Orpington Astronomical Society

Astronomy => Astrophotography => Topic started by: The Thing on Aug 22, 2015, 18:07:25

Title: Cocoon Nebula IC5146, 17 to 22 August 2015, Manche, France
Post by: The Thing on Aug 22, 2015, 18:07:25
Latest effort from France. Now the nights are getting longer it's starting to get good for imaging. Last night (22nd) was very clear, saw several satellites and three Perseids and a sporadic. Milky Way was gorgeously detailed. Had to be careful not to fall down my pier hole. Galavanised tube to form the peir and concrete to fill it are here so it won't be a hole much longer :)

Canon 1000D (modded) with no light pollution filter, 55 subs x 60s @ ISO 800 using Meade LX90 8" UHTC, Baader Alan Gee II Telecompressor (f6, fl1255mm), OAG with QHY5L-IIm camera and PHD 2.5, HEQ5 Pro Belt Modded. Guiding was 1.07 Arcsec RMS most of the time.

(http://gallery.orpington-astronomy.org.uk/albums/userpics/10050/normal_IC5146-Cocoon-Nebula-DSS.jpg) (http://gallery.orpington-astronomy.org.uk/displayimage-1573.html&fullsize=1)
Title: Re: Cocoon Nebula IC5146, 17 to 22 August 2015, Manche, France
Post by: Fay on Aug 22, 2015, 19:54:03
That is really good Duncan, 60 sec subs, that is great!!!!
Title: Re: Cocoon Nebula IC5146, 17 to 22 August 2015, Manche, France
Post by: The Thing on Aug 22, 2015, 20:14:16
Quote from: Fay on Aug 22, 2015, 19:54:03
That is really good Duncan, 60 sec subs, that is great!!!!
Oops, must get a new keyboard - it was the usual 300s (5mins in old money). 3.5hours worth of data.
Title: Re: Cocoon Nebula IC5146, 17 to 22 August 2015, Manche, France
Post by: MarkS on Aug 22, 2015, 22:08:41
Lovely colours and nicely processed! 

However, I suspect you could stretch just a little more out of that image and make the dark lane begin to appear. It's worth a try!

Mark
Title: Re: Cocoon Nebula IC5146, 17 to 22 August 2015, Manche, France
Post by: Carole on Aug 23, 2015, 16:23:15
Nice cocoon Duncan.  Are you going to build an obsy around your pier?

Carole
Title: Re: Cocoon Nebula IC5146, 17 to 22 August 2015, Manche, France
Post by: The Thing on Aug 23, 2015, 20:11:37
Quote from: Carole on Aug 23, 2015, 16:23:15
Nice cocoon Duncan.  Are you going to build an obsy around your pier?

Carole
Yes is the short answer. I'll start a thread when I have a bit more progress but the weather is against me just now :(
Title: Re: Cocoon Nebula IC5146, 17 to 22 August 2015, Manche, France
Post by: RobertM on Aug 23, 2015, 21:36:16
Excellent that Duncan, must be nice not having to use an LP filter.

Robert
Title: Re: Cocoon Nebula IC5146, 17 to 22 August 2015, Manche, France
Post by: The Thing on Aug 24, 2015, 11:52:34
Quote from: RobertM on Aug 23, 2015, 21:36:16
Excellent that Duncan, must be nice not having to use an LP filter.

Robert
Well I thought I would be brave and give it a bash, Marks suggestion really (as in 'I'm suprised you use an LP filter where you are'). There might be one on AstroBuySell shortly!
Title: Re: Cocoon Nebula IC5146, 17 to 22 August 2015, Manche, France
Post by: RobertM on Aug 24, 2015, 14:52:36
Quote from: The Thing on Aug 24, 2015, 11:52:34
Quote from: RobertM on Aug 23, 2015, 21:36:16
Excellent that Duncan, must be nice not having to use an LP filter.

Robert
Well I thought I would be brave and give it a bash, Marks suggestion really (as in 'I'm suprised you use an LP filter where you are'). There might be one on AstroBuySell shortly!

I'm always harping on about it too.  A bit like using a CLS filter at DSC... Why throw away all those nice photons and needlessly compromising your image.

Robert
Title: Re: Cocoon Nebula IC5146, 17 to 22 August 2015, Manche, France
Post by: Carole on Aug 24, 2015, 16:50:54
I notice there are a couple of gradients in the image Duncan, have you got gradient exterminator?  I just tried it and it response well to that.

Carole
Title: Re: Cocoon Nebula IC5146, 17 to 22 August 2015, Manche, France
Post by: The Thing on Aug 26, 2015, 11:22:06
Exactly the same data processed in IRIS with mask based gradient removal. Much happier with this.

(http://gallery.orpington-astronomy.org.uk/albums/userpics/10050/normal_IC5146-Cocoon-Nebula-IRIS.jpg) (http://gallery.orpington-astronomy.org.uk/albums/userpics/10050/IC5146-Cocoon-Nebula-IRIS.jpg)
Title: Re: Cocoon Nebula IC5146, 17 to 22 August 2015, Manche, France
Post by: JohnP on Aug 26, 2015, 12:06:57
Looks a lot better.. First image is a 'Tad too blue' the Iris version looks a 'Tad too green' - might be my monitor though...

I'm liking it though & ranks as one of your best images to date..

John

PS - Hope all is going well with the build & you haven't got the torrential downpours currently hitting the SE..
Title: Re: Cocoon Nebula IC5146, 17 to 22 August 2015, Manche, France
Post by: The Thing on Aug 26, 2015, 16:38:53
I've now messed around with the IRIS image in StarTools and I think it's rather nice, I've even shrunk the stars using the Magic function. But I think another showing yet another reprocess here is toooo much.
Title: Re: Cocoon Nebula IC5146, 17 to 22 August 2015, Manche, France
Post by: Carole on Aug 26, 2015, 18:35:52
It's got rid of the gradients well.  Also the dark nebula shows up better.  Altogether a better process, though I do confess I prefer the pretty pink of the first cocoon, but then I am a girl and like pretty colours.   :bug:  :lol:

To be honest I think showing what improvement can be made to the same data is surely educational for those just starting out and we have got a few potential new people wanting to start imaging if my imaging session is anything to go by.  So long as there aren't too many versions. 

Carole
Title: Re: Cocoon Nebula IC5146, 17 to 22 August 2015, Manche, France
Post by: Fay on Aug 26, 2015, 18:39:40
I like the star colours of the first one
Title: Re: Cocoon Nebula IC5146, 17 to 22 August 2015, Manche, France
Post by: Carole on Aug 26, 2015, 18:45:16
Good point, maybe a combi of new process and colours.

Carole
Title: Re: Cocoon Nebula IC5146, 17 to 22 August 2015, Manche, France
Post by: The Thing on Aug 26, 2015, 19:52:38
Now with IRIS and added StarTools...

(http://gallery.orpington-astronomy.org.uk/albums/userpics/10050/normal_IC5146-Cocoon-Nebula-IRIS_StarTools.jpg) (http://gallery.orpington-astronomy.org.uk/albums/userpics/10050/IC5146-Cocoon-Nebula-IRIS_StarTools.jpg)
Title: Re: Cocoon Nebula IC5146, 17 to 22 August 2015, Manche, France
Post by: Ivor on Aug 26, 2015, 20:14:49
Can you stop messing around I'm trying to finalise my report for tomorrow's meeting and I can't keep up with all the iterations  :D

[Duncan] Which one is favourite?
Title: Re: Cocoon Nebula IC5146, 17 to 22 August 2015, Manche, France
Post by: The Thing on Aug 26, 2015, 20:16:46
Quote from: Ivor on Aug 26, 2015, 20:14:49
Can you stop messing around I'm trying to finalise my report for tomorrow's meeting and I can't keep up with all the iterations  :D

[Duncan] Which one is favourite?

The last one by a long way :)
Title: Re: Cocoon Nebula IC5146, 17 to 22 August 2015, Manche, France
Post by: RobertM on Aug 27, 2015, 17:37:39
Quote from: The Thing on Aug 26, 2015, 20:16:46
Quote from: Ivor on Aug 26, 2015, 20:14:49
Can you stop messing around I'm trying to finalise my report for tomorrow's meeting and I can't keep up with all the iterations  :D

[Duncan] Which one is favourite?

The last one by a long way :)

If you get time could you include the Coathanger I did again ?  you posted the crap un-colour balanced version two months ago and it looked awful.  In future I'll only leave the latest version up.

Thanks Robert