Color image M42 my first

[Striker]

Even though I am planning to mainly image with Luminance until I get more of an understanding how this ccd stuff works.

I couldn't resist trying out my color filters for the first time on this easy target.

I'm telling you this is whole lot of work. this image took 4 times longer then it would have with a DSLR....and a hell of alot more processing.
Data was collected over 4 brief sessions then you have to somehow combine all your data and hope it looks ok...hehehe

Flats, Bias and Dark frame calibrated with each channel

Not as sharp as I would have liked but its not easy imaging at 2500mm F10..well for me anyway.

LRGB 50:40:40:40 all 2x2 binning
5 minute exposures autoguided with internal guide chip.

I'm happy that I could atleast complete the image and it looks like the orion but not that thrilled for the amount of time I put into it.

Looks like I have plenty to work on....I have to keep reminding myself just small step Tony...lol

Scope 10"LX200R with STL11000 on G11

[stephenmcnelley]

Hey that is really spectacular, love the contrast in the cloudy bits. I dont really know much about astro photos but that is very impressive:thumbsup:

[xstream]

Whoa Tony!
I have to agree with Stephen, that is one impressive image for a first time colour. :thumbsup:

What are your images going to be like with some practice? ;)

[Phil]

great stuff and the STL-11000m keeps you on your toes. It is worth everything you put into it. It will only get beter and beter as time goes on.

[spearo]

Tony,
it's definitely progress and the camera picks up nice nebulosity without a burn out of the core.

what do you make of the small dark/"negative"(?) stars in the nebulosity?? see mid height left of center of the shot and towards the bottom

odd

then again with your setup, it wouldn't surprise me that you've managed to image dark energy
:]
frank

[[1ponders]]

Fabulous start Tony :cool2: Looks like many long lonely nights coming up :lol:

[acropolite]

Great Start Tony. :thumbsup:

[FOOTPRINT]

Hi Tony,
Very good, and thats a mighty setup you have there, The LX200R and that Camera the 11000 is top of the range, if thats your first picture of M42 with that setup, you will be up with the Pros. soon, I might suggest an F-3.3 Focal reducer (not expensive for SCTs) and then you would get the whole M42 in, but the setup you have now would be fantastic for ngc-1365 at a good position now for early evening imaging (although theres a moon waxing), anyway that Camera is as good as they come, so wishing you all the best.

cheers....Jim

[iceman]

Man lots of focal length, definitely adds to the difficulty.

Great image given the steep learning curve. I know you'll master it in time.

Try that with your 8" dob :)

[Ric]

Hi Tony, what a beauty, lots of fine nebulosity, detail and great colour.

a great image

[h0ughy]

well, lets see, how long would you have taken if you still had the 350D modded cooled camera? but would it have been as nice?

[Striker]

Thanks Guys,

Frank..I would say its more bad processing then anything

Jim,

yes the STL is a nice camera but it's far from top of the range...probably closer to bottom of the range specialy in QE sensativity...your paying more for the size of the chip being 35mm format

Regarding a focal reducer..its not that easy...if I used the Meade 6.3 fr I would loose more then half the image due to severe vignetting the 3.3 would be unuseable for these chips.

I tried the Lumicon FR which has a 80mm focal reducer at F7 last night....thats about as good as it gets in large format focal reducers and with that I still lost a lot FOV...below is a pic of the fov I lose with an 80mm Diameter FR..imagine what would be lost using a Meade 48mm fr.

[RB]

Tony that's a great start mate !
It's not as easy as it looks especially when we're used to using DSLR's.

Anyway mate it won't be long before you'll be churning out stunners for the SBig and Meade catalogues again.

Well done
:thumbsup:

[Striker]

Thanks Andrew Houghy Ric Mike Paul Stephan John and Phil and everyone else I may have missed....lol

Even though there is detail in this image I can't see with my M42 DSLR image.....The DSLR image is not far behind it and was much easier to take.

[Dennis]

Hi Tony

You're off to a flying start and with the permanent set up in the observatory, you'll soon master the work flow process and there will be no looking back. Great 1st light image, especially at 2.5 metres.

Cheers

Dennis

[seeker372011]

for a first colour image that's a great start...keep 'em coming, its great to vicariously travel with you as you journey along this particular learning curve

[davidpretorius]

tony, wonderful texture. I really really love it!

[janoskiss]

Nice colours. Just like Ken describes he sees them in his 12" (but I don't :().

[FOOTPRINT]

Hi Tony,
Yes I should have realized the chip was that big, and a problem getting a wide FOV from SCTs, I have the same problem with my LX200-10" and the Canon EOS300D (smaller chip than your Camera) no focal reducer works that I have tried, im looking into the "William Optics" 0.8 Focal reducer made for their 66mm refractors to see if this is of any use on the SCT, seems you are in the same situation as I am, The SCT at prime focus only, and the ED80 or Lenses for the rest, The Meade/Celestron F-6.3 reducer works with the ED80 (some coma at the edges but not bad).
I would really like to see what you can do with Galaxy ngc-1365 and that setup, ive tried a prime focus using the LX200 + Canon but the noise beat me for a good picture, that ST-11000 should shine at this task.

cheers.................Jim

[Garyh]

Nice job Tony, lots of detail there!!, your on your way with the learning!!!
Just curious are those little black spots from hot pixels?
Cheers Gary

[Striker]

Thanks Gary,

Yes that what I think anyway...like I said the images were taken over a few different nights so the darks I originaly took may not be perfect..anyway your not suppose to point them out...lol

[atalas]

Nice shot Tony...looking forward to seeing many more from this beast of a camera mate.

[Striker]

Thanks Louie,

I did mask a less exposed imaged {20 seconds} to see the trapezium but the image I used was still overexposed but much less then the 5 minute exposures I used for the image.

Thanks for your help on this.

[atalas]

Tony,try selecting the Trap area with a magic wond or one of the other marque tools,expand and feather the area and then use curves to lower the intencity until the trap stars are revealed. (Mid slider in Levels will do the same)
Don't worry If you go too far because you will use the Fade Tool in the edit menu to get a more pleasing blend.
I think that If you find the right amount to feather you will get a good result asuming that the exposure you are using is not saturated.

[Striker]

Thank Louie,

I'm having a play now.

[Ken]

Great first image. Your right these large chip ccd's demand alot of your equipment, skills and processing time compared to DSLR but the final product is worth it. Clear skies Ken.

[skeltz]

tony keep at it,you,ll get the hang of it, proccessings the hard part, the stl11000 will leave the dslr,s in its wake,
looks like you have a issue in your tracking though..might need to do a drift align maybe?Me myself i have a stl11000 coming..gonna use it with me titan 50 and taka fs102 and by the way HELLO EVERYONE THIS IS MY FIRST POSTING ON THIS GROUP CLEAR SKY,S TO ALL ROB

[iceman]

Hi Rob, welcome to IIS!

Be sure to post some of your images!

[Phil]

:lol::lol::lol:came on where is last night photo striker your getting a bit slack

[Striker]

Thanks Rob,
Just curoius where you see the field rotation..are you going off the Orion image or vignetted horse image.

The horsey has a large amount of Vignetting/coma and filed curveture due to the reducer...I cant see any rotation in my Orion at F10.

Even though I dont think I have a perfect polar alignment I would just like to know what your going off.

[Octane]

Tony,

That really is remarkable.

A sure sign of things to come.

I can't wait.

Regards,
Humayun

[skeltz]

Lookm im no expert by a very very long shot but what i noticed in your m42 is that your stars are not all perfectley round,ie they are elongated a bit from top to bottom.Almost like a dec or ra drift.How did you proccess it and how many images did you stack?i am not critising you just trying to be constructive...thats how we all become better. i should know ive got a LOTTTT to learn.....
regarding poler alignment i have spent lots of hours with the ccd perfecting it and i think it is one of the most important thigs to do...just takes a lot of time! cheers all..:thumbsup:

[Striker]

I'm not knocking you.

I am only noob too all this stuff.

but I would have thought this was PE more so then drift...thats all.
I can see while autoguidng I do have movement up and down which I am trying to adjust.

Any help is appreciated Rob.

[skeltz]

Its cool anyway maybe you need a guide scope with a simuler f ratio to your main scope...anyway as i said im bouncing around with plenty of my own probbs,,,,you are not alone!!!!:welcome::eyepop::eyepop:: eyepop:

[Striker]

I'm guiding with the internal guider at 2500mm......lol

I think seeing has to come into it aswell as I am imaging 15minutes from Brisbane City.

I did improve pec a little last night but I still have more to get rid off.

I think you can make yourself go crazy if your after perfection......lol

[atalas]

Tony,one thing you should keep in mind is that guiding at such a long focal length you are bound to chase the seeing ! a lot of people have reported great results with a short focal length guide scope and myself as well at times and that could be because there is less chance of chasing the seeing .

[Striker]

Thats my thinking too Louie,

I will see how it goes guding through the ED80 once I get my guide head...but that could be a long way away....might even be late january.

[thierry]

splendid