Helix 7hrs NB

[Andy01]

Hi everyone,

Finally finished my first NB image on the new QSI wsg-8.
4hrs 5nm Ha (red) + 3hrs 5nm O3 (blue) processed with synth green.
Loving these Astrodon filters!
NB is a new challenge for me, lots to learn still but pretty cool.
Thanks for your input & critique, it's the only way I'll improve - keep it coming!

High res here....http://www.astrobin.com/full/132970/0/

Cheers
Andy

[Placidus]

Hi, Andy,

Off to a good start. I suspect you might be able to squeeze a tiny bit more out of the bright central features. I notice that the stars are really very tight and sharp, so your focus and guiding are good, and I notice that you've got some very faint features in there, and they're not at all gritty, so your depth is good, but the very brightest features in the middle look blurry and posterized. I'd guess that you've perhaps pushed the outer stuff pretty hard, and also noise filtered it. That's fine, and correct, but you need to protect the bright inner stuff to stop it getting burned out, posterized, and blurred in the process. Suggestion: produce two versions, one exactly as is, and another processed just to bring out the sharpest detail in the "iris". Then use PhotoShop layers and masks to combine the two, taking the faint outer features from one, and the bright sharp inner features from the other.

Best,
Mike

[Rex]

Nice Job Andy, :thumbsup:. The detail in the outer neb is really quite defined. I would be interested to see the outcome of Mike suggestions above.

[Andy01]

Thanks Mike (and Rex) for your comprehensive feedback and suggestions.
As you are one of the kings of narrowband, and the Helix guru- I doff my hat to you sir, and really appreciate your input. :thumbsup:

That's a good idea and I'll be sure give it a go. (You should see my already crazy extended PS layer palette on this one :)). I suspect though that yet more O3 data will also be needed to bring out those classic radial stripes.

Seems there's no substitute for extra photons!

Warmly
Andy

[Ross G]

A very good photo Andy.

You have some nice detail.

Good luck with it.

Ross.

[Andy01]

Mike,

Ok - took a while to get to back this but here we go.
Revised processing to add more contrast and detail to the OIII centre section of the Iris. it's an even more realistic looking eyeball now. :)
I hope you like it, thanks for the tip.:thumbsup:

High Res here ... http://www.astrobin.com/full/132970/B/

Thanks for looking.

[pluto]

That's looking good!
I agree with Mike that I think there's more to get from this data. Our setups are similar and your Ha looks at least as deep as the Ha in my version of this and, given that your stars are pretty tight, I'd be surprised if you didn't have the same kind of detail. Like Mike said it looks like a bit too much noise reduction in the bright bits. :)

[FlashDrive]

Wow ...eye in the Sky .... well done.

Col....