Eta Carina (Ha + 60Da)

[MrB]

I was finally able to get out and do some imaging last night, it has felt like ages.

I've not really done any proper Ha imaging before, other than quickly testing the Astronomik 12nm Ha clip-in filter when I bought it. So, I figured I would give it a go.

Ofcourse it had to be Eta Carina :D

This is 90 mins total (9x10), no darks or flats.
Stacked in Astroart v5 and tweaked a little in Photoshop.

Gear used:
Stellarvue SV70ED, Orion 2" Field Flattener, Astronomik 12nm Ha filter, Canon 60Da
Orion ST80, QHY5, EQMOD, PHD

The night was very clear and stable, but there was a lot of dew.
I also had many drama's with the software which ate up a few hours.
After getting everything sorted, the mount had a moment at the end of one sub and the beginning of the next, ... not such a huge loss, except now the FOV had changed considerably so I had to discard 60 mins of subs :mad2:

Anyway, here's my first Ha attempt, I hope you like it :)

Larger Version(Astrobin) http://www.astrobin.com/90125/
Larger Version(PBase) http://www.pbase.com/mrb/image/155204507

[DavidU]

A fine image there, well done.

[ReaPerMan]

Nice Pic Simon, You have some good detail there. Ha can be addictive. The Black and white is so striking.

all the best

Paul

[multiweb]

That's a very nice shot. Focus is spot on and central details outstanding. Once you've tweaked your spacing your whole field should be excellent. :thumbsup:

[MrB]

Thanks David :)


Cheers Paul.
Yes I can see this NB stuff being addictive.
The little SV70 has bad CA so is useless for OSC, so NB it is for the foreseeable future.
I'm hoping to add more Ha data to this, and then have a go with the OIII.


Cheers Marc, and Happy Birthday :)
Yes the field flattener needs to be tweaked. There is also some tilt in the focuser. The original Stellarvue focuser was not usable due to heavy damage by the previous owner.
I machined up an adaptor to mount a Moonlite but adjusting tilt is tedious as it can't be done in-situ (it must be removed, adjusted, replaced, tested, removed again)
Focus could be better, the Moonlite doesn't have a 10x knob. I also need to finish adding the stepper motor so I can check focus between subs without touching the rig and throwing PHD into spasms.

[astronobob]

Grouse going MrB, looking the goods for sure :thumbsup:
I havent imaged for ages either, so not expecting much results when back to it on 1st night :question: so, I say great job to grab the data you have, can be a battle at times huh, credit to ya for soldiering on...
It is a grouse image :thumbsup:

[cazza132]

Wow! Awesome details - especially around the keyhole. Did really well with Ha using a DSLR - normally better suited to the dedicated monochrome astro cams (no Bayer matrix). Just recently bought a few Astronomik clip in filters for a full spectrum 6D (CLS-CCD, 12nm Ha and L) with their new XL Clip filters for full frame cams. I'm finding a bit if darkening on the top and btm of frame, but nothing that can't be fixed in post. How do they go on a 60Da?

[MrB]

Cheers Bob :thumbsup:


Cheers Troy!
I haven't noticed any vignetting with them on the APS-c sized sensor.