Cats Paw Nebula in Ha

[Alchemy (Clive)]

Originally Posted by Hagar

Image 4 is a crop of the tendrill area as requested Clive.

lots of detail Doug

[multiweb (Marc)]

Originally Posted by ptc

better

now it is time to work on the stars: use photoshop: select/highlights
then select/expand 2 pixels

then select/feather 2 pixels

then use filter/blur/gaussian blur by 1 or 2 pixels

that will eliminate the "flat tops" on the stars and make them look more natural instead of sharp-edged

cool tip

[strongmanmike (Michael)]

Originally Posted by Hagar

Done.

Yeh that's looking great Doug! nice work, the real test will be the incorporation of RGB, but get it right and you will have a very nice image

[spearo (Frank)]

looks good and plenty contrast
you'd be happy
frank

[Hagar (Doug)]

Originally Posted by peter_4059

That's a really striking image Doug. Can't remember seeing the cats paw in Ha before. Great work.

Peter

Thanks Peter. It is a nice nebula to capture in Ha as it's very rich in Ha so capture is relatively easy.

Originally Posted by mill

Doug that looks very good and with lots of detail
And only 10x10 Minutes.

Thanks Martin

Originally Posted by RobF

You'll probably be able to get some great results with a bit of deconvolution at the FL that RC10 will be running at too Doug....

Great shot too BTW

Thanks Rob, Deconvolution is somewhere down the track. Imaging at 0.95 aspp, decov can do more damage than good but will try it down the track a bit.

Originally Posted by Paddy

You're certainly off to a flying start with your new scope, Doug. Seems like only yesterday you were breaking in the 8". Looking forward to more.

Thanks Patrick, The 8" just didn't cut it with the big CCD so a step up was required.

Originally Posted by marki

Looking good Doug

Mark

Thanks Mark, still a way to go.

[Hagar (Doug)]

Originally Posted by jjjnettie

Now that's a real improvement. Beautiful.

Thank JJJ

Originally Posted by ptc

better on the sharpening.

now it is time to boost up the brightness... use photoshop's levels adjustment and move the middle slider....

Thanks Richard. It's really great to have someone like you looking on who is prepared to offer advice on how to improve the image and make the best of some hard to get data. Thanks again.

Originally Posted by TrevorW

Not bad but IMO with HA, Doug I'd go for 15 minute subs at least

Thanks Trevor but I elected to stick with ten minutes for this image because at 2M focal length guiding was going to be critical and at this stage it is an almost unknown quantity. Maybe longer on some future image but untill everything is sorted I will take shorter and more images.

Originally Posted by Alchemy

lots of detail Doug

Thanks Clive I was pretty happy with these results.

Originally Posted by strongmanmike

Yeh that's looking great Doug! nice work, the real test will be the incorporation of RGB, but get it right and you will have a very nice image

Thanks Mike. That will be the next challenge once this moon disappears and I get all the extras I have ordered and get them all working. I will probably redo the Ha as well without having to crop the image. So far the optics look good it's just the junky mechanicals I have to replace.

Originally Posted by spearo

looks good and plenty contrast
you'd be happy
frank

Thanks Frank. Now I know some of the problems you have had to overcome with your G11 and C14.

[Hagar (Doug)]

Here is the latest update with a small Median filter to smoothe off the background a bit and the blurr and fix on the Stars. Thanks Richard.

[Bassnut (Fred)]

Excellent detail there Doug, I think youve handled the selective sharpening very well, apart from perhaps the stars which Richard covered.

[Octane (Humayun)]

Fabulous first H-alpha light, Doug.

I can see that this is going to be a very promising, rewarding and fulfilling relationship -- this RC and 11K chip. : )

I'm starved of photons. It seems like I'll never image again.

H

[Hagar (Doug)]

Originally Posted by Bassnut

Excellent detail there Doug, I think youve handled the selective sharpening very well, apart from perhaps the stars which Richard covered.

Thanks Fred, I'm very happy with the results so far but I still have an awful lot to learn but it is nice to be imaging again, seems like an eternity between images.

Originally Posted by Octane

Fabulous first H-alpha light, Doug.

I can see that this is going to be a very promising, rewarding and fulfilling relationship -- this RC and 11K chip. : )

I'm starved of photons. It seems like I'll never image again.

H

Thanks H, I know how you feel. Seems like ages between the images I have managed and I have a permanent setup. You better start saving for the house and a permanent observatory. It does make life a lot easier.

[Paul Haese]

The last image is certainly nice. I like the lighter version with the higher contrasted grey tones. Love the star sizes too.

[Hagar (Doug)]

Originally Posted by Paul Haese

The last image is certainly nice. I like the lighter version with the higher contrasted grey tones. Love the star sizes too.

Thanks Paul. Love those Ha stars they stay nice and small.