Blue Horsehead

[casstony]

This one might inspire me to learn a bit more about processing - the image would look better if the background wasn't stretched and brightened along with the target. I'm happy with it though, it's not the easiest to image.

2 hours with the Redcat 51 (12x7min, 6x5min), D5600 @ ISO400, IDAS D2 filter

[glend]

Thanks for the image Tony. It is a hard one, and really needs a very dark sky and lots of data. It is on my list, with the TS71SDQ, if I ever get back to Bretti or Coolah, and I would use my D5300.

[Icearcher]

Great image Tony, this has been on my short list as well.

How long were your subs?

[casstony]

Thanks guys. I added the subs details to the first post. All of my images are lights only too (recalcitrant I know) :)

[Mickoid]

Nice shot Tony, you seem to be getting out there on consecutive nights, which is good for you. Most of us seem to be picking the gaps within the clouds, Gippsland is obviously the place to be at the moment. Keep them coming while you can!

[casstony]

I've been getting a few hours either side of clouds Mick, but I'm looking at a week of cloudy nights now so nothing new from me for a while. I'm glad I got to give the new scope a good run; the Redcat seems quite good.

[LewisM]

Geez you are churning the goods out Tony! That scope is a keeper - the one you use and win with is the one you keep.

Makes me interested in getting one when the new ones come out.

[casstony]

I reckon the optics will be the same, but they might have different accessories included and I'm guessing a tilt adjuster? It'll be interesting to see.

I was a little concerned about the focusing mechanism but it's more or less as easy to use as a R&P.

[sil]

You should have a read of the light vortex tutorials mate, they show an approach to enhance nebulosity without stretching the stars, A German fellow called Gerard also has a video tutorial on the same where he uses a similar target with dust clouds, might even be this one actually. Both are PixInsight tutorials but that should be irrelevant, read and try the methods and see if you have the same tools available in the software you use. Its about comprehending the techniques. Good to see the good redcat shots you're getting, I was a backer and only posted briefly about my experience. Its an awesome tool and I'll be keen to see their next lens. Also need to get my body modded too (camera as well as actual ;p) failing health has kept me from getting out and grabbing subs. Its just so nice to get such sharp flat stars. Annoyingly going back over my existing sets my final integrated image shows some distortion in the corners not apparent in the subs. Result of field rotation , low distortion plus stacking combining to bring them out. really need to get time to try to see if I can handle one of my tracking mounts. Plus I got my new 3d printer finally assembled and running so been running it 24/7. too many interests, not enough time money or energy, pfft.

go find those tutorials! you have more than enough data already captured to process what you want, its not about more subs or gear at this point its about better targetting in processing. Only parts of the tutes are all you need really.

[casstony]

Thanks for your advice Steve. I recently got Pixinsight but so far only routinely use Histogram Transform and Background Extraction. I've had a cursory look at the techniques needed for this job but haven't got my head around them previously. I have more incentive now though as I expect my image could look appreciably better. I aim to get it figured out over this next rainy week.

[ChrisV]

You're killing me with those beautiful wide fields.

+1 for light vortex. That's where I started. I basically followed the tutorials on my images. I've also found the book inside pixinsight excellent.

[xelasnave]

Great work Tony.
Alex

[Nikolas]

Do you know who this gerard may be and what youtube video may be?

[casstony]

I found this Nik https://www.dropbox.com/s/dw6imbwpq8brvdt/Howto_enhance_nebuala_without_pushi ng_stars.wmv?dl=0

[Nikolas]

Awesome thanks Tony :)

[Ant0nio]

Another lovely image Tony & a not so common DSO, thanks for posting :thumbsup:. You're doing a great job of selecting these widefield targets too.
Cheers,
Tony

[RyanJones]

Nice capture Tony. I looked at this object at some stage last year. It wasn’t long before I realised I was kidding myself that I could capture it. Well done, its not an easy one.

[casstony]

As Glen mentioned above dark sky would make a big difference - I imagine this would be a real struggle from Melbourne Ryan.

I gave the image one run in PI using star masks and pixel math and got only a modest improvement. While winter is still here I might give 10 minute subs a try to bring out more faint stuff (7 min. is the longest I've tried).

Thanks for all the kind comments.