Horsehead (B33) & Flame (NGC 2024) using 2 cameras

RB (Andrew) · #1 20-03-2009, 02:54 PM

Here's my latest effort (taken last month) of the Horsehead and Flame nebulae in the Orion belt region.

I wanted to try something a little different this time to maximize my exposure time so I used two cameras, the 20Da and a standard 20D.
This allowed me to image through one while the other was taking darks and then swap them over and do the same again at 5 frame intervals.
I was thus able to take as many dark frames as light frames for each camera in that space of time.

In the end a total of 20 x 9 min subs were combined (3 hours) at ISO 400, 10 from each camera.
Using the two cameras gave a nice colour balance in the end I think.

The scope used was the TOA 130 guided by PHD using an ST80 and Orion Starshoot autoguider on an EM400 mount.
Stacking was done in Deep Sky Stacker and processed in PS CS3.

Medium size image (900K): http://www.astro-image.org/page/ds/hh.htm

Large size image (1.4MB): http://www.astro-image.org/page/ds/hhlarge.htm

Hope you enjoy.

bluescope · #2 20-03-2009, 03:03 PM

Looks really nice Andrew ... very smooth across the whole fov and lovely detail in the horse head itself in fact throughout the whole image ... well worth the effort. Focus and guiding are spot on.

p.s. How do you make that little popup that stops saving the image.

iceman (Mike) · #3 20-03-2009, 03:03 PM

Oh wow! That is stunning!
Brilliant!

What a novel idea, using 2 cameras. Was this taken at home, RB?

AlexN · #4 20-03-2009, 03:14 PM

Nice Andrew! Real nice!

I would have thought that stacking the images from the two different cameras would have been detrimental to the overall image, as it would have sorted out the median or average of the pixels, and the shots from the 20Da would have been quite a bit brighter (I imagine) than the standard 20D due to the different filter... I would have thought that the 20Da shots would have contained a lot more nebulosity than the 20D shots, and hence, when stacked, the nebulous extension would have been half way between the two... That being said, I could be (and it seems I am) very wrong, as your image has turned out great!

Nice work buddy.
Alex.

Quark (Trevor) · #5 20-03-2009, 03:24 PM

Excellent effort Andrew,

Must agree with you regarding the colour balance achieved by combining data from modded and unmodded cameras. I have a book of David Malins images "The Invisible Universe" and the colours in your image are an excellent match for Davids image, well done and congratulations on thinking outside the square with this effort.

Regards
Trevor

jase (Jason) · #6 20-03-2009, 04:05 PM

Magnificent image RB. Lovely colour balance and detail on this composite. Will be certain to come back to view this a few times to enjoy the scene. Well done.

atalas · #7 20-03-2009, 05:09 PM

Andrew,very nice work dude ! your best yet I think....hopefully will see more deep shots from you.

Bassnut (Fred) · #8 20-03-2009, 05:34 PM

Excellent Andrew, top detail, just a litttttle more selective noise reduction.........

strongmanmike (Michael) · #9 20-03-2009, 05:45 PM

Maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaate!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Nice work....and don't listen to Fred he doesn't like noise in images cause he plays so much of it in his band

Nothing wrong with this image at all, that TOA on a EM400 is a killer! Now if you get a cooled CCD astrocamera.....?....Maaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaate

Mike
just kidding Fred

...ok, maybe could have a little less noise I guess?

leon · #10 20-03-2009, 05:54 PM

Very nice Andrew, magazine stuff, love the high res version, well done indeed.

Leon

multiweb (Marc) · #11 20-03-2009, 06:37 PM

Terrific!

Robbie · #12 20-03-2009, 07:01 PM

That is amazing!!!!! the only thing wrong with it is that I didnt take the shot

h0ughy (David) · #13 20-03-2009, 07:21 PM

no dont like it

- its got nice colour balance

, well layered, nicely processed and i am green with envy

. there is noise

, but thats the nature of the DSLR

unless you have several hours on it

(wonder how it would be to get upwards of 5 and see what the different would be though 3 hours is awesome), might need to do that in the future

? I am gobsmacked that you havent used the doorstop

that you have but continiue to use the guide scope

for this work!

peeb61 (Paul) · #14 20-03-2009, 07:27 PM

Beautiful work Andrew!!

Paul

spacezebra (Petra) · #15 20-03-2009, 08:47 PM

Stunning image Andrew, absolutely stunning!

Cheers Petra d.

Garyh · #16 20-03-2009, 08:50 PM

Love it Andrew! I don`t know how it worked with the 2 cameras but it sure did!
Colors just look right on the dollar!

Screwdriverone (Chris) · #17 20-03-2009, 10:18 PM

Hey Andrew,

I must say....that picture redefines the word WOW!

Absolutely BRILLIANT!

The most astoundingly clear, detailed and vivid astro image I have ever seen.

Run out of superlatives I have!

Fantastic.

Cheers

Chris

marc4darkskies (Marcus) · #18 20-03-2009, 11:00 PM

Very, very nice shot Andrew!!!

Well done!!

Cheers, Marcus

ENVY (Peter) · #19 20-03-2009, 11:12 PM

Andrew

Can't wait for your next post of nebulea's

because to beat this one. Can it be done?

stunning,terrific,amazing

cheers

peter

Tamtarn · #20 20-03-2009, 11:55 PM

Wonderful image Andrew. Everything has come together perfectly on this one

Have to agree with Louie this must be your best. Can't wait to see what you come up with next

D & B