Horsehead and QSI583wsg first light

[vic4loc (Victor)]

Technically second light for the QSI583wsg, still trying to learn how to fully utilise this camera.

Took me a while to frame and focus the horsehead, imaged under half moon sky on 01/01/2012 using Astronomik 12nm Ha filter.

Did a quick 2 x 5 mins subs as I was running out of time, with darks and bias. Overall quite happy with the result, will need a lot more subs to get rid of the grainy noise.

Scope: LX90 8" with CCDT 0.67 focal reducer
Mount: HEQ5
Camera: QSI583wsg
Guider: Orion SSAG
Location: surburban Sydney with half moon

- 2x5mins with Ha filter, darks & bias
- Calibrated & combined using MaximLE
- Minor post processing with CS5
- Cropped and resized to upload to this forum

Feedbacks welcome

Victor.

[Astroman (Andrew Wall)]

Shows good promise, isn't the head the wrong way around though?

EDIT:

I just had another look at your image.. Thats damn nice for the conditions you have described, loads of detail around the head etc.. as you say more subs should lessen the noise... Would there be much difference if the moon had set during your exposures?

Look forward to seeing more from this little camera...

[multiweb (Marc)]

That is indeed a very good shot. Little noisy and mirrored but more data would smooth it out. Apart from that top shelf.

[vic4loc (Victor)]

Thanks for the feedbacks... lol my bad regarding the image, instead of rotating it 180 deg, I flipped it, it was getting late will try to get more subs to improve the image, and maybe some RGB for some colours.

Victor.

[vic4loc (Victor)]

Originally Posted by Astroman

Would there be much difference if the moon had set during your exposures?

This is my first time using mono CCD & Ha filters, so not 100% sure, I would expect that without the moon, there would be more contrast, and/or I would be able to expose longer for more details without washing out the image.

Victor.

[Astroman (Andrew Wall)]

Thanks Victor.