krozawa
Virgo Cluster LRGB
Acquired March 2022
Lens: Rokinon 135mm f/2 stopped down to f/2.8
Mount: Skywatcher EQ6-R Pro
Guide Scope: Orion 50mm
Guide Camera: ZWO ASI120MM-mini
Camera: ZWO ASI294MM
Filters:
L 2951 x 15s 120 gain -10C
R 856 x 15s 120 gain -10C
G 857 x 15s 120 gain -10C
B 859 x 15s 120 gain -10C
Total integration = 12 hours and 17.75 mins Luminance and 10 hours 43 minutes of RGB
Calibration frames: Darks, Flats, DarkFlats
Software Acquisition: NINA, Stellarium, EQMOD, PHD2
Software Processing: Deepsky Stacker -> StarTools
This was a challenge (I think I say that every time).... due to the light pollution here in San Jose and the low altitude I was trying to image at for the initial part of each session.
I centered the image on Markarian's Chain but with the wonderful wide field of view of the 135mm lens, I got a lot of the Virgo Cluster imaged. You can see so many tiny galaxies!
This target would have been better served with a lot more integration time. Even with decent calibration frames the light pollution created an awful gradient. The right hand side of the image was angled downward (toward the ground) with the left had side of the image pointed closer to zenith for this target. As such, the right hand side of the image had a gnarly bright cast to it. I used the "Uncalibrated 2" preset in StarTools to wrangle it as best as I could.
In addition to that, I also processed this as L, RGB versus incorporating the RGB into a synthetic L. Since I don't have a focuser for this setup I took RGB over two nights but toggled the sequence to do RGBRGB with 215 frames each (and dithering of course). I focused the lens to the green filter figuring that would produce a decently sharp red and blue.
I did another revision of this with a synthetic L but it didn't look as clean.
Overall I was impressed with what I was able to achieve given the bright skies and the ultra widefield view. It is a really rich area of the sky and it is fun to see all the little galaxies peppered throughout the background.
Virgo Cluster LRGB
Acquired March 2022
Lens: Rokinon 135mm f/2 stopped down to f/2.8
Mount: Skywatcher EQ6-R Pro
Guide Scope: Orion 50mm
Guide Camera: ZWO ASI120MM-mini
Camera: ZWO ASI294MM
Filters:
L 2951 x 15s 120 gain -10C
R 856 x 15s 120 gain -10C
G 857 x 15s 120 gain -10C
B 859 x 15s 120 gain -10C
Total integration = 12 hours and 17.75 mins Luminance and 10 hours 43 minutes of RGB
Calibration frames: Darks, Flats, DarkFlats
Software Acquisition: NINA, Stellarium, EQMOD, PHD2
Software Processing: Deepsky Stacker -> StarTools
This was a challenge (I think I say that every time).... due to the light pollution here in San Jose and the low altitude I was trying to image at for the initial part of each session.
I centered the image on Markarian's Chain but with the wonderful wide field of view of the 135mm lens, I got a lot of the Virgo Cluster imaged. You can see so many tiny galaxies!
This target would have been better served with a lot more integration time. Even with decent calibration frames the light pollution created an awful gradient. The right hand side of the image was angled downward (toward the ground) with the left had side of the image pointed closer to zenith for this target. As such, the right hand side of the image had a gnarly bright cast to it. I used the "Uncalibrated 2" preset in StarTools to wrangle it as best as I could.
In addition to that, I also processed this as L, RGB versus incorporating the RGB into a synthetic L. Since I don't have a focuser for this setup I took RGB over two nights but toggled the sequence to do RGBRGB with 215 frames each (and dithering of course). I focused the lens to the green filter figuring that would produce a decently sharp red and blue.
I did another revision of this with a synthetic L but it didn't look as clean.
Overall I was impressed with what I was able to achieve given the bright skies and the ultra widefield view. It is a really rich area of the sky and it is fun to see all the little galaxies peppered throughout the background.