This months Deep Space Imaging target

[Striker]

HI Guys and Girls,

Nothing has been organised yet but I do want to get a start to the monthy imaging challenge.(not really a challenge)..look at it as more of a educational thread we can all learn off.

The target for August is Helix Nebula NGC 7293

Anyone can post an image no matter what the equipment used...for the time being comments and images will be in the same thread..so keep the spam down please...lol
So anyone who has the helix please post in this thread with a description of how the image was taken.

The more you can contribute to this thread the more educational and successfull this thread will be.....it's up to you guys.
Good luck guys.
Maybe Eric or even Scott can start the thread of seeing you both have recently imaged the Helix.

[h0ughy]

somehow Tony I think I will try to improve on my effort (well lack of) from duckadang http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=15059&d=1153704638 . I will give it another go, I hope my adapter for the 12" meade OTA for the EQ6 comes through soon. i will try with that.

top target of the month too

[EzyStyles]

great idea tony. we need more monthly challenges to encourage ppl into the deep space area. we are catching up to the planet guys with post :D although im getting tracking problems lately, see if i can fix this first :P

[tornado33]

Howdy all, Yes great idia Tony, heres the deepest pic of the Helix Ive been able to manage, the 1.75 hour total one I did a few months back.
Image is 7 x 15 mins ISO 400, UHC-S filter used, with 10 inch F5.6 newtonian, hand off axis guided in the wee hours of the morning.Darks flats etc. processed in IRIS and then Photoshop, masking done as well to stop bright parts burning out.
Scott

[EzyStyles]

here's mine Helix pic from 25th july. used 8" GSO F/4 scope with the DSI II. Autoguided with 4" newt scope with DSI I. UHC-S filter used. consist of 27 x 4 minutes stacked.

[strongmanmike]

I posted this image a while ago but seeing it is the subject of this months imaging challenge, here it is again - reprocessed.

I took 2 hours worth of 5min subexposures through my 6" APO in good seeing with my SXV-H9 cooled CCD camera and used Wolfgang Prompers HaRGB data, taken with a 12" Astrograph, as the colour or "RGB" to complete the final HaHaRGB.

I had to rotate, enlarge and crop (or "co-register") Wolfgangs image to match mine and I did this in Astroart3. I then selected the stars only and used the minimum filter in PS to shrink the stars in Wolfganags image, as he had taken his data in quite poor seeing conditions in Namibia. Becasue I wanted the detail in the final image to come from my higher quality Ha data, I used the guassian blur filter in PS to blur the RGB image. I then used this RGB in an LRGB combine in Astroart3, using my high res Ha data as the Luminance or "L". This LRGB technique means the detail, particularly the fine stuff, in the image is supplied by my Ha Data while the overall colouring is supplied by Wolfgangs data. Apart from a few other minor tweeks and adjustments along the way...there you have it! :D

Hope you enjoy it and just for fun there is the famous Hubble shot to compare it to, so make sure you scroll down (if it doesn't all fit on your screen at once).

http://www.pbase.com/strongmanmike2002/image/62415236/original

Mike :)

[5ash]

first attempt at the helix nebula taken on 14th august
this shot is made up of 4pics @iso800 stacked and 4 pics at iso 1600 stacked exposure 2 minutes unguided and the resulting two pics stacked in registax , levels adjusted in photoshop , noise reduced in neat image and picture finally cropped. Taken using a canon 350d unmodified attached to an Lx90 with a ~f7 homemade focal reducer on an adjustable polar aligned wooden wedge mounted on a pier. telescope was unguided and pictures taken using a homemade interval timer . best pics (no trailing) were stacked.Nothing like the Hubble look alikes i've seen on this forum but best i can do so far with my setup.will try again.
philip

[spearo]

Hi,
I wasn't going to put this one up because I'm not very happy with it but I could never resist a challenge :lol: !

shows some trailing unfortunately...
Oh well... i'll keep trying (spent 3 hours two night ago trying to have another go at but couldn't get a bright enough star for the autoguiding...come to think of it , I would have been better off using the time for a huge number of shorter exposures with no tracking problems stacked up !
:ashamed:
frank

[Garyh]

Hi Everyone, here is my attempt at the Helix last night. Some nice shots so far guys. I only managed 6 pics at 800 iso at 5 min with my canon 300d and televue genesis..:) didn`t come out too bad since my mount was very naughty..:mad2:...
Cheers Gary

[Striker]

I'm still waiting for my camera to turn up...I so hope I get a chance to image the Helix this month.

Great job guys....has anyone got anything they can advise to improve on these images.

Houghy...have you got another finished version...???
Regarding colour...are we looking at more of a red orange ring or redish ring..I would say red-orange with a hint of blue neb in the center and if you lucky enough to go deep then you can get the fainter outer ring such as Scotts shot.
Phillip....some flats with your image will make processing easier and bring out more detail but well done with an unmodified camera.
Gary and Frank..again both nice images just a little to much on the red channel.
Eric yours looks spot on to me....maybe the background is a little too dark but theirs not much in it.
I am only stating my opinion for educational purposes so we can all learn.

keep them coming guys and add your opinion or suggestions at anytime.

I better add my Helix like a good little boy.