M51 ultra wide field and cropped version

[Paramount]

Hi all
Finally managed to get a clear night after over a month of bad weather and work. This is my first outing using the matched field flattener for my TMB so the widefield image has not been cropped. There was bad light pollution and plenty of sky glow where I lived so I have used Gradient Xterminator to try and get rid of the gradient that plagued most of the image. Only a slight levels adjustment was used, no curves. One iteration of local contrast enhancement using Noels tools was used as well. The image is made up of 60x2 minutes unguided. No filters were used as I am waiting delivery of adapters to connect my filter wheel into this set up.
Higher quality images are available on my website www.imagingtheheavens.co.uk (http://www.imagingtheheavens.co.uk/)
Thanks for looking
Kind regards and clear night to all
Gordon
:)

http://www.imagingtheheavens.co.uk/USERIMAGES/M51.jpg

http://www.imagingtheheavens.co.uk/USERIMAGES/M51crop.jpg

[iceman]

Some excellent detail there, Gordon. Looks like you need to use some flats though!

[DavidH]

Yes, and an interesting subject, too.

Mike, for the unititiated, what features in this image lead to the conclusion that flats would be a good idea. My inexperienced eye can't see too much wrong at all.

Regards,
David.

[Zuts]

Hi,

Nice image with good detail. Maybe Mike is talking about a few dust bunnies as I can see some splotches near the center of the image ?

Recently this forum discovered that the tarantula was not blue, these days we are discovering that flats are good, so take some and we will get off your back :)

Paul

[Matty P]

Excellent image Gordon, good detail.

Well done.