California Nebula NGC1499 from Bromley 3 versions (take your pick)

[Carole]

Well it is back to imaging from lovely LP SE London, as unlikely I will get to DSC again for a while (though will try).

Despite this being 8 1/2 hours worth of data and in narrowband it was still noisy and full of gradients. 
I even remembered to use my LP filter as was also planning to do some LRGB with same set up.  It was however a first quarter Moon but was told that's OK with narrowband. 

Taken over two nights:

Ha 31 x 600secs
Ha 4 x 900 secs
Sii 17 x 300secs binned x 2
(took Oiii but there was nothing there)

So processed as HOO

WO ZS71 and Atik460EX + FR x 0.8
HEQ5

I also used EQMod as Roger has shown me how to plate solve (but the platesolving did not work, need to fine tune that).  Also I think I have the spacing and tilt finally sorted on my Atik460 and FR.  That's only taken me 3 years to sort !!!!

this is VERSION 1 Ha and Sii with the Sii more stretched to make it show.

[RobertM]

That's quite a lot of hours Carole !  It's a very faint target to get any detail out of but you've managed to get some by doing that blend.  Looks like the filters are producing a few halos and it must have been hard to process.  As for the moon, even with narrowband filters it has quite an effect on contrast.

[Carole]

Thanks Robert.  I hadn't realised it was a faint object - Trust me.

Yes it was quite hard to process.  I am going to have another go at different combinations and colour.

Looks like the filters are producing a few halos

I think it might be something to do with the scope as a few other people complained about halos with the WOZS71.  Pretty sure the filters work fine with other scopes and I have experienced halo's before using this scope/camera combo.

Carole

[Carole]

Wasn't quite sure about the colours in the above, so combined again without stretching the Sii as much as the first time, producing a more traditional version.  Still HOO believe it or not, but you can't really see the Sii in this version.

Version 2 a more traditional colour (wish I had done some RGB stars now, might add them later)

[Carole]

3rd Version for the Mono fans:

Ha only, 4 x 900 & 31 x 600

[MarkS]

Of the three, I think I prefer the mono version.  The SII data seems to be a lot noisier.

Mark

[Carole]

Yes I think the Sii is noisier.  I have found that from home only the Ha seems to work well on many targets and I normally have to wait until I go to a dark site to get the Oiii and Sii.  They can work on a bright target though but I had no idea this target was supposed to be faint.

Personally I am not a fan of Mono, so my preference is for the Red version. 

Carole

[RobertM]

Personally I think I prefer Version 2.  OIII and SII are usually quite weak so a lot more difficult to capture.

[Carole]

Thanks Robert,  I prefer the 2nd one too.  I thought I was getting quite reasonable data with the Sii, but certainly the sky backrgound on that it quite noisy.

All I got on the Oiii was a noisy star field.

Carole

[ApophisAstros]

Love the red one best , they are all great though.
Roger

[Carole]

Thanks Roger