It's a Gas

[2020BC (Bill Christie)]

I think I've said once, maybe even twice, that I like this camera:

My family's DSLR camera pointed skyward through my telescope let's me see STUFF...

Check out the image below and follow the link for the detail in the gas and dust clouds, and those cracks in the sky.

By hooking the camera up to my TV I get to see amazing images within 90 seconds of firing the camera.

By stacking the images in my computer I'm producing pictures of billions of tonnes of colorful gas and dust, exploding fiery stars - and all of it now readily accessible from my backyard. I like this technology, and who knows what it will be like in 5 years.

The image below shows a part of the Eta Carina nebula near the Homunculus. It's a stack of 46 unguided 30 second exposures ASA1600, Noise reduction On. Stacked in MaxDSLR and just histogramed in ImageReady. A small part of the core saturated to white so I masked it with a "darker" version. It's the first composite that worked well for me. The join is invisible.

The image below is cropped to 800x600 pixels at 100% resolution. Click here for a much larger version (only 160Kb).

When my new MPCC coma corrector arrives next week those comets in the top-left corner will hopefully be gone.

[[1ponders] (Paul)]

You sound like a very happy chappy, Bill Congratualtions on getting hooked

That full image is great. I like it more than your crop. Not that I don't like your crop , just that I like the full one more.

I'm looking forward to seeing what you can do in the next five years before you upgrade. That was what you meant wasn't it

[2020BC (Bill Christie)]

The first technology upgrade I'm looking forward to is the arrival next week of the Baader MPCC coma corrector. At the moment about a third of the area of each image is visibly affected by coma, and depending upon the image often requires a major cropping.

[tornado33]

thats a nice deep image. Focus and tracking loom good at that 100% size. You will love the MPCC it works great.
If you can, get a hold of a nebula filter like the Baader UHCS, putting that on Eta carina will increase detail more and increase the reds in the nebula.
Scott

[Itchy]

I'm with Paul on the full frame. I like it better that the cropped one.

I'm also with Scott. You will love the MPCC. It works well with the SN scopes. The filter works well too!!

Cheers

[ving (David)]

that image is fooly sic moit!

[2020BC (Bill Christie)]

The Baader MPCC Corrector just arrived today, which is why it started raining heavily for the first time in many weeks.