This Lobster's going in the pot!!!!

[dugnsuz]

Hello all...
Had it up to here with bad weather and my so-so data on this object...
Lobster Nebula NGC 6357).

Had hoped to get a load of Ha data but weather has not played along.
Also went back and cast a more critical eye over my 3hrs worth of RGB data, eventually ending up with just 90mins of decent subs.

So, I've labored over this too long and have decided to call it a day.

Final image is a combination of 60mins Ha and 90mins RGB data.

Cheers and goodnight!!

High Res...
http://s327.photobucket.com/albums/k461/doug-robertson/?action=view&current=22c.jpg

Doug:thumbsup:

[leon]

Hey Doug mate, it sure is red, but having a good look at it it seems you have captured some fine detail in that image, although you didn't get all the time on it that you had hoped. :sadeyes:

I know mate the weather has been crap for ages, so considering what you have had to put up with I reckon it came out pretty well, maybe a bit red, but fine shooting mate. ;)

By the way I thought that was called crab nebula :shrug:

Leon :thumbsup:

[dugnsuz]

Cheers leon, I've cut back the red in the High Res image a bit now...as I said, gone a bit stir crazy being cooped up with this image for a few weeks!!!!

This ain't the Crab mate - that's M1 in Taurus, a different crustacean altogether! This lobster is in Scorpius.
Doug

[Lester]

Nice image Doug, although still looks a bit over cooked to me.

[Hagar]

I like it Doug. The Ha has definitely added to the detail in this image. Lots of fine whispy tendrils. You are not the only one climbing trees with this weather. At least it is a bit clearer here tonight so I an trying some Ha on Eta Carina again with the new baby (FSQ106ED).

It will clear eventually.

[dugnsuz]

Yeah Lester and Doug, I'm giving up - admitting defeat! Beaten by the data!!! Going to try again from scratch when it eventually clears up here - The Lobster and Cats Paw Nebs will be higher in the sky by that time so hope my subs will be better too. Wasn't happy with the original RGB subs - I think my 72mm-77mm step filter ring was causing some artefacts (bad CA on brighter stars) so a ReDo is definately on the cards soon!
And, yes Lester this one has looked overcooked from the very start!!!!!

You can't polish a you-know-what!?

Cheers
Doug

[renormalised]

Great shot:D:D

Needs a dash of salt in the water:P

Mornay sauce??!!:P:D

[jase]

Nice one Doug. I don't mind the deep reds that Ha presents. The difficulty in processing such images is that heavy colour saturation can actually washout details. It becomes a balancing act between good colour depth and contrasting details. This is a good bit of work considering you've also managed to keep the star colours intact. Well done.

[Alchemy]

i said id come back and have a look at the finished product.... i see you have made sure the star colors are in this one. well done.

clive

[gregbradley]

I agree with Jase, Doug. This is not a bad shot at all. That object as I recall is quite red and is probably not the most beautiful neb around but worthy of imaging.

A little bit of star shape correction would help as well. You know, the
darken mode and offset tool routine?

Greg.

[Tamtarn]

Looks good Doug. Using only your best subs made a difference.

We can understand your frustration in not getting more Ha data. The weather over here has been woeful:rain:

[Craig_L]

Better a cooked lobster than a raw one. And you have done a good job with the star colour. On to the next one.

[dugnsuz]

I left myself wide open for that one!!! Cheers:lol:



Thanks jase - in some defense of my processing abilities, I do feel that I was hampered a bit by some artefacts in the original subs. I had to use a 72mm LPS2 filter on a step ring to fit the 77mm diameter of the 300mm f4L lens. That and the added 1.4x extender caused some major CA and asymmetry around the brighter stars. I've attached a stretched crop of the central area of the nebula to illustrate - this is from a single sub.
I felt there was something "off" about the stacked RGB from the start, but persevered as I've got nothing else to play with at the moment!!!!



Cheers Clive:thumbsup:



Thanks Greg - yeah it's an ugly little critter and no mistake!!! I think for the re-do I'll lose the extender, drop back to 300mm and image the whole Cat'sPaw/Lobster area - probably make a much more pleasing shot.

Have a look at the attached crop - that's a fair bit of cosmetic surgery needed on the stars Greg!!!;)


Thankyou B&D - I've found that the more critical approach is the only way to go now. I could never be happy with an image I know that had some dodgy stuff I knowingly stuck in it somewhere.
It's so hard being a perfectionist!!!!!:P:P:P:lol::lol:: lol::rolleyes:

Thanks for all the comments - much appreciated.
Doug:thumbsup:

[dugnsuz]

Absolutely Craig, Thanks:thumbsup:

[leon]

This ain't the Crab mate - that's M1 in Taurus, a different crustacean altogether! This lobster is in Scorpius.
Doug

So it is Doug, :whistle: but I can remember this one imaged buy our Eric, some time ago, and he did name it Crab Neb, not The Crab Nebula, so since then when I happen to image it I did call it that. :doh:

I stand corrected mate, still nice shooting though. ;) it seems that it comes with a name of War and Peace as well.

Leon :thumbsup:

[multiweb]

Very cool Doug. Nearly missed that one. Really nice blend and loads of details in the neb. You got the star colours too. Spot on :thumbsup:

[dugnsuz]

Thanks Marc - you guys are starting to convince me that it's not as bad as I thought!!! (twisted my tenses there - but you know what I mean!!)
Cheers
Doug:thumbsup:

[TrevorW]

Nice one Dougie keep up the crustaceon theme