76 replies to this topic

[nikm]

The October 2024 Challenge is now open. The target this month is the M33 Triangulum Galaxy. 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
-Only post your FINAL image. Please display an image in your post, not just a link!!

 

NO general discussion in this thread. Your post should only contain your image and appropriate info. There is a separate thread for discussion.

 

To increase participation over such a diverse group, the winner will be selected by random drawing.

 

Entries must be submitted by midnight, eastern time, on October 31 and I will try to announce the winner sometime after November 1.

 

If the selected winner does not reply and pick a target with-in 3 days of the winner being announced, the Mods will then select the next target.

 

There is now a companion thread that runs parallel with the imaging challenge each month. This thread will be for general discussion on the corresponding months imaging challenge target. This thread will be very informal and relaxed and will be treated just like any other thread in the forums. Here is where you can post questions on processing, get help finding the targets location, post a preliminary "final" image to get feedback, etc. The only thing special is that I will be pinning it every month and each months companion thread will be titled in the same way for easy finding and searching. Since this is informal the mods will NOT be starting this thread. We will leave it up to the general membership. So it could take a couple days for someone to start it and for a mod to pin it. So please be patient if you don't see it up day one. Who ever starts this thread please PM me with a link to the thread so I can pin it.

 

Whoever starts the companion thread should title it to match the following: Target Name - Techniques and Progress Discussion  For example: Rosette Challenge - Techniques and Progress Discussion

 

Once the companion thread is post, please DM me with a link or put in a mod alert and I, or a fellow mod, will get it pinned.

 

Note: If I am late announcing, gently nudge one of the moderators in a private note, it helps.

 

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

 

Let The Games Begin

[Kerry D. Green]

Okay, this was my first time capturing, and as mentioned, was acquired early last month.
 
Equipment

• William Optics ZenithStar 80ii ED, .8x Flattener
• Player One Uranus C-Pro (IMX585)
• Losmandy GM811 with OnStep
• Wiliam Optics ZenithStar 66SD Guide Scope
• Meade LPI-G Monochrome guide camera

Capture

• 721x30s with UV/IR Cut filter (guiding was not working)
• 159x120s with Optolong L-Ultimate
• Captured across 2 nights, total of 11h18m30s

Processing

• Pixinisight
• WBPP, highest quality, captures stacked separately, 2x drizzle, 17each of darks, flats, dark flats

 

• ​RGB:
• ​Gradient Correction
• BXT, Correct Only
• ImageSolver, SPCC
• BXT
• NXT
• SXT

          Starless:

• Undo NXT
• GHS, Color Mode
• SelectiveColorCorrection to taste
• ImageBlend, High Pass Filter to bring out lanes
• NXT

         Stars:

• GHS, Color Mode, Arcsinh Transformation Type 
• GHS, Lightness Mode, Arcsinh Transformation Type

• NarrowBand

• ​Statistical Stretch
• Separate RGB Channels
• PixelMath to create Oiii and Ha

• RGB+NB

• ​Combine RGB and NB Script (Jurgen's Toolbox)
• Add Stars
• Selective Color Correction (magenta, yellow, cyan)
• ImageBlend Script, blur filter, low opacity

[khursh]

My take on M 33 was acquired on Aug31-Sep1.

 

Equipment:

Astro-Physics Stowaway (92mm f~7) with field flattener

QHY268C @-10C

Mach2 unguided

 

Capture:

240 3-minute subs (12h) with UV/IR cut filter

 

Processing:

PI:
WBPP 

BlurXTerminator

SPCC

NoiseXTerminator

Curves

 

GIMP:

More Curves, Saturation

 

Did not choose to remove stars

 

[planetman118]

Really happy how this one turned out. I’m still very much a newb, been working AP since around March. But felt a big jump in progression on this one. 

 

AT102ED scope

D5500 unmodded 

AVX mount

ASIAir with ASI178mm guidescope

About 18hrs total exposure, two minute subs, over about 10 nights

Baader MSG and L-Enhance filters

Processed with DSS, SIRIL, NXT, AstroSharp and GIMP.

 

Attached Thumbnails

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[HappyGalaxymore]

Every time I see pictures of this showing up, I remember that I should spend more time on it, just to forget until I see it again.

 

SV550 80mm main scope

no filter

SV605CC camera

guided in PHD2 with SV120MM guide camera on Sky Watcher 50mm f/4 scope

AVX mount

all controlled in NINA.

 

147x120sec subs for total integration of 4.9 hours

 

Stacked and initial edit in Siril, finish in Photoshop

 

[CTerry]

About 12 hours total split evenly with broadband and dual narrowband.  my processing skills leave much to be desired, but here we are. AT115edt and an uncooled asi533mc.

 

Attached Thumbnails

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[Oort Cloud]

Here is my entry for this month.  I knew I was not going to image this again this month with the EdgeHD 800, as I am having issues with it, but since I had picked M 33 for this month's challenge target due to its location, I figured I'd go back and take another stab at the little bit of data that I had collected last month on a night where I was just using it to test exposure/gain combinations with my relatively-new 2600MM.  And I learned a couple of things.  Mostly, don't give up on data just because it isn't great.  If you look closely, the stars look pretty bad.  Yet there is still (to my eye, at least, and especially on the full-resolution version) quite a bit of detail showing.  I was particularly impressed with how NGC-604 came out, compared to my last attempt at this target, which was with my C6 and at least 2 or 3 years ago.

 

This was still really difficult to process, and took lots of very careful background extraction with RBF, lots of very careful stretching with both the Histogram Tool and the GHS module, and some very careful sharpening in GIMP.  And a couple rounds of NR with GX3, one at 80% while still linear, and another at 100% on the near-final image.  And then, of course, a lot of very careful cropping and scaling to get it to fit here.  I had to sacrifice some of the outer arms to keep the detail from disappearing completely.

 

Total integration time is 83.5 minutes of luminance, and 38 minutes each of red, green, and blue.  Bortle 7

 

Edited by Oort Cloud, 04 October 2024 - 05:19 PM.

[mariemarie]

My 384mm focal length with a 2600MC camera didn't give me a close up view of M33. I could have cropped it but decided I like the look of the galaxy floating in space.

 

Thanks for the challenge, I wouldn't have gone after this target otherwise!

 

 

(click through for Astrobin)

 

San Francisco Bay Area
Bortle 3/4
3 October 2024

5.5 hours with L-Quad Enhance quad bandpass light pollution suppression filter (164 x 120 second subs)

 

Processed with SiriL and Starnet (stack, star removal, stretch, star reintegration) and Affinity Photo (NoiseXterminator, sharpening)

[Chrisofweden]

My entry for October (click to Astrobin):

 

 

Captured:
October 4, Bortle 4-ish, Outside temperature: +2 Deg C, Seeing: Average (< 2.5)
Scope: Askar 130PHQ APO refractor (1000mm, F7.7)
Imaging camera: ASI 2600MM Pro @-10c, Gain 100, Bin 1
Guiding: ZWO OAG-L with ASI174MM mini
Focus: ASI EAF
Filters: ZWO RGB, ZWO 7nm Ha
Mount: EQ6R Pro
Control: NINA
Integration: ~5hrs 30mins 
- 40 x 120s R,G & B each + 30 x 180s Ha
- Calibration: Bias, Flats, Darks

Software/Processing in PixInsight including:
Blink
WBPP including Auto pedestal, Cosmetic Correction, Local Normalisation, Drizzle x 2, Autocrop
Gradient Correction

RC BlurXterminator - correct only

Channel Combination

RC BlurXterminator
SPCC

RC NoiseXterminator

RC StarXterminator

GHS Arcsinh (stars)

Pixelmath add Ha  
GAME scripts 
Curves

Saturation
LocalHistogram
Pixelmath rescreen combination for stars
Integer resize
Crop

/Chris

[Jasev]

 

M33 - The Triangulum Galaxy (Oct 5, 2024)

 

WO GT81 scope, 0.8x F.F., Zwo asi2600mc-pro cam.
EQ6-R pro mount, PHD guiding
Sharpcap, Deep Sky Stacker and processed in Star Tools
3hr.s 44min.s total exposure / 1. min. subs, Gain 100, Temp 0C
Along with 40 dark, 25 flat and 25 flat dark calibration frames

 

JaSev

 

[danny1976]

ZWO ASI2600MC Pro / TSOptics CF 90/F6 + 1.0xFF

ZWO ASI120MC-S / ASTOptics 30/f4 mini guide scope

Skywatcher EQ6R Pro, PHD2 guiding and dithering

APT, Sharpcap pro, Siril, Photoshop, StarXterminator, NoiseXterminator, BlurXterminator

Bortle 5

363x180s = 18h  no filter

60x300s   = 5h   L-eXtreme

120x60s   = 2h   stars

 

I think galaxies are difficult to process. This is my latest version.

 

[cwgreeff]

2024/10/03

 

Equipment

Canon EF 75-300 at 140mm

Canon T7 unmodified

OG Star Tracker

 

Capture

244 x 30s no filter

20 each darks, flats, bias

 

Processing

DSS, Siril, Starnet, GIMP, MS Photos

 

 

 

 

[Garvis]

Hello CN,

 

Here is my take on M33:

 

Location: Backyard in Upstate Central NY
Telescope/Lens: Stellarvue 80 APO Triplet – Lomo lens
Mount: EQ6R-Pro
Autoguider: ZWO ASIair Pro
Guidescope: ZWO 60mm
Guide Camera: ZWO ASI290 mini
Main Camera: ZWO 183MC Pro – cooled
Cooling: -10
Gain: 111
Filter: IDAS D1 – 2” w/Flattener
Lights: 39 @ 180sec each
Iteration Total: 1hr 57mins
Dark: 20
Bias: 200

Flats: None acquired
Processing Software: PixInsight

 

Thanks for looking,

Garvis

 

Edited by Garvis, 07 October 2024 - 09:23 PM.

[starslicer]

Hyperstar's tend to make things glow. It certainly did here so the generalized hyperbolic stretch after starXTerminator came in handy this time.

 

C6 with Hyperstar

UV/IR Cut

Pixnsight

Photoshop

Bortle 6 or something, I try not to look because its depressing

(480)60"

 

Edited by starslicer, 08 October 2024 - 08:40 PM.

[TheStarsabove]

Hyperstar's tend to make things glow. It certainly did here so the generalized hyperbolic stretch after starXTerminator came in handy this time.

 

C6 with Hyperstar

UV/IR Cut

Pixnsight

Photoshop

Bortle 6 or something, I try not to look because its depressing

 

Wow! What is the integration time, may I ask?

[acrh2]

Askar 120 APO, 840 mm focal length, f/7, 0.93 arcsec/pixel.
ASI2600MM Pro, gain 0, 120 s subs dithered every other sub.
Astronomik Typ2C LRGB, Antlia 3n nm Pro Ha filters.
Bortle 5.5, no Moon.
LRGBHa = 13, 5, 5, 5, 7 hours = 35 hours total.
 

[Sean McDaniel]

Askar 103 APO

ASI2600MC Air

Optolong L-Quad Enhanced

PixInsight

~6 Hours

 

 

Attached Thumbnails

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[sub-zero]

2 hours on M33

Lights 40 x 180s
Darks 40
Flats 40
Dark Flats 40

Siril and PS for processing.

 

[powerslide]

My First attempt at RGB+Ha.

 

Scope: C8 SCT

Mount: EQ6-R

Camera: ASI2600MC

Acquistion through Nina

Stacked in WBPP & Processed in PI

 

100 x 120 s on UV/IR

40 x 180 s on ZWO Duo (Red Channel Only)

 

[DFW Guy]

M33 - TRIANGULUM GALAXY - WIP (2024)

 

I still want to add more data but since it's going to be a week or so due to the moon I'm going to upload as-is right now.

 

Equipment:

• 12" Meade ACF LX850 f/8


• ZWO 2600MC Pro


• Celestron CGX-L 


• ZWO OAG-L


• ZWO 220mm Guide Camera


• ASIAIR Plus 256GB

Capture:

• 1615 x 180 no filter


• Captured across 9 nights, total of 80h 36s

Processing:

• Stacked in Sirilic, calibrating each shooting session before combining them in final stack


• Background extract/denoise using Graxpert


• Photometric calibration using plate solving


• Green noise reduction


• Auto stetch


• Asinh transformation


• Color saturation

 

[manfromplanetx]

M33 - First Entry into Montly Challenge

 

Equipment:

Explore Scientific 102CF FCD100

ZWO AM5

Player 1 Posiden C

Svbony 220, Optolong Quad Band

 

Capture:

110 x 300 sec Svbony 22 - 9.17 hrs

165 x 180 sec Optolong Quad Band - 8.25 hrs

10/6/24 and 10/7/24

 

Processing:

PIxInsight

BlurXTerminator

NoiseXTerminator

StarXTerminator

 

MPX

 

Attached Thumbnails

• 

[bbasiaga]

M33 - This is my first monthly challenge as well.  

 

Equipment

SV130T

AP Mach 2

ZWO2600MC Duo

 

Capture

215x3min subs, Gain 100 offset 50, Cooled to 0C  all broadband no filter (besides built in UV/IR)

20 darks

30 Bias

30 Flats

Taken 10/6 and 10/10 2024

 

Processing

Stacked in Siril 

PCC and SCNR in Siril

Gradient removal in GRAXPERT

Starnet star removal

Stretched using ArcsinH and GHS in Siril

Denoised in Astrodenoise PY

Color correction and a couple of the Riston Tools in Affinity 2

Stars stretched in Siril

Slightly modified in Affinity, and recombined in Affinity

 

Click for the larger version. 

 

Edited by bbasiaga, 11 October 2024 - 08:09 PM.

[odddiv]

 

 

Skywatcher Evolux 62ED with Flattener/Reducer (F5.8)

Touptek / Risingcam ATR3CMOS08300KPA IMX585 Cooled Color

ZWO AM5n - TC40

OGMA EFW

OGMA OAG w/OGMA GP678C Guide Cam

ZWO EAF

Bortle 8/9 - Memphis, TN

 

Optolong UV/IR - 445 2 minute exposures : 14.8 hours

Askar D1 - 435 2 min exposures : 14.5 hours

Askar D2 - 492 2 min exposures : 16.4 hours

 

Shot between 10/6-10/11 2024

 

Stacked and processed in PixInsight

 

Final image is a blend of RGB from the UV/IR images and the HSO output of the two Askar narrowband filters.

 

ADBE

blurX

StarX

NoiseX

GHS

DBExtract (Askar images)

LRGBComb (Askar images, HA mapped to L)

ImageBlend

Curves tweaks

PixelMath to re-add stretched RGB stars

 

 

[nwcs]

I finally took to this target in September and a week ago with an unprecedented stretch of clear skies at night. Full details and BIG image are on https://www.astrobin.com/rwe3wn/B/ but the basics:

 

28'22" capture time

90mm SV Raptor

ASI cams and mount

PixInsight

 

[southernharry]

 

Finally clear skies but here comes the moon.

 

AT 130EDT @ 910 mm, Astronomik L-3 UV/IR filter

180, 1 Minute Exposures - 3 Hours Total

ZWO ASI533MC Pro at 0 degrees C

AT 60 Guide Scope with ASI178 Guide Camera

Processed in APP, Affinity Photo, and Photoshop Elements 

EQ6R  and PHD2

Attached Thumbnails

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Edited by southernharry, 14 October 2024 - 02:33 PM.