NGC300 with QHY10

[Hagar]

This was a hard one, very very dim and hard to pull the detail up without the noise.

Details: Camera: QHY10 OSC
Scope: Takahashi TSA120 at f7.5
Image Sub frames: 18 X 15 minute subs fully calibrated
and shot over 2 nights.
Software Used: Images Plus, Photoshop.
Total exposure time: 4.5 hours
Image library size including Calibration files: 2.35 GB

Even at this I think I need as much data again to lift the signal and squash the noise level.
An interesting test for the camera. I am quite happy with it so far.

[jjjnettie]

Nice work Doug.
I'm curious to know what that line is across the middle of the image?

[mill]

Pretty good with some noise visible and a satellite trail right thru the middle from left to right.
But as you said it needs more data.

[Hagar]

Hi JJJ. Just a satalite trail smack bang through the middle. I didn't notice it when I captured it all but will get rid of it with the next lot of data that I get and add to it.


Thanks Marty, yes quite a bit more data required and a little better processing should make a difference.

[TheDecepticon]

Hi Doug,

A very good image still! :thumbsup:

:question:Did you sell the QHY9?

Regards,

Gray.:)

[Alchemy]

Very similar to 6744, it takes a ridiculous amount of data to get much from it, even then it tends to be monochromatic.

Tough work, but we like a challenge , don't we.

[Stevec35]

Not bad Doug. NGC 300 is quite a tough one to do well as it has a pretty low surface brightness but you are certainly off to a good start with this data.

Cheers

Steve

[RickS]

Was that taken under dark skies, Doug?

[strongmanmike]

Great result Doug, the noise doesn't bother me really, it has a nice deep galactic look to it with a nice bright glow :thumbsup:

Mike

[h0ughy]

thats because we are photon starved Mike.

great to see how that camera works - did you capture under images plus?

i see you have two different gradients in the image - one green and one red

[Hagar]

Hi Gray, Thanks Mate, No I haven't sold the 9 and don't intend to. I bought the 10 so I have a OSC with reasonable resolving power which will allow me an image during the shorter summer nights. Work is a problem making imaging time short. I will continue to use both.



Thanks Clive but it does give me something to work on.



Thanks Steve, Low surface brightness is an understatement. I can usually see my targets with a 30 sec exposure to frame it but this one was just visible at 30 sec and then only at 2X2.



Hi Rick. Reasonably dark from my backyard.



Thanks Mike, still a way to go with this one just short on time and weather.



Thanks David, The gradients are something I am yet to get to the bottom of. Seems to be something to do with the way these sony chips are read into the computer. Interesting but still a bit to work out.

[gregbradley]

A good image. There is still a lot of processing left to be done on it though.

Gradient correction mainly and then it cleans up nicely. I did a play with it and it came up very nice.

Try Gradient Xterminator on it and then boost the stars colours and overall saturation and then background only noise control.

Its better than what you may think.

Greg.

[RickS]

Hey Doug, PixInsight has some nice (poorly documented ;)) tools for sorting out gradients. DBE works very well!

Cheers,
Rick.

[Hagar]

Thanks Greg, This is just a quick stretch to see where it is going and hopefully a couple more hours of data will add just that bit more to it all.



Thanks Rick, When will you be available to do either a Skype run through or a telephone hook up to guide me through this rather trying undocumented, expensive bit of software. :P

[desler]

Given my previous example of this object, I'd be rapt with what you've got so far. It will end up a very nice image mate! Glad it's all coming together and you can actually see the sky!

Darren

[RickS]

Harry is more eloquent than I could ever be, Doug:
http://www.harrysastroshed.com/pix%20videos/new/DBE/DBE.wmv

Cheers,
Rick.

[mill]

I am doing NGC300 at the moment with the ED80 and man it is a faint sucker even with 10Min luminance.
See what i can suck out of it with the QHY9.
Hopefully my GSO RC8 will arrive tomorrow :)

[Ross G]

A difficult capture Doug and nicely done.

You have a lot of detail...the start of a great photo.


Ross.

[TrevorW]

Nice one Doug

[Paul Haese]

Plenty more data needed, but already looking like a good start to what I hope will be a great image. Certainly a fair bit of noise present, but given the stretching I am not surprised.

Personally I would have gone with longer subs. Narrow aperture really needs long subs in my opinion. It is most likely an issue in your town with light pollution but on those really faint objects with low surface brightness the extra time in a sub works a treat.

Just out of interest is this a crop? It looks to be the case with the star sizes.

Looking forward to the finished result.

[cventer]

Very nice.

I got 2 hours of 10 min subs of this last night from suburbs of Melbourne and the thing barely shows up.

Might be one for a dark sky me thinks.

[Hagar]

Thanks Darren, it's getting there but has a way to go yet.



Thanks Mate, I was expecting an offer from YOU.



Hi Marty, It is a faint sucker. I think you will need a lot of subs to get much out of it.



Thanks Ross



Thanks Trevor, still a work in progress.



Thanks Paul. If I can't get enough with 15 minute subs it ain't going to happen. Yes it's a crop of just the galaxy.



Thanks Chris, It's faint for sure and I don't envy you trying to capture this from Melbourne. I really think I will need about 8 to 10 hours of exposure in 15min subs to do this one any real justice and that is from reasonably dark skies. Good luck.

[bmitchell82]

If 15min subs don't cut it :) increase the aperature :D good shot btw

Brendan

[Hagar]

Thanks Brendan but I'm affraid 120mm is the biggest appature I have so 120 at 15minutes will have to do me at the moment. I will have to just get lots more exposure time overall to make the signal pop above the noise level.
I can of course smooth out the background easy enough but you can't make the galaxy signal jump without more exposure. Looking at another couple ofr hours tonight and maybe a couple more tomorrow if the weather holds.

It's hard imaging one target night after night or in this case, week after week but it is interesting to see the image grow with each additional sub frame.

Thanks again everyone.

[bmitchell82]

hehehe i feel spoilt after having 254mm of mirror to play with even dark nebs show themself at about 20 seconds of exposure :)

Tonight is the first night that i have been able to take a photo since the start of May :) just wetting my toes with a nice little glob then ill ponder over to someting around orion later :) hoooraahhh

Good luck and i look forward to seeing your updated image
BM

[irwjager]

So awesome to think us amateurs can image these kinds of objects these days. That's a great effort Doug.



You kind of can actually, even in the 8-bit JPEG you uploaded. Something like PixInsight or StarTools (and even with PS with some trickery) can lift out larger structures (and larger structures tend to correspond well to a spiral galaxy's arms).

At the end of the day, nothing beats more/longer exposures ofcourse - can't wait to see the final product! :thumbsup: