Open Cluster NGC 3293 in Carina

[cventer]

Open Cluster NGC 3293 in Carina

Taken over 2 nights on 26th and 27th January.


Image Data: 6 x 8 min Ha (5nm Astrodon), 12 x 6 min Lum, 10 x 6 min each RGB (Bin 1x1)
Camera: SBIG ST2000XM with CFW8A
Mount: Paramount MX
Scope: TakahashiFSQ106 at F5
Guiding: Starshoot Autoguider with Stellarvue F60mm M2
Processing: Image Processed with CCDStack 2, Photoshop CS 5.5.
Location: Inner suburbs of Melbourne Australia
Date: Taken on 26th and 27th January 2012 2011

Link to larger image here

Tough target to blend cluster, Lum and Ha I think i managed to do a much better job than Rosette to avoid black rings on this one. Comments and advice welcomed.

[Rigel003 (Graeme)]

Very nice result Chris, especially from suburbia. NGC3324 is even more impressive than the cluster but it's a lovely field altogether with so much interest.

[strongmanmike (Michael)]

That's alright Chris, nice work, it's a rather lovely cluster and region.

Better Ha blend than your Rosette too

Mike

[gregbradley]

A nice image overall. Focus looks to be off a tad. The FSQ when in focus really snaps sharp and stars become pinpoints.

Ha is best done as a lighten mode layer and delete the green and blue and another layer as blue and delete the red and green channel. Then use curves as needed to boost. I wouldn't use Ha as a luminance otherwise you get the salmon colours.

Star colour is good and stars are quite round but you'll get rounder stars and better views with your STF8300.

Greg.

[cventer]

Thank Gents

You stare at these for so long and think you have color balance right. Then walk away and come back and see so many abvious mistakes.

Funny as Lum data is well focused. I did not run any deconvolution on color data though so maybe it adding to defocused look.

Other pain is different monitors. I have an Imac a PC and laptop in same room and one one color is deep red no salmon. and on other 2 the blues vary in vibrance but both hae salmon color. Aaaaaargh...

Will leave it a few days then come back to it.

If anyone wants to volunteer to tweak this I am more than happy to post my LRGB an Ha files for download.

[alpal]

That's an interesting photo.
The stars are nicely resolved.

[TrevorW]

Nice to see you've picked up all the surrounding nebula resulting in quite an acceptable wide field image

[Ross G]

A beautiful photo Chris.

Ross.

[AG Hybrid (Adrian)]

One of my favorite star clusters. Lovely image.