Yeeha! Now I'm cookin' on gazzzz 8).
30x300s @ iso800. LX90 8" UHTC, Baader Alan Gee II Telecompressor (f5.2), Canon 1000Da (no CLS-CCD filter), APT, PHD, QHY5 on Finderscope, Skycharts.
This is as full size as it gets as I always have problems getting a finished viewable file out of IRIS. This is a screen shot! There are some very strange dark squidges along the bottom of the image, any ideas what could have caused it? I have cropped most of it out.
[rubbish image removed]
Very nice detail Duncan but your colour balance is off. The image has a green cast to me.
Greeny yellow I'd say, looks like if you can get the colour balance right it will be good.
Better? This started out so greeny yellow it looked ill.
Full Size (IRIS was OK saving a JPG but not a PNG)
(http://www.ancientlight.amateur-astronomy.org//images/LeoTriplet_20120323_30x300s_iso800_sm.jpg) (http://www.ancientlight.amateur-astronomy.org//images/LeoTriplet_20120323_30x300s_iso800.jpg)
Looks good Duncan.
You've processed it well to show some good detail and excellent colouring in the galaxies.
Your focal reducer is working well and your collimation looks spot on - the distortions are well under control and are very symmetrical.
Nice one!
Mark
Colour much better on the reprocess. Excellent detail. Probably your best image yet.
Really like the reprocess Duncan, nice colour.
Carole
Thanks everyone. I'm going to try it with Mark's magic IRIS script when I get a chance to see if I can get more out of the subs.
Detail in galaxies is looking very good Dunc. Have to say your black point is VERY clipped but I suspect you did this to hide those weird gradients at the bottom of image... Nice one, John.
Thanks John.
If anyone can make a suggestion as to the nature of the weird gradients...
Well it looks pretty severe - is it on all frames? What about light leakage somewhere - do you have laptop nearby? Have you got the viewfinder on your camera covered....what about darks did you do any? John
10 darks from library at correct CCD temp, good flats, camera ep covered.
Lovely Duncan, great triplet!!
Thanks Fay!
Well if it happens next time you image I would suggest doing a single dark to eliminate light leakage then I would suggest culprit is either reflections somewhere or perhaps CCD icing up...
very nice image Duncan
julian
Looking excellent Duncan and the stars seem pretty good to the edge. I would say in this LT the background looks blacker that a black thing painted black - but probably not much you can do about that without some gradient removal tool ? I didn't get to see the orginal but the colours look ok on this one.
Robert
Looks really good Duncan, nice detail and colours.
I can just make out the gradients or whatever, looks like a couple of arcs across the bottom of the image. It looks like you could be picking up a reflection from somewhere. Were the Taj Mahal lights on ? I thought your tube and dewshield were flocked though.
Is it possible that dew could be collecting on the inside of the dewshield at the open end ?
Thanks everyone, yes I made the background very black to hide the gradients/artefacts. It could easily be reflections, I probably should flock inside the t-mount as well.
I don't think it was the Taj Mahal lights Mick, I need to examine the flats, I think there may have been light leakage when I took them. The funny thing is it looks like the effect you get when the back of a film camera isn't sealed properly or you don't put the lid on the film processing tank properly before you put the lights on. Weird.