October Deep Sky Imaging Challenge - Images & Comments

[DavidTrap (David)]

Hmmmm, getting a little worried about this challenge guys. Hopefully it's all due to the weather being unfavourable in September (I didn't get the scope out at all!). Hopefully IISAC will give provide concentrated shooting opportunities for some.

Any suggestions or comments about how this challenge might be spiced up would be appreciated, eg. one target only, or introduce voting??

Targets for October (thanks for the suggestions Bert):
NGC 55 - Irregular Galaxy in Sculptor
NGC7293 - Helix Nebula

Many seasoned imagers will have imaged these targets before, possibly even this year - it would be an exercise in frustration to attempt to find something that had never been done. The challenge may be to image these objects with new equipment or try some new processing techniques.

The challenge is open to all comers. There are no classes or categories – everyone may post images for both objects. Seasoned imagers will hopefully provide some inspiring images, along with advice for beginners with more modest equipment.

Please submit all images with the following standard information:
* Scope: (+/- reducers/flatteners)
* Imaging device:
* Mount:
* Guiding:
* Exposure details: (include ISO for DSLRs, temp for CCDs)
* Stacking method: (Median, average, sigma, etc. Darks, flats &/or bias frames)
* Summary of post processing:
* Darkness of imaging site: (Good, bad, ugly!)
* Date(s) image taken: (Ideally the image will be taken during this month, but previous work is not excluded to allow for weather and other life commitments)

The usual 200kb limit for files applies. Adding a link to a higher resolution file is encouraged.

There will be no voting on the best image(s) of the month. The aims of the game are participation, especially from beginners, and learning, hence the standard list of information requested. The “methodology” of this challenge is open to review, and comments are appreciated – please PM me.

Cheers,
DavidTrap

Sorry for the late post - I've been away for a bit.

[Grahame (Grahame)]

Gday,

first cab of the rank it seems, so here goes!

NGC 55 was my target from a dark sky site in dryandra,WA during the bi-yearly dryandra astro camp help by ASWA.

sky conditions were not the best on the night as a front was making its way inland and was felt by us in the form of gusty wind and fast light cloud.

I imaged this using the following equipment:

Losmandy G-11 mount
Willams Optics FLT-132 (imaging scope)
Skywatcher ED80 (guide scope)
QHY-9 Mono with astronomik filters.
Starlight Xpress "Lodestar" guide camera

Exposures were:
9 x 300 second exposures
3 x 900 second exposures
Total exposure time was 1hr 30 mins.

MaximDL was used for guiding and imaging while Stacking/Registering was done in CCD Stack and combined using the "Median" combine method. Darks were used to calibrate the raw data before stacking too.

The QHY-9 was running at -25deg c throughout the night with everything being powered from a 120amp/hr deep cycle battery.

Link to a Hi-Res version can be found here

Regards,
Grahame.

[leinad (Dan)]

http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/s...ad.php?t=66844

[bert (Brett)]

This months challenge

Helix

Vixen VC200
Sbig st4000xcm One shot colour with adaptive optics
Skywatcher Eq6
Internally guided

Around 60 subs used, I rejected a lot of them. 15 Minute subs.





http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/s...ad.php?t=67041

[strongmanmike (Michael)]

I apologise for the repetition as many would heve seen this image set before but I thought I'd post this collection in this section in case some haven't or it is of interest or better still - of some use as a reference, for those trying to image the Helix for the first time or with new equipment etc..?

This is a link to a whole album of images of the Helix composed from the same data set. To see the largest image file click on a thumbnail and when an image downloads scroll to the bottom and select "original" from the "other sizes" menu

Equipment and image details:

Telescope: Astrophysics 152mm F7.5 apochromatic refractor (at F8.2 with 4" field flattener)
Mount: Takahashi NJP German Equatorial
Imaging Camera: FLI ProLine 11002M
Filtewheel: FLI CFW-2-7
Filters: Astronomik L & SII Ha OIII narrowband filters
Guide camera: StarlightXpress SXV-H9
Exposure time: L = 1hr, SII = 7hrs, Ha = 10hrs, OIII = 9hrs (Total exposure time = 27hrs)
Data collected over 7 nights: 19, 20, 24, 27, 28, 30 July & 14 August 2009
** Flats taken using AstroHandy Light Ring
** Processed in Astroart4 and Photoshop CS3+

I hope it is of some use to someone

Mike

[TrevorW]

NGC 55, 50min captured last night then PHD gave up for some reason

[telemarker (Keith)]

Here's my take on the Helix. Done as a narrowband Ha/OIII Bicolour with synthetic green channel as LRGB. Moon was very close during the captures (left hand side during Ha, right hand side for OIII the next night) and required shading the guidescope to pick up any stars.
PS. excuse the eggs

Standard information:
* Scope: North Group 127ED
* Imaging device: SBIG ST-8300 at -25C
* Mount: HEQ5pro using Eqmod
* Guiding: QHY-5 through finderguider using PHD
* Exposure details: 3 hours of 30 min subs for both Ha and OIII using Baader filters
* Stacking method: DSS Median, stacking with Darks and bias frames
* Summary of post processing: Aligned in Nebulosity combined and post processed in PS (curves, levels, synthetic green channel using Carboni's astro actions, combined Ha and OIII used for luminance channel.
* Darkness of imaging site: (Fugly!) 80% moon on either side
* Dates image taken: 17th October for Ha, 18th October for OIII