This was 59 x 210s @ ISO800 with flats, darks, dark flats and bias frames applied. I'm really thinking my lack of an unmodified camera hurt this one. This was surprisingly hard to image, considering how "right" the session seemed to go. I got set up and the night was one of the clearest and most stable I've seen since I started imaging. The Milky Way looked 3D. My tracking was really smooth and my subs were really crisp with nice round stars. The only hiccup I had was about 2 hours in, my mount decided to go crazy and start drifting out of control. I shut everything down and realigned twice before it started to act right again, but that killed an hour of imaging time. I had planned on doing some of the Horsehead, but I figured I would probably never image the Wizard again, so best make the most of the one night I was giving it.After stacking, I think some frames with dew buildup snuck in and bloated my stars, but either way there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of color data there to work with. I had to stretch and saturate like crazy to get what's there to show up.Anyways, thanks for looking!
_____________________________________
Stan
http://www.astrobin.com/users/shrevestan/Celestron 1100HD CGEM DX, ADM Rail, Rings and Knobs, Hyperstar 3, Optec .62X FR8mm Ultima-LX, 23 mm Axiom LX, 28 mm RKE Astrozap Solar Filter, Baader L Booster UHC-S FilterOrion StarShoot AutoGuider in 80mm RefractorUnmodded Canon T1i DSLR, Modded Xbox Live Vision CamBackyard EOS, Deep Sky Stacker, Registax, Adobe CS 6 with Carboni Actions and GradientXterminator
Boy, you went all out to get this one. 59 frames at 210secs each? Plus darks, flats, bias, etc.? What is that, going on four hours of data aquisition? Add the mount hiccup and the usual delay between frames and the session must have easily topped 6 hours. Very impressive effort, and a darned good photo to show for it.
Where do you go to get those dark skies with the Milky Way so prominent? It can't be too close to Shreveport. North to Arkansas maybe?
Also, is that a dark nebula above and slightly to the right of the Wizard? There is a definite dark streak almost void of stars in the image there.
---Poppa Chris---
"Second star to the right - Then straight on until morning!" - Peter Pan
Celestron CPC1100GPS (XLT) - 279mm aperature, 2800mm Focal length. (f10) Celestron Ultima LX (70deg AFOV) Eyepieces 32mm thru 5mm, Canon EOS Rebel T2i DSLR, Backyard EOS imaging software, Orion Star Shoot Planetary Imager IV, Celestron Skymaster 15x70 binoculars
Yeah it's a dust lane. Some of my really aggressive curves brought it out at the expense of everything else so I focused more on pulling out the color.
I was about 8 miles south of Shreveport so it wasn't exactly a dark site but it was still pretty good and the best I've seen it out there.
As far as the integration times, I've really been trying to get over my imaging ADD. I'd rather get one (hopefully) really good image a night versus two or three images that could have been better.
Is this a target that just needs a lot of exposure? What magnitude is it?
7.2
Stan, I think this is a GREAT image! Still do not see the wizard in it that gives it it's name. Never have. I ran the final image through Noise Ninja, and it was able to take a few more curves!! Ideally you would do this in the lumination image. Might be worth a try for you to bring out even more detail in what I consider a GREAT image!!!!!!
I agree with the astrophotography ADD!!! I have the same problem. Going to REALLY buckle down for the Horse Head!
Celestron 8 SCT F/10 to 7.5 to 6.3-C-GEM Mount-Starizona Power Pack II+-Bahatinov Focus Mask-Canon Rebel XS 1000D 10.1 MP-Nexguide Auto Guider-Orion Short Tube 80mm Guide Scope- Baader Planetarium UHC-S/L-Booster visual/photographic 2"-Capture Software Backyard EOS-Deep Sky Stacker-Adobe Photoshop/Registax 6 for post work
"Noise Ninga" ??? Que est Noise Ninga? And where do I find it?
Hmm. May have to reprocess it one day. The Wizards head is at the top and his two arms are in the middle. The dark spot is his left hand, thumb up.
Noise ninja is a photoshop plug in that slices and dices noise.
shrevestan Noise ninja is a photoshop plug in that slices and dices noise.
Yeah you should really look into upgrading. :)
shrevestan Yeah you should really look into upgrading. :)
You are quite right. An upgrade is definitely in my near future.
I can hardly wait to see your reprocessing of the Wizard.
Chris, I am running it on a copy of Photoshop 7, which is older then your original CS. It will work fine.
But do you see the wizard yet?
shrevestan But do you see the wizard yet?
I'll be darned, I DO see it!!!!!! Thanks!
RayM0506 Chris, I am running it on a copy of Photoshop 7, which is older then your original CS. It will work fine.
We need to start a "my software is older than your software" therapy group or something...