what you have achieved.
You must print out these early efforts as they are good to look back on and show to friends.
Well done.
Alex

Lee · #3 15-08-2018, 10:51 PM

Looks great, pretty natural processing too.... what equipment are you using?

RyanJones · #4 15-08-2018, 11:21 PM

Great shot Gavin.

The colours look so natural and soft. I'm seeing a few pics of Orion coming up proving that this isn't just a game of late nights but early morning too. With my setup I think I need a little more time to capture anything comparable to this so I'll probably wait another month to get up in the middle of the night.

Re: The blown out core. ( I read somewhere combining varying iso subs helps. I tried it once with my old camera that blew out really easy on high iso settings and it really helped )

multiweb (Marc) · #5 16-08-2018, 09:59 AM

This is looking good. Well done.

Cimitar (Evan) · #6 16-08-2018, 07:20 PM

Looks great Gavin, your images are improving rapidly

A few short subs, combined with a HDR blend, might fix the blown-out core.
You've also got a tad bit of green on the right hand side of your image, it's relatively easy to correct. The SCNR process in PixInsight might do the trick.

Gavin1234 · #7 19-08-2018, 11:38 AM

I’ve spent most of my weekend learning PixInsight and using my subs of Orion as a guinea pig.

This is the latest version of it. I got rid of the light pollution but went a bit too dark on the background.

jimmyh1555 (James) · #8 23-08-2018, 11:03 AM

Hi Gavin! I, too am busy learning PI. I have been at it for 2 months now and only last week got anything resembling a good photo! I also used M42 as a guinea pig, and this was of a single shot taken last year with my Pentax fitted with a GPS unit. Manual lens 85mm, about 80 sec at ISO 1600. Dreadful picture, I know, but I am MOST impressed with PI - I think it knocks all those other software processing programmes for six

PS trying to get file smaller. Cant work it out. My pic is 2.4Meg Try this one - a wide angle shot of Milky way ASI224MC done in PI

jimmyh1555 (James) · #9 23-08-2018, 11:16 AM

I cropped the living daylights out of this picture and this is what I got

Gavin1234 · #10 23-08-2018, 08:10 PM

Nice Work James. I really like the Milky Way shot.

I’m finding that while I’m learning PI I keep going back to PS for certain tasks like levels adjustments. The stacking process seems a lot more complicated too so I’ve gone back to DSS for some shots as well.

sil (Steve) · #11 24-08-2018, 08:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gavin1234

PixInsight can’t reduce the brightness of the core any further

It certainly can! You haven't learnt yet how or how to process in PI. There are different ways to approach it but you should look into learning to use masks and pixelmath. Also read the Light Vortex tutorials. I know Ive seen tutorials too for processing Orion in PixInsight, look for them and try them all!

jimmyh1555 (James) · #12 24-08-2018, 11:39 AM

Thanks, Gavin! That Milky Way shot was taken with the little cheapo screw-in lens that came with the ZWO ASI224-MC. I am really pleased with it. I made up a little bracket to screw on to the 224, then mounted it on my HEQ5 via the ring mount of my XLT150. Looked outrageous I must say. A whacking great wooden pier, then the HEQ5, then the empty XLT150 ring, then the tiny ZWO! I had to mount it right at the front of the mount otherwise I would get half the ring mount in the shot! Didn't even focus it - just screwed in the little lens and it looked OK on the screen in Sharpcap
It was 40 frames at 30sec, gain 180, unguided

I had to crop a little bit on the left, as I had a tree in the FOV which didn't look too photogenic.

Then to really gee it up, there were two prominent nasty red dots in the photo, so I took the .JPG and put it into "Inpaint" and removed the red dots (hot pixels?)

jimmyh1555 (James) · #13 24-08-2018, 11:41 AM

Just realised, those red dots can be seen in the photo I posted. They're GONE now!