M42 Kelling Heath 29-9-11

[Carole]

Not totally happy with this for a number of reasons.
1. Finally managed to do a Mask and layers for the core, but can't seem to get the stars to line up all over the image they line up one side but not the other, have tried rotating and stretching but for some reason cannot seem to line them all up - must have another "go" at this.  

2. Wasn't going to process this until I can get some more data, but knowing my recent success I'm probably not going to line it up properly anyway, plus I don't think I've framed it well, I think the main nebula needs to be lower and a bit more to the left.

3. Plus I would normally have done this with the ED80 but at 3am Kelling Heath with the ED120 already on, the sky was too beautiful to resist.

4. Also not happy with some of the brown colour in M42.

Anyway:

11 x 5mins 800 ISO, modified Canon 450D no filters
SW ED120 Pro, NEQ6, Guided with ST80, QHY5 and PHD
Processed in DSS and PS CS3

Link to larger file:
http://gallery.orpington-astronomy.org.uk/albums/userpics/10047/M42_Kelling_11_x_5mins_%2B_10_x_30secs_800_ISO_27th_and_28th_Sept_2011_Mask_stars~0.jpg



Carole

[RobertM]

Colour balance does look a wee bit off but dust is supposed to look brown so I'm not sure what you mean there.  The red in the running man looks too faint to me but again it could be this duff monitor at work.

The framing could be better but sometimes you have to grab what you can get

[Carole]

dust is supposed to look brown so I'm not sure what you mean there

It's the brown edge of the nebula at the top and the right edges I was referring to.  Is that supposed to be brown, I thought it was a whitish sort of colour?

Carole

[RobertM]

More like a grey surrounded by brown but that's a bit subjective since (like most astro images) it hasn't been colour calibrated.

[MarkS]

It's a very promising start, Carole.

To get red colour in the Running Man will probably require more subs, otherwise it's looking very good.

Mark

[Carole]

Thanks Mark, didn't realise running man was suppose to have red colour in it.  More subs here we come.

Carole