72 replies to this topic

[Goofi]

The January 2019 Challenge is now open. The target is Barnard 33, Horsehead Nebula. To reduce the number of stickies, please submit your entry to this thread.

 

The Rules will remain pretty simple:

•       Your Equipment
•       Your Data, Captured This Season
•       Your Processing
•       One Entry Per Member

To increase participation over such a diverse group, the winner will be selected by random drawing. Please feel free to start a thread requesting guidance on your entry prior to submitting it, the whole purpose of this challenge is to learn and compare on a common target. Entries must be submitted by midnight eastern time on January 31, and I will try to announce the winner early in February. Note: If I am late announcing, gently nudge one of the moderators in a private note, it helps .

 

Please display an image in your post, not just a link!!

 

I hope everyone has fun with this one, and with that,

 

Let The Games Begin

 

Link to previous challenges and winners.

[johnsoda]

Acquisition details and better image

 

 

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[2Barrel]

Nice one .

[TropixSky]

My version of the Horsehead Nebula:

 

Equipment, AVX mount autoguided with PHD2 and touptek cam, SharpStar 65EDQ quadruplet refractor, Canon T2i LP2 removed.

Data: 36 x 300s ISO1600, using in camera LENR due to the high temp, Astro Photography Tools as my adquisition software, captured Nov 30 2018

Still learning how to use Astro Pixel Processor, increased contrast with photoshop.

 

Astrobin link: https://www.astrobin...383774/?nc=user

 

 

 

Mario.

[Gipht]

Thanks Goofy for choosing this beautiful object, which I had imaged on 12/13/18 and 12/15/18.   This picture comes from an ASI183MM Pro Camera and a Stellarvue 70mm refractor at 330mm focal length.  There were 48 4 minute subs of H-alpha used at a 30% blend with 70% luminance, and a 50/50 blend in the red channel.  LRGB were 30 second subs with 53 min of L, 17 min of red,  31 min of green, and 31 minutes of blue.  The camera was set at 160 gain, at -30C.  The pictures, with calibration files were  processed in DSS, StarTools, and Gimp.  The mount used was a CEM-60, auto-guided.  Had fun trying a lot of different versions of the object, but settled on a dark sky, colorful version.

 

 

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[motab]

With a break in the clouds in Copenhagen, used a QHY 183M with 7x300s in RGB to capture this with a 102mm refractor at f/5.6 ish.

 

Integrated and processed with PixInsight and finished off with Photoshop CC 2019.

 

 

https://www.astrobin.com/384228/

 

Edited by motab, 05 January 2019 - 09:57 AM.

[ImNewHere]

I took this one the night of December 17th, 30x 180s at ISO 1600 on the astro modded Pentax K5, TMB92, ATFF2, ZEQ25, and MGEN II for guiding. Then stacked in DSS and processing in Photoshop CS6.

 

Edited by ImNewHere, 04 January 2019 - 11:37 PM.

[Paulyman]

This is 4.5 hours of data over two nights, 1.5 hours of 300s subs at ISO 400 and 3 hours of 300s subs at ISO 800. Imaged using my WO Star 71, HEQ5 and unmodded 550D with CLS filter, guided using a 290 Mini and PhD2. Integrated and processed in PixInsight.

 

I'm slowly working my way through "Inside PixInsight" as well as the Light Vortex tutorials. I think I went too heavy handed with noise reduction but it's 30C-35C during the day and not much cooler during the night, BYEOS has recorded the sub temps around 39C-44C! I didn't like the colour image for whatever reason, no fault of the CLS filter, PI does a pretty good job of balancing the colour, I just felt it was off. So I extracted the luminance.

 

[nobake]

Taken 1-3-2019, Canon 5d4, Astro-Physics Stowaway, AVX.  ~70x 30 second lights, darks done in camera with long exposure noise reduction, 40 flats, 28 bias,

Processed in APP with some curves in Canon Digital Photo Professional.

 

[cablsurfin]

Hello All,

 

Image acquisition info is as follows:

 

Equipment: Explore Scientific ED127CF w/ Canon 40D (unmodified)

Data: 30 x 180" = 1.5 hr total integration
Processing: DSS and PS CS6

 

Thanks and CS,

Nick

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[daviddayag]

Hi,

This is my horsehead nebula (no filters)

Taken at the israelli desert.

 

Celestron cpc 1100 + hyperstar

alt-az mount + wedge

guiding - 9x50 finderscope + asi178mc

camera - asi294mc at -19 degrees c

captured in sharpcap (awesome software btw)

processed in ps and lr

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[PeteM]

First time doing an imaging challenging and really was excited to work on this project over the last few clear nights.

 

Equipment: CGE-Pro - TPO 8" RC @ f8ish - unmodded Nikon D5100
Data: 90x300s @ ISO800 (7.5hrs) (no filters)
Processing: PixInsight

 

CS - Pete

[shorty123]

Hi hers is my Horsehead killed with compression.

Skywatcher Esprit 120ed.

ZWO 1600mm pro shop in HA with Baader filter.5 hours of exposure.

Processed in Pixinsight no Darks Flats or Bias.

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[locidor]

Hi all. This is my modest contribution made with:

apo SharpStar 60 ED 60mm 420 f5,5, 20 subs of 1 min without guidance, camera sony nex 5n, mount star adventurer.  Stacked with Maxim Dl and processed with Startools

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Edited by locidor, 08 January 2019 - 11:51 AM.

[George Simon]

I just happened to shoot this target this past Saturday. Acquisition and gear details on the Astrobin page.

 

 

[Eric Horton]

Finally got some clear skies so I could participate this month!!  

 

Scope: Stellarvue sv80st

Guide scope/camera: Orion 60mm with SSAG

Mount: Ioptron CEM60

Camera:  Canon T6i

Acquired: Sequence Generator Pro - 42 5 min subs, obtained darks, flats, and bias

Pre Process:  Deepsky Stacker

Final Process: Photoshop CS6

 

 

 

 

Astrobin link   https://astrob.in/384886/0/

 

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[reddog1972]

Imaged from 2 different rigs during 2 different sessions:

 

Rig #1:

Orion Atlas, ES127CF FCD100 w 0.7x FF/FR, Canon T3i, Backyard EOS, DSS, PI.  140 x 90s @ ISO 800. (3 1/2 hrs total)

 

Rig #2:

Orion Sirius, SV70T w 0.8 FF/FR, ASI183MM Pro w/ Baader Ha 7nm 1.25" filter @ Unity Gain & -20c, SV50 Guidescope, ASI120MM-S Guidecamera, ASI Air, PI.  12 x 600s + 4 x 900s.  (3hrs total - darks/flats/bias used)

 

Each rig's data processed individually in PI - DBE, BN, CC, NR, Histo & Curve transform, Saturation, DC, HDR.  Then star aligned and LRGB combination.

 

All from Bortles 8/9 skies (SQM 18.0 on a good day) 15 miles west of New York City.

 

Clear skies!

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[geneva_min]

January 10th 2019

 

140 x 60s subs

William Optics Zenithstar 73

ZWO ASI 1600MC

 

 

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[AKHalea]

Here is my rendition of the Horsehead nebula captured earlier : 

 

 

Capture details : All subs taken from my LP backyard with ~sqm of 17.8 on a good day. 

 

iEQ 30Pro mount polar aligned with PoleMaster,

SV102ED f7 scope w/ Orion 0.8x Focal reducer for refractors (Eff FL of 571mm),

Modded Nikon D5300 camera,

A dual-band NPB filter with bandpasses at HA & OIII lines.

No guiding, but 57x90sec subs (85.5 minutes total) at ISO 2000 and f5.6,

Stacking and LP reduction in APP (Astro Pixel Processor) and then post-processed in StarTools with final touches in FastStone image viewer. 

 

Clear skies to all ..... Anil

Edited by AKHalea, 12 January 2019 - 10:01 AM.

[bezaleal]

Tech details:
Ha x  15 x 600sec
LRGB x 20 x 300sec
flats x 25 x Ha LRGB
darks:50
bias :50

Equipment:
Scope  :William Optics GTF81 81mm Apo Refractor
Mount  :Ioptron Cem60
Imaging camera: Asi1600 pro
Wheel filters:Zwo EFW
Focuser : Moonlite Focuser with step motor
Guiding camera: Zwo 120mm
Guider: :Zwo 60mm
Other: QHY PoleMaster

Software:
Sequence Generator Pro 3.0, Stark Labs PHD 2.6, PixInsight 1.8,Lightroom cc

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Edited by bezaleal, 13 January 2019 - 09:03 AM.

[cuivienor]

My attempt at getting close to just the horsehead in H-alpha.

 

Taken from Tokyo with EdgeHD800 with 0.7x reducer on October 22nd 2018 (I hope that qualifies as the same season!). Vixen AXJ mount, and Astrodon 3nm HA filter, 15 x 480s exposures with ASI1600MM-C.

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[Ladyhawke]

The Horsehead Nebula (also known as Barnard 33) is a dark nebula in the constellation Orion. The nebula is located just to the south of Alnitak, the easternmost star of Orion's Belt, and is part of the much larger Orion Molecular Cloud Complex. The Horsehead Nebula is approximately 1500 light years from Earth. It is one of the most identifiable nebulae because its resemblance to a horse's head.

 

Mach1GTO
Celestron Edge 11" with Hyperstar 4 - F/1.9
Atik 460 mono
Baader fast narrowband filters (Ha/SII/OIII)
10x300 seconds each filter
Stacked in CCDStack2
Processed in PixInsight using the Hubble palette
Minor touch ups in Photoshop CS5

 

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[geethq]

This one is the 1st capture i did with my new setup.

 

Date Taken: 4 January 2019
Mount: Skywatcher EQ6-R Pro
Telescope: Orion 10" f/3.9 Newtonian Astrograph
Camera: Nikon D5300a
Total exposure: 3hours
Subs : 300x36, no calibration frames
ISO: 400
Guide Scope: 50mm F3.5
Guide Cam: ASI120MM
Filter: Optolong UV/IR cut
Corrector: Baader MPCC Mark III Coma Corrector
Captured: digiCamControl
Guided: PHD2
Stacked: Deep Sky Stacker
Processed: Pixinsight/Photoshop
Location: Dark skies in Ridiyagama, Sri Lanka

 

 

Astrobin

https://www.astrobin...385248/?nc=user

Edited by geethq, 13 January 2019 - 06:18 AM.

[Eliekh]

FSQ106 / ASI1600mm-c / Baader 7nm Halpha

Pixinsight + Photoshop CS6

3 hours

 

Edited by Eliekh, 13 January 2019 - 09:53 AM.

[mgmeyer]

Equipment

 

Scope: Explore Scientific ED80
Mount: Celestron CGEM
Imaging Camera: ZWO ASI1600MM PRO
Filter Wheel: ZWO EFW
Guide Camera: ZWO ASI290MM MINI
Focuser: Moonlite Focuser
Other: ZWO TOAG, Explore Scientific Field Flattener, QHY PoleMaster
Software: Sequence Generator Pro 3, Stark Labs PHD 2.6.5, Deep Sky Stacker, Pixinsight 1.8, Adobe Photoshop CC 2019
Location: Lakewood, CO

 

Data Captured

 

Lights:
12/30/18 & 1/2/19: 50X 10MIN HA
1/2/19 & 1/5/19: 50X 10MIN SII
1/5/2019: 9X 10MIN OIII
1/5/2019 & 1-7-2019: 130X 1MIN RED
1/5/2019 & 1-7-2019: 71X 1MIN GREEN
1/5/2019 & 1-7-2019: 64X 1MIN BLUE
1/9/2019: 60X 1MIN HA
1/9/2019: 35X 1MIN OIII
1/9/2019: 60X 1MIN SII

 

Darks:
12/25/18 & 1/5/19: 67X 10MIN
1/6/19: 85X 1MIN

 

Flats:
1/5/19: 50X HA
1/5/19: 50X OIII
1/5/19: 25X SII
1/5/19: 50X RED
1/5/19: 50X GREEN
1/5/19: 50X BLUE

 

Dark Flats:
1/5/19: 52X HA
1/5/19: 50X OIII
1/5/19: 50X SII
1/5/19: 50X RED
1/5/19: 50X GREEN
1/5/19: 50X BLUE

 

Data Used (Integration time per filter & exposure time after stacking rejection):

HA 10MIN: 6HOURS 40MIN INTEGRATION
HA 1MIN: 51MIN INTEGRATION
OIII 10MIN: 1HOUR 10MIN INTEGRATION
OIII 1MIN: 27MIN INTEGRATION
SII 10MIN: 6HOURS 40MIN INTEGRATION
SII 1MIN: 51MIN INTEGRATION
RED 1MIN: 1HOUR 37MIN INTEGRATION
GREEN 1MIN: 53MIN INTEGRATION
BLUE 1MIN: 51MIN INTEGRATION

 

TOTAL INTEGRATION: 1200 Minutes / 20 Hours

 

Processing:
Data for each filter/exposure time was initially calibrated and 2X drizzled through Deep Sky Stacker.
Final stacks were registered and further processed in Pixinsight.
Super luminance was generated from stacks in Pixinsight.
Stars were removed from narrowband stacks to create tone maps.
Tone maps were exported from Pixinsight as 16-bit TIF and cleaned up in Photoshop.
Fighting strong halos from filter reflections, bright stars were blended over the halos; i.e. stars from Red replaced halos in HA, etc.
Tone maps brought back into pixinsight.
RGB image created in Pixinsight and stretched to be non-linear.
Tone maps were mixed with the RGB image through pixinsight's NBRGBCombination Script.
Curves transformation was used to further adjust colors.
Result was brought back to Photoshop for further noise reduction and color adjustments using the Camera Raw Filter.

Full size finished image is 6743px wide x 8602px tall at 72 dpi.

Posted image has been resized to 803px wide x 1024px tall at 72 dpi.

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