Reprocessed Eta

[graham.hobart]

The Sky down here has that bruised look you associate with inclement weather like tornadoes (I know I saw one in the US in 1992). But it's just blustery and overcast with forecast rain later. Only thing to do as the child is in bed and the Wife is at the cinema is reprocess the old images.
This is a more sympathetic (less done really) reduced JPEG of my mammoth seven hours of date on Eta. Really, I think I overkilled it somewhat, but when you are guiding well and you have a lovely flat PHD graph, you really don't want to move at all. I don't really think you can suck more out of an 80mm refractor, with an unmodded DSLR (1000D).
Slight technical hitch with the QHY 8 you see, I exploded it by accident so it's winging it's way back to Beijing as we speak for a (hopeful) new circuit board.
And still waiting the camera adaptors for the Tak. Was tempted to get the pig out (8" Newt) but it's so windy.
Even the night has turned it's back on me!
Anyhoo,
Eta, seven hours of 5 and 10 minute subs, 1000d, 20'c EXIF, Meade 80mm refractor, guided with mini guidescope/finder/ssag/phd.
Stacked in DeepSkyStacker, processed in Star Tools- I think I went like this...
screen stretch
bin to 35%
crop around the edges
lens to 144% to try and get rid of coma
Develop to approx 96-97%
mask to nebula (fill lighter areas)
wipe on auto
keep mask
colour -sat to 140-150%
wavelets as seen on screen (according to taste)

mask clear
mask auto stars then keep
sat to 120-130%
mask then invert
I think I did flux then but didn't keep notes
anyway didn't use contrast or optimise as found it too harsh -maybe my way of working.
I have tried to keep the alterations minimal as I am a learner on the post processing stuff.
Anyway time for more Cat Stevens and a lager....
Oh yeah- there is some 3hrs of Cent A as well.
Graz:tasdevil:

[rcheshire]

7 hours. It looks good Graham. You won't know yourself with the QHY8 and Tak (refractor?) and, you won't need that cold box. It's not easy to do a good eta.