Tarantula region work in progress

[Lester]

Hi all,

got this one a few nights ago. It is 113 exposures from 10 seconds to 5 minutes taken with Takahashi 160mm F3.3 Astrograph and Astro 40D at ISO 1600.

Large image is full size.
http://i638.photobucket.com/albums/uu109/Lester_045/Nebula%20images/aa361e06.jpg

Small image is about half size
http://i638.photobucket.com/albums/uu109/Lester_045/Nebula%20images/710f4b71.jpg

[midnight]

There's a fair bit of activity going on in there Lester! It's a nice field.

How are you finding the Astro 40D at 1600 ISO?

Cheers,
Darrin...

[ReaPerMan]

Very Nice Pic, I love this Neb.

Merry Xmas

Paul :xmas:

[Lester]

Thanks Darrin and Paul for your comments.
Darrin the Astro 40D is good at ISO 1600 with not much deteriation from ISO 800 to 1600. It does get a lot grainier at ISO 3200 .

Merry Chistmas. All the best.

[RickS]

Great wide-field shots Lester! You should have a go at a mosaic.

[Lester]

Thanks Rick for your comments. There hasn't been enough clear nights in a row for a mosaic. Lucky to get 2 nights per month. Hope it improves soon.

All the best.

[strongmanmike]

Hey Lester, what is an Astro 40D exactly...?

Mike

[TrevorW]

Nice one Lester is there a touch of green in the image ?

[Lester]

Thanks Mike and Trevor for your comments.

Mike a Astro 40D has been modified by Central DS in Korea, filter changed within the camera and a peltier fitted to cool to 17 degrees below ambient.
http://www.centralds.net/en/products-x.htm#astro40d

Hi Trevor I will have another go at processing this image and look at the colour balance.

Thanks, all the best.

[Lester]

I have adjusted the colour slightly.

http://i638.photobucket.com/albums/uu109/Lester_045/Nebula%20images/088ba968.jpg

[TrevorW]

A very busy area for a widefield, the repo looks better IMO but it probably won't be the last :P:thumbsup:

[strongmanmike]

Hmmm so the camera is modified and cooled? Then I am surprised that you haven't captured more fainter stuff actually...?

When you aggressively stretch the raw composite, do you see much faint nebulosity?

Mike

[mill]

Lester there is much more data hidden in it.
I did a bit of processing on the jpg file and put it on my website if you don't mind (compressing to 200Kb made it bad).

http://martinsastro.net/displayimage.php?album=lastup&cat=0&pid=106#top_display_media

See what you think about it.

[Lester]

Thanks for your comments Trevor, Mike and Martin. Thanks for the repro Martin, that will give me something to compare to. As Trevor said there will be more repoing on this data.

[Bassnut]

geez, I dunno Lester, I like your pics from the 14" more, your better at NF.

[alan meehan]

Hi Lester a lovely shot of the tarantula such a twisted and tortured area,got to love that cooled 40d
AL

[Lester]

Thanks Fred and Alan for your comments. To be honest I think it is my lack of processing skills limiting this image. I find it hard to keep the colour range within the brighter areas as I stretch the image. I use curves and anchor the bright areas so they do not get burnt out. Martins repro on my Jpeg is better than what I have come up with. Comments welcome.

Here is my try from this evening.
http://i638.photobucket.com/albums/uu109/Lester_045/Nebula%20images/826e0ad0.jpg

[Lester]

Here is another attempt at processing this area. Comments welcome.

http://i638.photobucket.com/albums/uu109/Lester_045/Nebula%20images/2f8fa0b0.jpg

[Mighty_oz]

Now if u could just add those last 2 together i think u may have something there :)

[mill]

Lester try to use only levels first, it won't burn out the core and keeps the stars smaller.
Then you can use curves and Shadows/highlights.

[Lester]

Thanks Marcus and Martin for your comments. I will have another play with this today. Martin to process an image like this with very bright regions and yet faint detail also, do you add all exposures into one image and then process, or add in the shorter exposures with a layer mask?

Thanks.

[TrevorW]

On that one lester I would stack them all into one exposure, thats what I've done in the past, but why not try both too see the effect.

[Lester]

Thanks Trevor, I have always stacked them all together, and to be honest have never done a layer mask, but I have seen it done on U-tube.

[mill]

Layer mask them Lester like you do with M42.
Did you try using levels first?
Move the left hand slider to the right until the data starts and slide the right hand slider to the left until the data starts too but watch out for blow out.

[Lester]

Thanks Martin, yes I did use levels, but only the left and centre sliders. I will try again if the cricket hits a lull.

[TrevorW]

It's one of those things when doing a wide field with an 80 stars look bigger in smaller scope images.

Another thing as always if you haven't enough data and seeing was average then no amount of playing is going to make a difference.

Also certain targets lend themselves more to layered stacking techniques etc such as M42 due to its very bright core.

You get excellent results with you DSO stuff so just keep playing with it as we all do, the image that is!!

Cheers

[mill]

Lester i did mean the middle slider.
Watching cricket? Isn't that like watching paint dry? :rofl::rofl:

[Lester]

Thanks again Trevor and Martin. Here is attempt number 4, hope I am progressing in the right direction. Used levels, curves, shadow and high-lights.

http://i638.photobucket.com/albums/uu109/Lester_045/Nebula%20images/76db7c49.jpg

[richardo]

Hi Lester, have been watching your repros with interest on this object.
It certainly is a hard one to process and bring out all that is there, what with all that dynamic range and the fov you have with this setup!.
This repro is by far the best so you are on the right track!

I've been working on the area just south of the Tarantula. I also have found it a very interesting area to process (at the mo and in the past). Albeit I am only doing a Ha- RGB mix with this one...

Keep up the good work.... hopefully we'll see some more clear nights!

All the best
Rich

[Lester]

Thanks for your comments Rich, I appreciate them.

Yes it is a huge dynamic range to process without burning out and consealing faint detail. I think we are in for some summer at last with a high comming, although clear skies would be good without the heat.

All the best.

[atalas]

Lester a great effort!

[Lester]

Thanks Louie, although hoping I can improve on this. Your tutorials are Very helpfull for me, thanks.

All the best.

[mill]

That looks a lot better Lester :thumbsup:
Now you have to start working on selective sharpening but don't overuse it.