Barnard 22 in Taurus

The last image from my Esprit 100 telescope - Barnard 22 in Taurus. A cool space blob, if you will. Part of the larger Taurus Molecular Cloud, this irregular object also houses some reflection nebula: IC 2087 (the jet in its center), Bernes 1977, and GN 04.39.1. There are also a few small galaxies in the lower left quadrant of the image.

 

- Location: Remote Observatory (Bortle 1, SQM 21.99) near Fort Davis, TX

- Total Exposure Time: 36 Hours

 

Equipment:

- Scope: Esprit 100ED w/ 1x Flattener

- Imaging Camera: QHY 268M

- Filters: Chroma LRGB (36mm)

- Mount: Astro Physics Mach1GTO

- Guidescope: SVBony 50mm Guidescope

- Guide camera: ASI 120mm mini

- Focuser: Moonlite Nitecrawler WR35

- Accessories: Pegasus Ultimate Powerbox v2, QHY Polemaster, Optec Alnitak Flip Flat

 

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Software:

- N.I.N.A for image acquisition, platesolving, and framing

- PHD2 for guiding

- PixInsight for processing

 

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Acquisition:

- L: 372 x 3m

- R: 120 x 3m

- G: 118 x 3m

- B: 117 x 3m

- All images at Gain 56, Offset 25 (Readout mode 1) and -5C sensor temperature

- 20 flats per filter

- Master Dark, Flat & Bias from Library

- Nights: 12/19, 12/20, 12/23-12/25, 12/27/22

 

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Processing:

 

- WeightedBatchPreProcessing for calibration

- StarAlignment and ImageIntegration for stacking

 

RGB Processing (apply to each master):

- DynamicCrop

- MureDenoise

- DynamicBackgroundExtraction

- StarAlign G and B to R

- ChannelCombination to combine into linear color image

- DynamicBackgroundExtraction

- SpectrophotometricColorCalibration

- BackgroundNeutralization

- StarAlign to Luminance

- Duplicate and StarXterminator to save RGB stars and create starless

- HistogramTransformation x3 for stretch

- NoiseXterminator x2 at full and 3/4 strength with stretched luminance mask for noise reduction

 

Luminance Processing:

- DynamicCrop

- MureDenoise

- DynamicBackgroundExtraction

- HistogramTransformation for stretch

- NoiseXterminator x2 with same luminance mask as before for noise reduction

- HistogramTransformation for slight stretch

- LocalHistogramEqualization for slight detail push

- Slight UnsharpMask for sharpening

 

Combine Luminance and RGB:

- LRGBCombination to add luminance to RGB

- MultiscaleMedianTransform for chrominance noise reduction

 

Further Processing:

- CurvesTransformation for saturation boost

- Slight SCNR green

- HistogramTransformation x3 to stretch RGB stars

- Invert -> SCNR green -> invert to remove green from rgb stars

- HistogramTransformation to stretch luminance stars to approximately the same as RGB stars

- LRGBCombination to combine luminance and RGB stars

- PixelMath to combine stars and starless nebula image

- ColorSaturation to saturate brown

- ACDNR for chrominance NR

- Various CurvesTransformations and ColorSaturation for color balance

- DynamicCrop to remove edges

- Save and export

Done