Thor's Helmut-first attempt

allan gould · #1 30-01-2011, 01:16 AM

Since Sirius is so prominent I thought that I would chance my arm with Thor's Helmut which is close by.
Managed to get 19x5 min Luminance (QSI583wsg) and 19x5 min RGB (via QHY8) and combined the two in Registar and PShop. Taken over two nights with 10"SCT at F6.3 using WO72mm to guide with PhD.
Again this is fainter than I had expected and it certainly needs more exposure time
Comments welcome

Hagar (Doug) · #2 30-01-2011, 01:45 AM

Very nice Allan. Good detail and focus etc but like you I feel a bit more or longer exposure would make it pop.
Nice start Allan.

RobF (Rob) · #3 30-01-2011, 09:23 AM

Very very respectable image. Colours starting to come through nicely.

peter_4059 (Peter) · #4 30-01-2011, 09:29 AM

Nice start Allan. Do you think it needs more colour data or more luminance?

mill (Martin) · #5 30-01-2011, 09:58 AM

Very nice image Allan

To get better detail you will have to get some 10 to 15 minute luminance shots, also more color shots so you can stretch that a bit more and use more saturation.
You can do plenty of noise reduction on the color data at the end of processing as long as you keep the colors intact

[1ponders] (Paul) · #6 30-01-2011, 10:59 AM

It is faint Allan thats for sure. Nice shooting. Good luck for clear skies for some longer exposures.

allan gould · #7 30-01-2011, 11:20 AM

Thanks for the comments guys. I now know that I needed more luminance and colour data and the only way to get that in an effective way is longer subs, but thanks for your comments. Im happy at the moment just to have got out into the observatory to do some imaging.

desler · #8 30-01-2011, 11:32 AM

Longer subs, and that well be a stunner. Everything seems to be working well and the processing is a great.

Darren

RobF (Rob) · #9 30-01-2011, 03:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by allan gould

Thanks for the comments guys. I now know that I needed more luminance and colour data and the only way to get that in an effective way is longer subs, but thanks for your comments. Im happy at the moment just to have got out into the observatory to do some imaging.

Yes, we may well have had our sky fix for the next 3-4 weeks alas. Heck it was good while it lasted, even if the moon wasn't far away

allan gould · #10 30-01-2011, 11:42 PM

Darren and Rob - thanks for the kind words but longer subs it will be. Have a look at Paul's shot of the same object and my shorter subs just dont cut it on a faint object. I was mainly testing out the automation/rotation of the dome of my observatory as well as small cameras around the obs so that I could use remote desktop to control everything inside away from the mozzies. Really happy with the way the observatory and its automation has gone and now will settle done to some decent imaging when the weather improves.

spearo (Frank) · #11 31-01-2011, 07:08 AM

Well done Allan
Tough target
You've captured the faint nebulosity that is apparent inthe whole frame, the arms, detail in thew bubble and the nice red sections
looks good to me
well done
frank

h0ughy (David) · #12 31-01-2011, 07:41 AM

nice work Allan, pushing the limits of city imaging

allan gould · #13 31-01-2011, 11:20 AM

Frank and David,
Thanks for that - I may change the filter wheel in the QSI and do some narrow band imaging on this object with long exposures.

Paul Haese · #14 31-01-2011, 12:31 PM

Yep this is the toughest object I have imaged yet. It took over 21 hours of exposure time to control the noise. Yours is a good start Allan, I look forward to seeing this image with more data. Well done.

multiweb (Marc) · #15 01-02-2011, 01:48 PM

Not bad at all Allan. This one is a tough cookie.