M45

[Tandum]

Here's another one from 10 chain hill.

I've given up trying to get rid of the filter reflections and compensating for bad flats, I just can't do it, so here it is.

FS102 @ F6, QHY8. 4x600sec 8x300sec.

[telemarker]

I think its a good image, well framed and shows heaps of the cluster's nebulosity really well.

[troypiggo]

Beautiful and deep. I can't get enough of this cluster.

[strongmanmike]

Mate that's excellent Robin

The halos are not that bad really, such optial effects are tolerable

What filters are you using?

Mike

[Tandum]

Yeah, caught lots of wispy stuff, I sort of wonder how much of it is reflections :)

The filter is the front optical window Mike, it's a qhy8 osc from a dark site.

[pmrid]

Hey Robin, that has real texture. Darn nice.
Peter

[jjjnettie]

It's a beautiful image Robin, one to be proud of.

[strongmanmike]

Are you using a flattener? If so this is most likely the problem ie back reflection off the optical window onto the flattener and back down onto the chip.

Do you see such halos without the FF?

Mike

[AlexN]

Mike - That halo is common place for a QHY8.. I got that using the QHY8 with newtonians, no glass in the optical path apart from the QHY8's filter window.. I got it with all the scopes I used the QHY8 in, and it mysteriously disappeared in the C11 when I changed from the QHY8 to the SBIG... I saw similar reflections in the Orion SS Pro, but smaller because the optical window on the Orion camera is smaller. This makes me wonder if the Microlens on the Sony sensors is somewhat reflective, and bounces light back onto the filter window, or if the glass used in these budget cameras optical window is perhaps not coated as well as other cameras...

Robin, I wouldn't worry about the reflections.. its not a big deal, and the image looks sensational... Whats more, I don't see reflections like this from any QHY9 users, so you'll soon be rid of this plague :)

Great work mate... You've produced some really nice work of late..

[strongmanmike]

Fair enough

Mike

[Tandum]

Yeah, it's the optic window, if you remove the original low profile nosepiece, which looks to have the window glued into it and put on a normal t-thread to 2" nosepiece with a 2" IR filter on the end, thereby moving the filter further from the sensor, the halo gets bigger but a whole lot weaker. That basically solves the problem, however it may introduce frosting problems as the camber is now a lot bigger and not sealed as well, the filter will leak. Sort of a Catch 22. But it's only there with bright stars anyway.

Glad you all like it.

[Garyh]

Looks very pleasing Robin! even with the halos. Nothing a little bit more time in PS to remove!
Nice! :thumbsup:

[iceman]

Beautiful result, Robin!

[Omaroo]

Excellent image Robin. This is a hard one to see decent results from, and I reckon yours is a corker.

One for the 2010 Compendium! :)

[AlexN]

Congratulations on a well deserved Image Of The Week Robin!! :)

[Tandum]

Cheers guys, I hope it wasn't a mistake to sell that camera :P

[Octane]

Onya, Robin!

Great image, and, I am liking the composition, too.

Just a pity about the reflections and noise towards edges. Did you have to stretch hard?

Regards,
Humayun

[Tandum]

I've been using maxim's ddp filter of late before going to PS. It's always been a bit hit and miss on qhy8 images but fiddling with settings in deep sky stacker seems to be improving the hit rate :)

[Paul Haese]

Robin, this image has to be one of the best I have seen come from this camera series. Generally I reckon the images from the QHY8 look flat or just not quite right but I really like the treatment of the data. The colour balance is very nice and the detail in the nebulosity is great. Well done to a lovely image.

[RobF]

Wow. I'd been away and missed this one. Great shooting Robin!! :thumbsup: