Quick M31 from Leyburn

[RickS]

I was feeling like a bit left out after all the Astrofest M31 images so I had a quick go at it from Leyburn last new moon :) I didn't have much time to spend on it but I don't think it turned out too badly. The colour is still a bit iffy - part lack of data and part lack of processing skill. Will need to spend a few nights on it another time...

Mount: Astro-Physics AP900
Scope: Tak FSQ-106ED
Camera: Sbig STL11K, Astrodon Gen 2 filters
Guiding: Tak FS-60C and Lodestar
Focuser: Atlas
Exposures: 9x300s Lum, 3x300s each R, G & B
Processing: PixInsight

Larger version here: http://rickstevenson.smugmug.com/Astro-Photography/2012-09/i-JRNPFmt/0/X3/M31v3med-X3.jpg

Thanks for looking. Constructive criticism appreciated!

Cheers,
Rick.

[RobF]

Just wonderful Rick. Made my night. Don't why more people up here don't have a go at this beauty. It's always a challenge at our latitudes to bring out the colours, but you've got that looking very natural. I'd probably up the saturation curve a bit more, but to do so risks losing the natural touch perhaps.

[tilbrook@rbe.ne]

Stunnig Rick!!

Detail is jaw dropping, processing superb!!

Thanks for sharing this one.

Cheers,

Justin.

[RickS]

Thanks, Rob. I used a new trick for tweaking the colour. I'll tell you about it when we compare notes on PI next month.



Thanks very much, Justin!

[alocky]

Love the detail in that, extremely sharp. Any chance you'd be willing to share the PixInsight wisdom more widely? Did you do any deconvolution on that image?

[jjjnettie]

:) That soothed the eyes alright. :) A wonderful capture Rick.

[RickS]

Thanks, JJJ!



Thanks, Andrew. I'm happy to share. My processing notes are included below. The "new trick" was to use a module that's under development, InterChannelCurves. It also crashed my session once, so be careful! I did use deconvolution.

[ozstronomer]

That's an awesome shot Rick, those skies at Leyburn certainly produce sensational images, of course good processing helps as well :thumbsup:

[alistairsam]

thats amazing Rick
I love the details in the dust lanes, it is a beauty all right
how high was it during the session? I'm guessing 10deg?
would you have a raw frame you could post as well, just to see the difference.
Cheers

Edit: it does have a pink hue on my laptop, its not calibrated so could be my display but worth checking

[RickS]

Thanks, Geoff. The seeing didn't seem that great (of course, everybody told me the night before I arrived was much better ;)) but it is always nice and dark there.

[Ross G]

Hi Rick,

My favourite object in the whole sky and wow!... what an excellent photo of it.

Beautiful shot.

Ross.

[multiweb]

Wow! Beautiful colours and details. Well done indeed. :thumbsup:

[Ric]

A fantastic image Rick

Well done.

[RickS]

Thanks. It wasn't quite that bad - the subs were taken between 16 and 21 degrees altitude. At 10 degrees it would still have been in the trees.

There's a single Lum frame attached. I haven't done anything to it apart from calibration and a quick stretch.

I get a bit of pink on my uncalibrated (and uncalibratable) laptop screen but the colour looks OK on my big calibrated screen.







Thanks, Ross, Marc & Ric!

[allan gould]

Sensational image Rick, one of the best of M31 that I've ever seen.

[RickS]

Thanks, Allan!

[Kunama]

Just awesome ......... as I watch Apollo 13 at the moment ...... I'm amazed at some of the images you guys achieve........brilliant !

[Greg Bock]

Sensational Rick, that's what Leyburn is all about, quality skies, and plenty of 'em! That's why we go there.

[Paul Haese]

Very nice image Rick. Love the detail.

[David Fitz-Henr]

That's a great shot Nick. I think that you have well and truly captured the ethereal beauty of this galaxy. I sometimes wonder whether the over-saturated reds we see in many galaxy shots detract from the images; I think that your shot gets across the majesty of this object very well.

[RickS]

Thanks, Matt, Greg, Paul & David!

[LewisM]

I can just aspire to come close to that level of imagery.

I WILL get there - I am determined :)

[gregbradley]

Good image there Rick. Upside down compared to the usual orientation though.

Greg.

[RickS]

Thanks. I'm sure you will get there if you put in some effort. There are folks way ahead of me and we're all striving to improve...



Thanks, Greg. At least I didn't get it mirrored this time. Must be a southern hemisphere thing ;)