A wide field woose speedy red cat

[strongmanmike (Michael)]

Thanks for checkin it out fellas, I'm quite happy with the finished product actually....must work out how to get the Starfire and AG12 running in tandem ...would be good to have both data sets for all objects ..the fields of view are rather different though so would need another bigger chip camera..hmmmm??

Mike

[xelasnave]

There are few superlatives I could offer other than that is wonderful.alex

[strongmanmike (Michael)]

Originally Posted by xelasnave

There are few superlatives I could offer other than that is wonderful.alex

Hey cheers Alex, nice to hear

Mike

[SkyViking (Rolf)]

A wonderful combine of your two great images Mike, the Cat's Paw looks really good here!

I was hoping to finally get some blue channel data for my own pending version, but only managed to collect 4 frames before clouds rolled in again
But it's looking better tonight, so there is still hope

[strongmanmike (Michael)]

Originally Posted by SkyViking

A wonderful combine of your two great images Mike, the Cat's Paw looks really good here!

I was hoping to finally get some blue channel data for my own pending version, but only managed to collect 4 frames before clouds rolled in again
But it's looking better tonight, so there is still hope

Oooooh.. I see another collaboration possibilty

[tilbrook@rbe.ne (Justin Tilbrook)]

That's awesome Mike!!

How did you scale the two images to stack them together.

I usually use the suck it and see method in PS.

Must be a better way.

Cheers,

Justin.

[strongmanmike (Michael)]

Originally Posted by tilbrook@rbe.ne

That's awesome Mike!!

How did you scale the two images to stack them together.

I usually use the suck it and see method in PS.

Must be a better way.

Cheers,

Justin.

Cheers Justin

I preprocessed the separate data sets and then coregistered the AG12 data set to the AP set in Astroart5 so they matched. I then created several versions of each with different levels of dynamic range and resolution and blended them all in together using layers in PS - that was the tricky bit, ie to get the blend looking as natural as possible I did the same with my recent Eagle Nebula hybrid image but it was more difficult because the AG12 resolution in this case was more noticeably better than the Starfire data

Mike

[tilbrook@rbe.ne (Justin Tilbrook)]

Originally Posted by strongmanmike

Cheers Justin

I preprocessed the separate data sets and then coregistered the AG12 data set to the AP set in Astroart5 so they matched. I then created several versions of each with different levels of dynamic range and resolution and blended them all in together using layers in PS - that was the tricky bit, ie to get the blend looking as natural as possible I did the same with my recent Eagle Nebula hybrid image but it was more difficult because the AG12 resolution in this case was more noticeably better than the Starfire data

Mike

Thanks Mike!

I've heard somewhere that you can stack images taken with different scopes but the same camera.
Need to look into this, haven't got Astro Art.

Cheers,

Justin.

[Stevec35 (Steve)]

I like it Mike. One of your very best IMHO.

Cheers

Steve

[strongmanmike (Michael)]

Originally Posted by tilbrook@rbe.ne

Thanks Mike!

I've heard somewhere that you can stack images taken with different scopes but the same camera.
Need to look into this, haven't got Astro Art.

Cheers,

Justin.

It's not very difficult to do really, most if not all processing software should have a co-register function

Originally Posted by Stevec35

I like it Mike. One of your very best IMHO.

Cheers

Steve

Thanks, glad you think so Steve

Well done on your HM at the Malins too

Mike

[nandopg]

Hello Mike,
Looking to your image, which by the way is great, I can note some dark material spread out over the center of the paw.
I always had curiosity about it, although is very rare to see it in images posted in the net.
Then I decided to dedicate 2 nights to image this nebula and process it basically to avoid any compression of the dynamic range of the RGB and Ha data, as well as the LHaRGB data . I simply got a result totally different from that one normally is seen.
I don't want to bother you, but if you don't mind, would you please have a look on my outcome and let me know what do you think ? The link to the image is:
http://www.astrobin.com/full/106733/0/

Thank you Mike,
Fernando

[strongmanmike (Michael)]

Hi Ferni

Hmm?..It looks ok to me, I just increased the colour a bit more than you and showcased the Ha emission. I assume that is an LHaRGB combine? How much Ha is in your image and how did you incorporate it in your processing?

Mike

[nandopg]

Originally Posted by strongmanmike

Hi Ferni

Hmm?..It looks ok to me, I just increased the colour a bit more than you and showcased the Ha emission. I assume that is an LHaRGB combine? How much Ha is in your image and how did you incorporate it in your processing?

Mike

Hi Mike, thanks for your considerations.

Yes, the image has some Ha data blended to the luminance and red channels following the combination:
Luminance Final = 0.6*L + 0.4*Ha
Red:
0.6*R + 0.4*Ha for normalized pixels between 0.7 and 1
0.7*R + 0.3*Ha for normalized pixels between 0.5 and 0.7
0.85*R + 0.15*Ha for normalized pixels between 0.01 and 0.5

After the blending I did a new color calibration to make the star's colors right and got the image.

That was the procedure I used. Would you see something suspect or something that could be better done or differently?

Best Regards,

Fernando

[strongmanmike (Michael)]

Originally Posted by nandopg

Hi Mike, thanks for your considerations.

Yes, the image has some Ha data blended to the luminance and red channels following the combination:
Luminance Final = 0.6*L + 0.4*Ha
Red:
0.6*R + 0.4*Ha for normalized pixels between 0.7 and 1
0.7*R + 0.3*Ha for normalized pixels between 0.5 and 0.7
0.85*R + 0.15*Ha for normalized pixels between 0.01 and 0.5

After the blending I did a new color calibration to make the star's colors right and got the image.

That was the procedure I used. Would you see something suspect or something that could be better done or differently?

Best Regards,

Fernando

Geee..that's a tough one ...your blending ratios are actually similar to mine really, although I don't asign the different amounts based on normalised pixel weights, but I do make many variants that I blend together until it looks like an enhanced richer version of what my RGB data is showing me...probably not scientific but generally quite effective

Mike

[troypiggo (Troy)]

Love this nebula, love your rendition of it.

[marco (Marco Lorenzi)]

Lovely Cat's paw Mike, great to see data from different scopes and time blending in so smoothly I like the color balance too..

Clear skies
Marco

[strongmanmike (Michael)]

Cheers Troy and Marco, glad you both liked it

Mike

[Paul Haese]

I like the wider field of view Mike. The image now incorporates some of those really nice dark nebulae around the Cat's Paw. Any thoughts on doing a full NB on it? Do you know if there is much OIII in the CP?

[RickS (Rick)]

There's a very small amount of OIII, Paul, just in a few spots. I know because I've been collecting many hours of it

[strongmanmike (Michael)]

Originally Posted by RickS

There's a very small amount of OIII, Paul, just in a few spots. I know because I've been collecting many hours of it

That's what I would have thought too...should be an interesting shot Rick ...man! you haven't posted a completed image for aaaages...me thinks some M E G A data (hear thunder! hear lightning!) is on the way I guess

EDIT: Oh yeah you did - M51...but that was with a remote sit and sleep scope so doesn't count

Mike