Another entry in the m83 widefield club.

[bert (Brett)]

Hi all,

I know, another m83, but it really is a great target.

This image was taken with vixen ed103s refractor (795 fl), on eq6.
Sbig St4000xcm with adaptive optics. 10 minute subs.

I was really happy with the fwhm of the subs, I must have got a good night, although adaptive optics helps....

This is a bit of an experiment and I played with photshop functions that I have never used before, so I would appreciate comments.

Thanks for looking.

Brett

[gregbradley]

Basically as very nice image but a bit left behind that can be brought out.

If you use curves you can bring the image up a bit. The star colours can be brought out more as well. Select the stars using the colour range tool then increase the saturation then unselect.

Good tracking.

Greg.

[Bassnut (Fred)]

Adaptive optics with an EQ6 is a nifty idea, you just cancelled PE and doubled the value of the EQ6 in one swipe, a lot cheaper than a mount upgrade (I dont know why more ppl dont do this, AO gives the best value on cheapish mounts) .

Anyway, if you learnt PS as well as you know automation, youd kill it.

So, needs more fiddling in PS IMO, but a nice start.

[multiweb (Marc)]

Good shot Brett. Very sharp with good colors. As Greg said you can push the data a bit more.

[bert (Brett)]

Quick reprocess with Gregs suggestions.

[bert (Brett)]

Fred, I simply do not know why more people use adaptive optics. I have done plenty of imaging at around 1.8 metres with perfect tracking (with ao) every time from a cheapo mount.

The only trouble I have with adaptive optics is doing all night imaging with multiple targets or meridian flips with ccdap. It just cannot get mount bumping and the right guide exposures sorted out, but this is related to my sbig st4000xcm camera, which for reasons unknown is rotated 90 degrees relative to all other sbig st series cams.

Brett

[Bassnut (Fred)]

Originally Posted by bert

The only trouble I have with adaptive optics is doing all night imaging with multiple targets or meridian flips with ccdap. It just cannot get mount bumping and the right guide exposures sorted out
Brett

Tell me about it, its the single thing stopping me doing total automation. All the Auto apps have trouble, its not your cam, its really hard automating AO. Going by the support questions on vendor groups, I dont think many ppl attempt it at all (if any successfully, really). Im beginning to think it just not possible, reliably.

[peter_4059 (Peter)]

Very nice image Brett. The focus, tracking and colours look great.

The diffraction pattern on the bright star at top left is interesting - what caused the six lines?

Peter

[bert (Brett)]

Peter, the diffraction spikes are caused by the clips holding the objective. It looks weird...but I kinda like it. Tak fsq's do it as well but just with 2 clips but kinda offset.


Fred: I am going to try acp for adaptive optics control. Learning curve is close to vertical though. Have you tried ccdap? I am surprised that you need mount bumping over an 10 or 20min exposure with a paramount, the ao tilt should cover the pe in a pme, and finding decent guiding stars should be a doddle with your moag, or am I way off the mark? It is not hard to get the ao to work with ccdap. But the mount bumping is, so I do not run out of tilt, in fact it bumps the wrong way compounding the error.

Brett