ahh but you can Martin.. With a CCD it takes a LONG exposure to completely kill the trap. So you open the stacked 5x5min image twice, stretch one agressively, and stretch one very gently, then blend them.. trap saved. I've done it before with the QHY8 using 5 min subs, the QHY9 is a bit more sensitive, so maybe 5 min subs would have burned close to the core.. but if you look at Dougs image - the area around the trap has two distinct lines surround it, I assume these are where he's done exactly what I just described... That said, I could be wrong, and if that is the case, then I will ask, what are those two hard gradient lines surrounding the trap? perhaps where he selected the core area, and feathered it then inverted the selection and stretched the selected outer nebulosity, and the selection lines are now showing...
As you say - I dont think his point was to create a pretty picture, more likely trying to demonstrate the cameras abilities.. And I am just being picky because being picky gives the Doug something to work on
