M31 Andromeda galaxy from High Halden

[Carole]

Taken from Mark's on 1-10-11
31 x 5mins 800 ISO Modified Canon 450D no filters
Skywatcher ED80, guided on ST 80 with QHY5 and PHD

Processed in DSS and PS CS3
full frame:
http://gallery.orpington-astronomy.org.uk/albums/userpics/10047/M31_High_Halden_1-10-11_31_x_5mins_800_ISO_ED80_OAS_size.jpg

[Mac]

That is excellent.

Love the dust lanes.

Mac

[PhilB]

Lovely, bags of detail

[MarkS]

Lovely image Carole.

The colours look good and the large version has lots of detail.  As Mac says, the dark lanes have also come out very well.

You must be very pleased with that!

By the way, the large image shows that your new flatterner is doing an excellent job - there's almost no star distortion in the corners.

Mark

[Carole]

Thanks Mac, Mark and Phil.
Yes I am quite pleased with it, although I am kicking myself that there are a few blunders and it could have been even better.

1. Could not use the subs from Kelling or it would have been another 14 x 5mins on top (orientated too differently to be able to make a decent combination).
2. When I did the flats, the camera to Flattener was not quite tight and when I went to switch the camera on the camera rotated slightly, so a couple of dust bunnies resulted.
3. I was expecting to be able to use the 30 sec subs for the core that I took at Kelling, but because of the orientation I cannot seem to paste the subs from High Halden on top of the 30 sec subs done at Kelling, tried several methods but without success. So above image core is purely processed from the 5min sub.  Had I realised this would be a problem I could have done some 30 sec subs at HH.

You live and learn by your mistakes. 

Carole

[RobertM]

That looks lovely Carole.  To be picky the core does look a bit burnt out to me but you've brought out the dust lanes very well.  I've always found it difficult processing the bright areas like galaxy cores successfully, M31 is an extreeme case though.

Robert

[The Thing]

I think that must be your best image yet, lovely.

[Carole]

Thanks Robert and Duncan.

Carole

[Fay]

Very nice M31 Carole, nice detail

[Carole]

Thanks Fay

Carole

[mickw]

Another nice one Carole

[Carole]

Thanks Mick

Carole

[Tony G]

Lovely image Carole. Plenty of detail, and nice colouration. 

Tony G

[Carole]

Thanks Tony.

[Kylee]

That's really beautiful...shame i couldn't make that night. Sounds like a great evening.

[Carole]

Thanks Kylee, yes it was a great evening and event.

carole

[JohnP]

A very nice m31 Carole. Your images have improved tremendously over the last year & the quantity you are getting amazes me. Well done & keep it up. Only negatives are a few background blotches (I guess caused by flat issues) & satellite trails.

John

[Carole]

A very nice m31 Carole. Your images have improved tremendously over the last year & the quantity you are getting amazes me.

Thanks John.  Well I was very lucky with Kelling.  Still another to come as well.  

Only negatives are a few background blotches (I guess caused by flat issues) & satellite trails.

Yes, I agree with you John, unfortunately I messed up the flats (see above post) as the camera and flattener were not screwed together tightly enough and when I went to do the flats as I switched on the camera it rotated.  I tried taking flats in two positions, but missed both times    Tried to process the dust bunnies out but didn't make a good job of it.  
Yes, will definitely leave out the subs with satellites next time as well, I was hoping they would process out.

Another couple of lessons learnt (duh).

Carole