Spent a few hours collecting Ha data of The Eagle Nebula last night. For some strange reason I can't get it to align with the LRGB I collected a few days ago. Whenever I attempt to use a lum frame as reference it stacks but I just end up with a black image - and I mean black, not just dark. but No problem aligning the RGB with the lum using the same method.
10 x 10 minute + 4 x 20 minute subs for a total of 3 hours.
102mm F7 ED triplet + 0.8 reducer
ASI294MM Pro
Was also a bit of a test for the guiding/tracking with the AZ-EQ5 and happy to say that despite the gusty wind conditions it performed flawlessly with the 20 minute subs.
Mark,
You have some quality data there and guiding must be really tight
Are you dithering your subs ?
Well done !
Martin
Thanks Martin. I think the larger pixel size on the 294MM helps, I think it's about 1.7 arc seconds per pixel so little play area. Dithering every sub.
Cheers
Will be interesting to see your image once you incorporate the LRGB.
What software are you using?
The Ha data is very good
Thanks Peter, very happy with how clean this turned out. I'll either need to work out the alignment with the LRGB manually or maybe redo it once the moon goes away. Stacking in DSS & this was edited in Photoshop.
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Lookin' good Draco
Thanks JA
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Fantastic effort so far..I find it incredible you manage 20 minute subs on a 5 carrying all that scope.
Thanks Alex. Was really worried I would be throwing all the 20 min subs away but the mount handled it with ease. Quite surprised.
Mark,
In regard to alignment in DSS remember any files placed in the Main Group will apply to the other Groups
Are you using just the Main Group or Main Group and Group1, 2 , 3 and so on ….
If using multiple Groups ( normally for multiple nights imaging where camera has been removed / re installed ) place only your Darks or Bias in Main Group then check all , plus good 1 light frame. Use this light frame as a frame of reference but leave it unchecked. Then load your eg: Luminance frames in Group 1 from night 1 with their corresponding Flats , Luminance frames in Group 2 from night 2 with corresponding Flats and so on …. Check all
Register and Stack for your completed stacked Luminous file.
Follow same procedure for R, G, B
If using just Main Group ( normally for one nights imaging )
Load light frames L, R, G, B and check all
In Register settings, uncheck “Stack after Registering”
Press Ok and all LRGB files will be registered ( remove any bad files )
Now look at Luminance files and find frame with highest score, right click and “Use as reference frame” then Uncheck All
Now load your Calibration frames for Luminance ( including reference frame ) and Check. Stack Luminance files
When completed save Luminance stacked file
Uncheck All again
Now load your Calibration frames for Red
Check Red files ( uncheck reference frame )
Check Red Calibration frames and Stack
When completed save Red stacked file
Repeat the above procedures for Green and Blue
I’ve spent a bit of time on the DSS forum trying to find the best way to Stack both with one nights data or multiple nights data ( with camera in place or removed each night )
It’s basically the same for OSC or Mono
Also I don’t think you can mix Broadband and Narrowband files in DSS but I could be wrong
Thanks Martin,
I basically use the multi-group method you mention first and it's fine with the LRGB so maybe you're correct about DSS & mixing in the narrowband. I will look into it.
Cheers,
Mark
Well I got the stacking & alignment sorted out. It was a combination of two things. Firstly, between doing the LRGB & Ha I removed the camera to do some darks during the day. When I put it back on, I thought it was in the same position, but the angle was off & that made things hard for DSS - it "should" have been able to handle that, and I think it could have if I didn't have the second problem - the number of stars to align with.
Simply, the L I was using as reference had too many stars compared to the Ha, so DSS really had a problem. Even lowering the star count on the L I couldn't get it to work. So what I ended up doing was using a 10 minute Ha sub as the reference image & bingo - it all worked!
Lesson learnt so all good.
Mind you, I'm not overly happy with my processing skills on these. First I ran them through StarTools for the first image. Then I redid them in Photoshop but couldn't seem to get it quite right, though I don't mind the Photoshop version.
Thanks to everyone for the kind words & encouragement.
M16 - An Eagle in Ha
