M20 Tak 120 New images added

[Hagar]

This image was a quick fill in rather than doing a meridian flip for more data on NGC6559. Should have done the flip but what the hell.

Image details:
Camera: QHY9 with Baader LRGB filters 50,25,25,25
Scope: Takahashi TSA 120
Calibrated and combined in CCDStack.
Destroyed with Photoshop.

The first two are crops and the third is full frame.

High Res Version HERE (http://www.darkskyau.com/cm/displayimage.php?pid=327&fullsize=1)

[DavidU]

Nice Doug, I think you did a great job with the dust detail & balance.
:thumbsup:

[strongmanmike]

I agree with Dave, nicely put together.

I hear you about meridian flips...always think twice when I know I should do it...:lol:..having a PME would be handy on these occassions :question:

Mike

[CoolhandJo]

Superb! Colour sharpness framing and detail! What more can you ask for? :)

[TheDecepticon]

Gee, Doug, I think it is pretty good! Good amount of reflection neb and nice size.:D

[Hagar]

Thanks David



Thanks Mike, MF's are the pitts to get right. At least with CCDStack it is possible to put the flipped image together without to much difficulty. Easier to wait or do an image over a couple of nights



Thanks Paul.



Thanks Gray

[richardo]

Stuff the gem flip Doug, especially when you fill the time in with a great result like this.
Excellent colour and rendition of this favourite to everyone.

Rich

[Hagar]

Thanks Rich. It's always interesting to just profcess again from the bottom up and see what the end result is second time around.

[Stevec35]

Nothing much to say except that's a very nice Trifid.

Cheers

Steve

[Hagar]

Thanks Steve, I must redo this target but with 10 minute subs instead of these 5 minute subs and see if I can capture a bit more of the reflection nebula.

[multiweb]

Nice close up. The colors are spot on. :thumbsup:

[Ross G]

Beautiful, natural colours Doug and so sharp.

A great photo, it shows the quality of your skills and your equipment.


Thanks.


Ross.

[beren]

:thumbsup: very nice Doug....TSA-120 envious :)

[Hagar]

Thanks Marc. I may have got one right..... Colour balance is a bug bear of mine. What looks good today seems off tomorrow.



Thanks Beren The 2 taks I have are lovely scopes.



Thanks for the kind words Ross.

[mill]

Maaate!!!
The high res version is absolutely awesome with a lot of 3D in it.
Well done and you didn't destroy it in photoshop at all (except for the first low res pic with too much sharpening :P ).

[atalas]

Doug,they look great!

[Paul Haese]

Yep having a PME means you can accurately do a meridian flip and only lose a couple of pixels at the edges of the image.

That said, this is quite a nice version of the trifid. Good colours and quite smooth processing.

Just one question though. Why do you have round stars in the top left of the image and all the way around in the other corners the stars have some elongation? Are you using a reducer or flattner? Does the QHY9 have a tilt problem? I see this a lot with images taken with these cameras and wonder is the sensors are not square to the line. It is a minor thing but still getting round stars is the goal of most astorphotographers I would think. Your thoughts Doug?

[Hagar]

Thanks Martin, The high res shows all the good bits of the image but it also shows up all that is bad about it as well.



Thanks Loui. Much appreciated.

[Hagar]

Thanks Paul, an interesting question indeed. One that I haven't really spent a lot of time investigating as yet. I haven't had enough sky to waist tracking it down at the moment but I will say I am inclined to think it is a bit of sag somewhere in the imaging train or focuser somewhere.
I have run a dial guage accross the CCD itself and it seems very close to perfect.

I have added a couple of CCDInspector curvature maps frtom this image and the M17 image which does seem to indicate some inconsistancy in the imaging train somewhere.
Both these images were taken within a couple of days of each other without making any adjustments to the camera or imaging train but just taken at different levels of the sky and different times.

This is something for me to chase up when time allows but with a holiday coming and little chance of clear skies between now and going away I just can't see very much happening soon.

The first image is this image and the second is of M17.

[Paul Haese]

Hmm, looks like a little sag somewhere, but always the question is finding out where. Not that I pay much attention to CCDinspector. I find it often can give inconsistent readings. The second reading for M17 shows what I would say as being near perfect. Maybe just chase up the subs Doug. I know that sometimes when stacking I get some slight elongation from the rotation of the sub, because CCDstack thinks it needs to be rotated just a little, which is completely wrong.

Just checking on your M17, the stars are definitely a nicer shape, so maybe a stacking issue or some slop somewhere in the imageing train. Is everything screw fixed? I noticed that once I went to screw fixing all the way along my stars really improved a lot.

Anyway just teething problems really. Still a nice image all the same Doug.

[Hagar]

It will take me a while to find this one I think. All the imaging train is screwed together. I have the CAA, 72mm spacer, CA35 72 to 54mm, 54mm male to male adapter, filterwheel, 54mm to T adapter then the camera. All screwed up nice and tight. Even the focuser shaft is only extended about 1/2 inch. This being the case and the fact that all adapters are commercially made and not my home made bits it's hard to imagine any of these are at fault. The focuser is a standard Tak R&P 2.7" focuser which feels nice and snug. A bit of work ahead of me I think.

I am not using a flattener at this stage but may have to look at fitting the 35mm flattener and see if this provides some correction.

It's just getting time to try a few things.

[Paul Haese]

Yeah that all seems in order. Threaded together there should be no movement and I would not expect any movement from the focusor. I am using my Tak focusor and not seen any flex yet. If I think of anything I will let you know. If you could keep us in the loop on this I would be most interested. Sometimes it is just the little things that matter. Balance, even cables can create an imbalance.