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my new NGC7000 narrow band image

Started by CounterWeight , Jul 10 2013 09:25 AM

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32 replies to this topic

#1 CounterWeight

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Posted 10 July 2013 - 09:25 AM

this is a work in progress but I FINALLY finished getting all the subs I wanted for my crescent / bubble image and was able to move to a new object.

This is just a start and I'll add to this thread as I get more data (hoping it stays clear long enough)

Imaged with the FSQ85 at f/5.3 using the ST8300M, 20 minute sub exposures.

Just the basics here as far as processing. Calibration, RGB combine, DDP stretch, color curve smoothing in MaxImDL pro. Bob Franke color treatment in CS5. Very slight DCNR and edge preserving smooth then resizing and TIFF to JPEG conversion done with PSP. Larger version here. if you click the image on that site it gets you a much larger version.

woohoo!

.

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#2 Jeff2011

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Posted 10 July 2013 - 09:41 AM

Wow! Love the contrasts. Great work Jim.

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#3 terry59

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Posted 10 July 2013 - 09:52 AM

That is a fantastic image Jim. It seems you have the FSQ85 working great. How do you rate the scope now that you've had time with it?

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#4 Madratter

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Posted 10 July 2013 - 09:58 AM

Beautiful.

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#5 shrevestan

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Posted 10 July 2013 - 10:04 AM

Great job!

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#6 Bill W.

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Posted 10 July 2013 - 10:13 AM

Very nice!

-Bill

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#7 CounterWeight

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Posted 10 July 2013 - 10:33 AM

Thanks so much everyone! I wasn't expecting anything near with and was at fist surprised how when I did a DDP Filter (the kernel-low-pass variant, a one click in MaxImDL pro which makes that alone almost worth the price for NB imaging!

) the image size sort of blew up off the edges of my image size! I can't remember that happening before. When I scrolled to the huge 'dust barge' that is such a great indicator of resolution I was again very happy. Then the Cygnus Wall feature and I was just 'photon happy', huge grin and "I'm going to post it as is", I usually wait until I have more data / time in on image but this just really amazed me!

stay tuned I hope it'll just get better from here :jump:

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#8 CounterWeight

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Posted 10 July 2013 - 10:58 AM

Terry - I go back and forth. The optics are flat out fantastic, but the focuser / CAA is touchy and IMO not up to the task. I've had the CAA off and apart twice now as the pad on the CAA tension shaft either comes off/undun(a la the Guess Who song from back when) or stays so tight that if I try to rotate the CAA it starts unscrewing from the focuser tube. what is worse, and has ruined at least one image is that things can go wrong with the CAA and you get uneven field with oblong stars on one side (yes it is sensitive that way but I expect that at near f/5) depending on gravity alone.

I think if Tak addressed the issues - folks would stop removing the CAA and/or in some cases going to a different focuser entirely. The complaint is nothing new.

If I used a collet and could just rotate the CCD that way it would be a non-issue but I am 'all threaded' and IMO the issues I've had are just something I would call sub-standard to the optics and tube and focuser - mine seems no problem, no shift that bothers me anyway.

I've not found the optics / focus position anywhere near as temperature sensitive as others have (it's mentioned a lot on the yahoo group along with moto-focus)and no need whatsoever for a motorized focus. I think adding moto-focus could introduce more difficulty so I'm averse to it as I don't need it and seems like wasted money for my particular use.

I do nothing to refocus between filters and find the spot sizes I get very acceptable - and as you see they process together very well. Give credit here to Astrodon too - Don's filters are fantastic and in the end worth every penny. At least for me I don't feel there is any objectionable aspect ratio or blooming.

I doo see what appear to be tiny crosshairs on brighter stars, but again the lack of halo (so far - I've not gone after that Alnitak area!) and that the effect is minimal I feel may be another outstanding feature of the optics. I am curious about this though and will compare to my TEC when I go for the Pelican half of this area.

Hope that helps, and food for though for anyone else wondering about these Tak 'quads'. If any of it seems nit picking well, I paid the price of admission.

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#9 Wouter D'hoye

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Posted 10 July 2013 - 02:01 PM

Hi jim,

I'm gonna be really hard on you.. I'm sure you can take it..

First the good, sharpness, detail, colors.. all are splendid..

Now for the bad: in the lower midtones there appears quite some color noise.. a bit as if the image shows freckles. It's especially apparent in the area below the wall and in the lower and mid left.

The noise appears to be mostly in the reds. So I assume that's from the SII data. SII is usually very weak and needs to be stretched much further. I guess that if you want to improve the image with more integration time you'd need to focus first on some more SII.

Thanks for sharing. I'm sure you'll nail this one and it will be stunning.

Wouter.

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#10 Footbag

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Posted 10 July 2013 - 02:11 PM

Amazing! Was this taken from dark skies? I'm considering the jump to NB and mono CCD just to help overcome my LP.

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#11 rigel123

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Posted 10 July 2013 - 03:16 PM

That's a beauty Jim! Love the colors

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#12 CounterWeight

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Posted 10 July 2013 - 05:03 PM

Thanks Wouter!

I'll keep at it tonight I hope :fingerscrossed:

, and you nailed it on the stretching - it takes great data to stand up to it.

Adam, thanks! - it was from my backyard here in the white zone, not all images well in NB but it's a great antidote to LP for those that do. I've found the narrowest OIII and SII the better.

Warren, thanks always for the encouragement. Are the skies letting up at all out your way yet or soon?

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#13 shawnhar

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Posted 10 July 2013 - 05:25 PM

Wow Jim, that is an amazing pic, love the color pallette.

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#14 DaemonGPF

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Posted 10 July 2013 - 06:23 PM

That is an EXCELLENT image! I seriously can't think of a thing I would change.

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#15 yock1960

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Posted 10 July 2013 - 08:20 PM

Really nice image Jim!

Steve

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#16 JJK

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Posted 10 July 2013 - 08:32 PM

Nice image!

I just took a dozen one-shot color light subs (just uploaded in another post) for part of NGC7000 with a 175 mm apo and will try it with a wider field scope.

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#17 JJK

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Posted 10 July 2013 - 08:39 PM

Hi jim,

I'm gonna be really hard on you.. I'm sure you can take it..

First the good, sharpness, detail, colors.. all are splendid..

Now for the bad: in the lower midtones there appears quite some color noise.. a bit as if the image shows freckles. It's especially apparent in the area below the wall and in the lower and mid left.

The noise appears to be mostly in the reds. So I assume that's from the SII data. SII is usually very weak and needs to be stretched much further. I guess that if you want to improve the image with more integration time you'd need to focus first on some more SII.

Thanks for sharing. I'm sure you'll nail this one and it will be stunning.

Wouter.

Wouter, I just took some single light sub narrowband images of the Gulf region in the NA nebula (H-alpha, O3, S2, 30 min each) and indeed O3 and S2 are far weaker than the H-alpha (especially O3)!

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#18 rigel123

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Posted 10 July 2013 - 08:46 PM

Warren, thanks always for the encouragement. Are the skies letting up at all out your way yet or soon?

Keeping my fingers crossed as the next 3 nights (starting tomorrow) are supposed to be clear to partly cloudy. Since no rain is in the forecast at least my stuff will be set up!

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#19 CounterWeight

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Posted 11 July 2013 - 01:16 AM

Josh, Steve, John - thanks so much.

I love this place thanks to all your encouragement. My objective here is to hopefully show the differences adding more exposure time using somewhat 'canned' stretching and same duration sub exposures. Normally I would try to stretch the data according to the resulting stack manually 'per channel'. There is the 'paper whipping' part of this and then the practical part. Honestly I was a bit happily surprised at what popped out from the few subs per channel!

the various DDP stretches are all a bit demanding on the quality of the data and calibration of it.

-If all goes well tonight I should be able to double the exposure time on all channels tonight. My main concern is to wake up for the meridian flip at ~3Am as I'm a bit punchy after this run of clear skies and a bit sleep deprived.
:tonofbricks:

that folks is a complaint I am so blessed to finally make!

Warren I'll keep fingers crossed for you there! :fingerscrossed:

Josh I am looking forward to your results after that great hypertune you did

!

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#20 CounterWeight

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Posted 11 July 2013 - 08:10 AM

OK - last night appears to have been good, doubled the number of exposures per channel, still a little noisy in the SII and OIII but much better than before. Interesting to note changes at full resolution, not sure they all xlate to the smaller image here. Link to updated larger version.

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#21 JJK

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Posted 11 July 2013 - 08:12 AM

It'd be nice to have some RGB data to give the stars their true color.

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#22 terry59

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Posted 11 July 2013 - 08:16 AM

The difference is subtle but noticable. Your stars seem diminished, was that intentional? I like both versions. Maybe you missed my q's above...how do you rate the FSQ-85 now that you have some time with it? Worh the cost difference from the Orion scope?

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#23 CounterWeight

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Posted 11 July 2013 - 08:43 AM

thanks John - maybe someday, I've not felt compelled to do that so far as I like the overall effect this way.

Terry - look up about 15 responses from here (#5963949 - 07/10/13 08:58 AM ), I made a long response to your question there. Interesting about the point sources and I'm uncertain why/how that is as I followed identical steps on processing both. It is apparent in the full size TIFF I convert from as well.

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#24 terry59

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Posted 11 July 2013 - 09:01 AM

Thanks Jim, I've no idea how I missed that! Focusers are a concern of mine on any scope based on my experiences. I don't consider your issues to be nit picking at all. For the cost I expect darn near perfect but really don't see it that way. I will be wanting to upgrade from the AT72ED within the next year but am not sure what I should do.