The Pleiades

[CapturingTheNight]

First time imaging the Pleiades. I'm discovering the joys (not) of imaging with a DSLR in warmer weather. I miss the cold!
Didn't get as much time as I would normally like on this object, primarily due to my body demanding sleep. I had to wait until the moon set at about 11pm before I could even start imaging. Need a lot more data on this to bring out all that faint dust. I messed up the framing of the cluster and as a result I may have missed one or two of the stars. It's a tight fit in my telescopes field of view. Tracking/polar allignment could also have been a bit better. On the plus side I have been trying to fix my double diffraction spike problem lately and I think I have finally sorted out the issue. Still needs a minor adjustement or two but it is much better than what it has been.
Critique very welcome.

Cheers

Greg

31/10/2011
Canon EOS 1000D
Baader Coma Corrector
10 inch (25cm) F/4 Newtonian Reflector Telescope
NEQ6 PRO Computerised Goto Mount
Orion 80mm ShortTube Guide Scope
Synguider Autoguider
16 X 5 minute exposures (1 hour 20 minutes total exposure time)
ISO 800
Dark Frames subtracted (15 X 5min)
Images stacked and alligned in Deep Sky Stacker
Final processing in Photoshop Elements 8.0
103229

[bmitchell82]

Not bad at all Greg,

Processing looks to be pretty much on the money though i would have thought that you could extract a little bit more data from the nebulosity at a 5 minute shot.

A little trick that i do just to see what is there is way way over strech the image, look at what is there then undo and process towards that. you will know when you have pushed it too far but at least you know what the image actually holds!

Love the defraction spikes too :) very tasty!

BM

[midnight]

Very nice Greg. Like the nebulosity you've captured.

How are you finding the Synguider? I have the Celestron clone (both are identical apparently) and find it quite handy.

Darrin...

[jjjnettie]

I feel your pain re. dslr imaging in warmer weather.
A lovely image all the same :D

[Ross G]

Hi Greg,

A very good photo.

Nice colours.

I have a modded 350d and 1000d.
I found using ICNR rather than seperate darks helped a bit with the noise, especially with warmer weather.

Ross.

[CapturingTheNight]

Thank you very much for the great feedback and suggestions Brendan :D In regards to the lack of nebulosity, I had to back of the stretching a little to hide a couple of Baader MPCC reflections on a couple of those stars. If you look hard enough you can just make them out. If I stretched it more they became to obvious.......oh and thank you once again for the spider vein help. As you can see I have it pretty much sorted now. The secondary mirror was certainly pulled to one side.

Thank you very much Darrin :D I really like the synguider now that I know how to use it properly. Did take a while to learn it and be comfortable with it. Having said that, it's the only guider I have used so I have nothing to compare it to. I love that it is self contained meaning I don't have to run a laptop in the field.

Thank you very much JJJ :D I got my astrophotography setup at the start of winter so this warmer weather is all new to me.

Thank you very much Ross :D I will certainly have to try your in camera noise reduction suggestion. It might be the way to go over summer. Of course it will double the time that I need to spend outside on an object (i have been just doing lights and then packing up and leaving my camera doing darks while I get some shut eye), but if it can help with the noise better then it will be worth it. :thumbsup:

[astronobob]

A striking result with the spikes, good neb details, have some great whispy's in there, I Like It !

[strongmanmike]

I like this Greg, looks to be some vignetting? did you use flats? Overall a very pleasing image though :thumbsup:

Mike

[prokyon]

Good start, Greg! As you said, more data will do it!

Werner

[A23649]

Warmer weather? You're obviously not in Canberra, it freezing over here. Only about 15 degrees :cold:. I also hope you can pump more data into that set as well.

Cheers,
Nathan

[CapturingTheNight]

Thank you so much for the great feedback Bob :D Glad you like it.

Thank you very much Mike :D Yes there is certainly some vignetting. I didn't use flats. Better get on to that......

Thanks Werner :D Hopefully get some good weather soon to get back out under the night skies

Thank you very much Nathan :D It was hot when I did this shot, but yes it has been a bit chilly over this side of the mountains as well lately.