Lovejoy from 16th and 17th of January

[multiweb]

Here's my two shots that I've finally managed to process. They're about the same amount of integration time: 50x1min for the first one and 20x2min for the second one. Taken with an FSQ106N and a QHY8 over two nights. Focus is a little soft in the first one, better in the second batch. I need a couple more comets to nail the processing. Getting there...

Bigger ones here (https://onedrive.live.com/?cid=6930D3AD12D5044C&id=6930D3AD12D5044C%211432&v=3)and here (https://onedrive.live.com/?cid=6930D3AD12D5044C&id=6930D3AD12D5044C%211433&v=3).
Enjoy the views. :thumbsup:

[paul71]

Very nice indeed Marc !

[Phoenix]

Very Nice Marc - the second is a ripper. Nice tail detail.

Steve

[h0ughy]

i am green with envy - bloody brilliant

[Ross G]

Hi Marc,

Two brilliant comet photos!

I love the colours and they are so detailed and sharp.....especially the second one. (...TAK sharp as they say!;)..)

Looks like you have nailed the "comet processing".

Good luck.

Ross.

[byronpaul]

Marc,

Brilliant images .... Bet you're loving that FSQ :)

Noticed you used the QHY8 for these images. What camera drivers and windows OS are you using on your imaging PC.

Paul

[multiweb]

Thanks Paul.:thumbsup:


Thanks Steve. :thumbsup:Yeah I like the second one better. The longer subs brought up better colors in the background.

Thanks David.:thumbsup:

Thanks Ross. :thumbsup: Processing is getting easier but still not 100% with data acquisition either. Need to try other methods to make the processing less painful. I'll post a link to a reduced PSD sometime today so people can have a look at the layers and one way of doing it.



Thanks Paul. :thumbsup: Yeah having a blast. Absolutely loving that scope. I'm not worthy. :lol:
I use an old QHY8. First model that came out in 2007 I think. It's a pretty old camera. About 7 or 8 years. No TEC. I still use Tom's drivers in Nebulosity 2. I've always used Nebulosity for my data acquisition with PHD since I've started in the hobby. If it ain't broke.... windows 7 home 64bit, 8GB RAM. I use a small HP notebook. No frills. $500 or there about.

[zardos123]

very very nice, detail is superb...... love it:thumbsup:
regards brad

[cometcatcher]

Brilliant top quality images Marc. :thumbsup:

[pluto]

Those are excellent Marc, great work! :)

[multiweb]

Thanks a lot guys. :thumbsup:

[strongmanmike]

Yeah these are good Marc, nice work :)

Mike

[Star Catcher]

Great job Marc, lovely images!
Ted

[multiweb]

Thanks again guys. :thumbsup:

[Rod771]

Wow!

Really nice shots Marc! Very smooth, well done! :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

[Paul Haese]

Well done Marc. The tail detail is well defined and sharp. Like you I found processing a little different. The damn comet moves so quickly the tail smooths out too much. Like you I am looking forward to the next comet. Perhaps there will be another great comet. Its been a little while now since Terry's great comet.

[multiweb]

Thanks a lot Rod. :thumbsup:



Thanks Paul. Yes I agree with you. I think the issue was that Q2 was moving a lot faster than 'average'. I PMd Damian Peach and he said he used 2min subs bin2x2 with a STL11k for the lum. He got some really cool details in the tail and even managed to mosaic it. I guess if you have a sensitive camera with low readout noise then you can get away with it.

My QHY8 is very very noisy for anything under 5min. A quality DSLR would have been more suited like what Phil Hart did. For the next comet I'm going to approach all this in a totally different way. I'll image with the FSQ still, but I will guide with a piggy backed 90mm refractor of the same FL (600mm) on the comet nucleus itself, then do 5min exposures at least and see what comes out.

[yoda776]

Awesome images. One day I would be happy if I could take shots half as good as these are. Great job! :thumbsup: