November 13, 2007
Not overly happy with this image, I trained the autoguiding in PHD while it was a bit blustery, and I think the scope/mount was getting moved a bit by the wind. As such, during the imaging session, I had some real North/South guiding issues, which show up as slightly elongated stars. This also means that the finer detail in the nebula has been lost, and no amount of post processing wll get that back. I`ll be back again for this target one night, and make sure the guiding is working correctly before I start myimaging sessions.
OTA: Celestron NexStar 8 GPS @ f/7.(something)
Camera: QHY8 OSC
Guiding: William Optics ZenithStar 66 SD + DSI-C + PHD
Imaging: MaximDL/CCD, 16 x 900s, CLS Filter
Processing: DeepSkyStacker, ImagesPlus, Photoshop CS2 + Noel Carboni’s Astro Tools
Posted by Steve under Astro | Comments Off on IC1396A Elephant Trunk Nebula
November 12, 2007
Bl__dy freezing, but clear all night. So clear in fact that I left the kit outside imaging for 4 hours while I went to get some sleep, so i`m not as sleep deprived as usual today.
First up,
OTA: Celestron NexStar 8 GPS @ f/7.(something)
Camera: QHY8 OSC Guiding: William Optics ZenithStar 66 SD + DSI-C + PHD
Imaging: MaximDL/CCD, 16 x 900s, CLS Filter
Processing: DeepSkyStacker, ImagesPlus, Photoshop CS2 + Noel Carboni’s Astro Tools
Followed by
NGC2024, the flame nebula
OTA: Celestron NexStar 8 GPS @ f/7.(something)
Camera: QHY8 OSC
Guiding: William Optics ZenithStar 66 SD + DSI-C + PHD
Imaging: MaximDL/CCD, 7 x 600s (the sky started turning blue), CLS Filter
Processing: DeepSkyStacker, ImagesPlus, Photoshop CS2 + Noel Carboni’s Astro Tools
Note: The image is somewhat ruined by the reflection doughnut at the lower right, and a fainter one top left
I also have an IC1396A that i`m not overly happy with (so I wont post it), and a red blob against a blue sky thats suppsoed to be Mars… I think I`ll stick to Deep Sky stuff for now 🙂
Posted by Steve under Astro | Comments Off on M78 and NGC2024 Flame Nebula
November 7, 2007
Just had a quick go at reprocessing my M31 image from earlier in the year.
OTA: WO ZS 66 SD
Guiding: NS8GPS @ f/10 + DSI-C + PHD
Imaging: QHY8 + MaximDL, 12 x 300s
Stacked: DeepSkyStacker
Post Process: ImagesPlus + PSCS2
Posted by Steve under Astro | Comments Off on M31 reprocess from September
November 6, 2007
Just realised that I dont have any pictures of the current kit setup on here… so here goes
This is the basic setup, with my NexStar 8 GPS sitting atop my wedge, and a William Optics ZenithStar 66 SD piggybacked on top with ADM rings
And this is the borg-like imaging monster it transforms into under clear dark skies.
Posted by Steve under Astro | Comments (1)
October 31, 2007
Right, time to get to work on “My First Comet”
Comet 17P Holmes
OTA: NS8GPS @ f/10
Guiding: WO ZS 66 SD + DSI-C + PHD
Imaging: QHY8 + MaximDL, 26 x 60s (damn the clouds!)
Stacked: DeepSkyStacker (comet mode)
Post Process: MaximDL + PSCS2
Colour Version
Then a Mono Larson-Sekanina filtered version (do NOT do this on a colour image, your eyes will appreciate you for it :))
And now using the mono version as a luminosity layer on the colour version
Posted by Steve under Astro | Comments Off on Comet 17P Holmes
October 21, 2007
Not knowing how long the clear spells will last (nor if there were any stray clouds on their way last night because the Met Office Sat pics went t*tsup), I just stayed out until the sky turned light… I think the processing went well, considering I`ve been awake for 32+ hours now..
Anyway, here we go:
OTA: William Optics ZenithStar 66 SD
Guide: NS8GPS@f/10 + DSI-C + PHD
Capture: 18 x 600s, QHY8, CLS Filter
Processing: DeepSkyStacker, PSCS2 + Noels Astro Tools.
Ready for this? Now you know why I`m still awake….
(Click on the image for a larger version!)
Posted by Steve under Astro | Comments Off on NGC2024 (Flame Neb) and B33 (Horsehead Neb)
October 18, 2007
My first delve into using a CLS filter last night… damn that was cold out there!
First off, IC5146 Cocoon
OTA: NS8GPS@ f/10
Guiding: WO66 + DSI-C + PHD
Imaging: QHY8, 9 x 600s (plus bias and darks), CLS Filter
Process: DeepSkyStacker, PSCS + Noels Tools
Note: I just couldnt get the focus right on this image, kept chasing it back and forwards.
Then M33 appeared over the roof, so I moved on:
OTA: NS8GPS@ f/6.3
Guiding: WO66 + DSI-C + PHD
Imaging: QHY8, 12 x 600s (plus bias and darks), CLS Filter
Process: DeepSkyStacker, PSCS + Noels Tools
I took about an hour of Ha as well, but cant quite get my head round how I should use it on my RGB image.
Posted by Steve under Astro | Comments Off on IC5146 Cocoon Nebula + M33 Triangulum Galaxy
September 18, 2007
Attended the Kelling Heath Star Camp over the weekend, and managed to do some imaging between the observing/drinking/eating.
M42 Orion Nebula
Imaging: William Optics ZS 66 SD (piggybacked), QHY8 Camera (Gain 50, Offset 120), MaximDL/CCD, 17 x 300s
Guiding: NexStar 8 GPS @ f/6.3 (FR), DSI-C, PHD
Processing: Deep Sky Stacker, Photoshop2 + Noels Tools
(Click on the image for a larger version)
M45 Pleiades
Imaging: William Optics ZS 66 SD (piggybacked), QHY8 Camera (Gain 50, Offset 120), MaximDL/CCD, 12 x 300s
Guiding: NexStar 8 GPS @ f/6.3 (FR), DSI-C, PHD
Processing: Deep Sky Stacker, Photoshop2 + Noels Tools
(Click on the image for a larger version)
Published in Sky at Night (Coverdisc), January 2008Â
NGC7023 Iris Nebula (Mono)
Imaging: NexStar 8 GPS @ f/6.3 (FR), QHY8 Camera (Gain 50, Offset 120), MaximDL/CCD, 17 x 300s
Guiding: William Optics ZS 66 SD (piggybacked), DSI-C, PHD
Processing: Deep Sky Stacker, Photoshop2 + Noels Tools
Posted by Steve under Astro | Comments Off on Kelling Autumn Star Camp – 15th September 2007
September 11, 2007
Finally got out of the “DSLR” mindset of worrying about hot pixels, and went the whole hog on long exposures with my QHY8 last night. All went well, other than me kicking the USB cable during one of the M27 subs which caused PHD to go nuts, and wondering why my 4×4 binning repeat focus was creating trails (looked down, saw one of my cats rubbing themselves against the tripod in an attempt to catch my attention).
Right, first up…
All images taken with:
Camera: QHY8
OTA: NexStar 8 GPS @ f/10 (2000mm)
Guiding: PHD + DSI-C + WO66 piggyback
Imaging: MaximDL
Stacked: DSS
Tweaked: PSCS2 + Noels Tools
M15
10 x 300 seconds (Gain 20, Offset 120)
(Ignore the stray line across the top of the image)
M27
7 x 900 seconds (Gain 20, Offset 120) – lost one sub to the kicked USB incident 🙂
Note: I think this one may be approaching the “over processed” limit
M31
12 x 300 Seconds (Gain 20, Offset 130)
(Ignore the stray line across the top of the image)
Note: This one was imaged with the WO66, while the NS8GPS was guiding
This one REALLY IS over processed, I know that… it turned noisey, but I`m so tired that I have no energy to go back and start again
Posted by Steve under Astro | Comments Off on M15, M27, M31
September 6, 2007
First DSO light for the QHY8, after a clear spell appeared over the house last night and stayed until at least 3.30am (which is when I decided I really needed to get some sleep!)
OK, so a few problems with this image: The colour balance is off, the stars are a bit “blobby” (due to the 10 minute exposures I think), and I am unable to remove the light pollution and/or radial gradient from the centre of this nebula with destroying the finer detail in the core… but i`m happy with it as a first attempt.
NS8GPS @ f/6.3, 6 x 600secs, PHD guided, no filters
Posted by Steve under Astro | Comments Off on NGC6888, Crescent Nebula
