Eta Carina on 1/4/6

[JohnH]

I have fianlly got all my components, cables and software together with a clear night and no moon, this is the result, a set of 16 30s shots of Eta Carina at iso 1600 with the 20d. Darks, stacking and digital development in IP2.75, light noise removal in Neat Image and resize and jpeg conversion in PSE.

Hope you like it - I do :D - in fact this is the first nebula shot of my own that I like so I hope you do too. The original is much better detail so I have a crop of the keyhole region at rull res (but the compression has spoilt it quite a bit) all comments welcome.

[Vermin]

Very nice.

Would I be right in guessing it is an unmodified 20d?

[Striker]

Great stuff John.

Are you going to go for longer exposures.

Really nice for 30sec exposures.

[JohnH]

Yes indeed, not red enough for you?

[JohnH]

Hi Striker, yes I sure do, when I get my guiding act together - I am struggling with GuideDog currently there are so many variables and I have not yet worked out a method for setting them that works consistantly. Plus if you move the scope much it seems the tuning has to be repeated. Seriously considering buying something (K3CCDTools?) to make long exposure guiding happen without threatening my sanity. Any recomendations? The Sphinx has a small and smooth PEC of about 8" so it should guide well...I am also told balance is critical...

I suppose I should be able to get 1 min possibly 2 mins unguided (RA cycle is 8 mins approx) with the FR in and a good polar alignment - perhaps that should be my next next project rather than guiding?

Anyway I was happy with that one.

[Striker]

Paul uses K3CCDtool and works well for him...he really likes it.

I personaly dont like it...I have fallen in love with the free software called Guidemaster....it has a calibration function so you dont even have to align your guide camera on any axis....it does it for you....much better then guidedog and more accurate...and its free.

I didn't change 1 setting...oops yes I did....I just put the scope specs in under otpion and changed the move time for calibration to 5000ms instead of 1000ms...very simple to use...try it.

http://www.guidemaster.de/guidemaster_demo_en.asp

[Miaplacidus]

I just had a look at Mick Pinner's image, and now this. How much longer can the IIS astrofotografers go on trumping each other?

[Vermin]

Not at all, I think it looks fantastic.

I especially like to see images of this high calibre made by unmodified cameras as my unmodified Canon 30D arrives this week :)

[allan gould]

Excellent shot. Gives me something to aim for when I seriously start to image. Then I can pick all of your brains to make me look better.

[JohnH]

Thanks Tony, that sounds to be just what I was looking for, I have downloaded & installed it and will give it a shot asap...

[Vermin]

Let us know haw you get on as I too was considering using Guidedog.

[allan gould]

I was using guidedog and a modded webcam and the program is good on low brightness stars. It guided well with +/- 2 or 3 arc sec accuracy, but it was a drain aligning n/s and e/w with the camera axis. So I switched to guidemaster and the newer version when it came out. I find its better and with the information well presented as to how the guiding session is going. Can save data to file for analysis.

[tornado33]

Guiding looks spot on there, nicely done.
Scott

[avandonk]

Whats even more scary if you lose guiding due to cloud, as long as you can get or still have the original guidestar in the webcams field, just identify it and Guidemaster will move it back to the exact original position it was using for guiding. That way you have the exact same image position!
Thanks Allan a great find! This will solve a lot of my guiding problems especially since I move the webcam laterally and getting the alignment of the camera with the axes of the mount is no longer needed.
JohnH's Carina shows a lot of fine detail in spite of the fact his camera is unmodded. His picture shows the results of good guiding and processing etc. A modded camera only allows better recording of faint H alpha it is not a substitute for good recording technique and careful image processing. JohnH's Carina has both. I am sure the full resolution picture is even better. Well done.

Bert

Bert

[JohnH]

Don't waste your time with the 'Dog use the Master. I don't want to get a(nother) slap from the moderator (after my "cloud shot" in Jan - ouch!) so I put my initial feedback on Guidemaster in the s'ware forum here:

http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=8788

Thanks Allan and Tony!

[JohnH]

Thanks for those kind words - I am greatly encouraged by this result and the feedback. I too have had had positive results with GuideMaster testing so far and look forward to pushing the depth of my images with its help.

I would like to say that the Eta Carina result only good because of the incredible amount of great advice and support freely given in forums such as this one that and the software tools (many free) written by enthusiasts around the world. What a vibrant field this is at the moment, great fun to be here.:)

[ving]

they are lovely shots. I personally think (just my opinion) that modified cameras tend to who too much red. but yeah you get more detail i guess.

congrats :)