Hi All,
In between imaging the HH and Rosette on Sunday night, I grabbed 10x300s subs of M45. The attached image is a stack of the best 9 frames for a total of 45m exposure time.
Only half of M45 fits onto the sensor - M45 is a good candidate for a mosaic next new moon!
Post-processing was in PS, using curves I've tried to bring out the faint nebulosity while not overcooking the stars. Last time I attempted M45 all I got was bright halos around the stars - fixed this time around.
More subs would improve the result for sure... but is there a trick I can use to reduce the background noise in this image while preserving the faint detail? Or have I pushed it as far as it'll go?
127mm North Group APO
EQ6 guided using PHD and EQMOD
QHY8, gain 1, offset 58
9x300s subs
Flats and bias applied in DSS
Post processing PS CS3
Cheers,
Rob