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30-05-2020

Singapore

 

OTA: SR60mm f/4.8 APO, w/William Optics 0.8x Reducer-Corrector

Imaging: ASI183MM Pro, w/ASI290-MM (Guiding - QHY MGS)

Mount: CEM25P

Filters: Optolong Ha

Sequencing: ASIAIR

Integration: (Ha) 15x600s

Calibration: Master Bias, Master Darks, no Flats

Pixinsight, GIMP 2.0

 

A menacing cloud of gas and dust looms in the southern constellation of Ara, seemingly depicting a scene of two dragons fighting above a glowing egg. This is NGC 6188, an emission nebula also known as the Rim Nebula, and NGC 6164, a bipolar nebula. This image was shot in Ha, as clouds came in during Oiii data acquisition.

 

Captured in Singapore under class 8 skies.

My first Jupiter image built from separate R, G, and B channels. Imaged with a Celestron Edge HD with 2x Barlow, ZWO EFW filter wheel, ZWO ASI120MM camera, and Optolong RGB filters. Recorded in SharpCap 3.2, then stacked in AutoStakkert 3. Initial wavelets in PixInsight, then channel derotation and combination in WinJUPOS. Brought the resulting RGB image back into PixInsight for some sharpening and color correction, then some final touches in Photoshop.

 

Stacks were shot from about 2:00am to 2:35am local time. Jupiter was at a distance of about 612 million km (34.0 light minutes). It was at an altitude of about 43° from my backyard in Long Beach, CA.

This image is centered on Alnitak, a very bright star in Orion’s ‘belt’ 1,260 light-years from earth.

 

Camera: ZWO ISA294MC Pro

Filter: Optolong L-Pro

Scope: W.O. GT81 IV

Guiding: ZWO OAG / ASI 174MM Mini

Mount: iOptron CEM40EC

Data acquisition: ASIAIR Plus

Integration time: 11 hrs / 4 sessions 22-26 Feb '22

Stacked and processed in APP & Photoshop

Location: Alton UK

The Iris Nebula is a reflection nebula in the constellation Cepheus, illuminated by the magnitude +7.4 star designated SAO 19158.

 

The nebula is 1,300 ly from earth and is approximately 6 ly in diameter.

 

Rio Rancho NM Bortle 5/6 zone

April 8-9, 2022

William Optics Redcat 51

ZWO 183mc pro

ZWO 30mm f/4 mini guide scope and ZWO 120 Mini

Optolong L-Pro filter

ZWO ASI Air Pro

Sky-Watcher HEQ5

148 X 300s lights with darks, bias, dithering

Gain 111 at -10C

Processed in DSS and PS

RA: 03h47m00.00s

Dec: 24°07'01.20"

Constellation: Taurus

Designation: M45

 

Image Details: 180x90S at Gain 0

Darks: 101 Frames

Flats: 101 Frames

Bias: 201 Frames

 

Acquisition Dates: Dec. 12, 2020 , Jan. 9, 2021 , Feb. 9, 2021 , Feb. 10, 2021

 

Total Capture time: 4.5 Hours

 

Equipment Details:

Imaging Camera: ZWO ASI Cameras ASI6200MC Pro 62mpx Full Frame OSC

Imaging Scope: Sharpstar Optics 15028HNT Hyperboloid Astrograph

Guide Camera: Starlight Xpress Ltd Lodestar X2

Guide Scope: 365Astronomy.com 280mm Guide Scope

Mount: Sky-Watcher EQ8 Pro

Focuser: Primalucelab Sesto Senso V2

Filter: Optolong Astronomy Filter L-Pro 2"

Power and USB Control: Pegasus Astro USB Ultimate Hub Pro

Acquisition Software: Main Sequence Software. Sequence Generator Pro 3.2

Calibration and Stacking: Astro Pixel Processor

Processing Software: PixInsight 1.8.8 and EZ Processing Suite for Star Reduction

 

Full Size Image

Astrobin: www.astrobin.com/1m3rgl

ear the well known Dumbbell Nebula, in the constellation Vulpecula (the Little Fox), lies a lesser known emission nebula named Sh2-86, listed in the Sharpless catalogue. This area is an active star formation location, which can be seen by the young cluster (NGC 6823) within the bluish oxygen rich nebula near the center and, nearby, small black clouds called Bok globules are the material from which a star may emerge.

 

This image is a cropped and rescaled version of my previous image of this area, focusing in the brighter and smaller details. Secondary effects of lack of new data... 😊

 

Shot at Barcarena, Portugal (Bortle 8) on the 17th, 18th, 19th and 22nd of July 2022.

 

Technical details:

Ha: 160 x 240 s (10h40)

Oiii: 219 x 180 s (10h57)

RGB: 3 x 30 x 20 s (30m)

 

TS Optics Triplet APO 800/115 | QHYCCD 268M | Skywatcher EQ6-R Pro | Baader Ha 7nm, Baader Oiii 8.5 nm, Optolong RGB | TSOptics TSFLAT 3’ 0.79x | RB Focus Gaius-S

Acquisition: N.I.N.A. | Processing: Pixinsight

Captured from Grand Mesa Observatory, both the WO 12" RC and QHY600 Mono CMOS are coutesy of and recently supplied by William Optics. I was so encouraged by these great results and with permission from William Optics this setup is now available as an option "System 5" on GMO's subscription plans.

 

The Eagle Nebula was captured over 2 nights using the QHY600M with just 4 x 300 second exposures (bin 1x1) each channel LRGB and 8 x 600 second H-Alpha (bin 2x2). The William Optics WO12 RC is currently setup using the William Optics .8 reducer providing a 1971mm focal length @ F6.4. Bin 1x1 the image scale is 0.39 arcsec/pix and Bin 2x2 the image scale is 0.79 arcsec/pixel.

 

Total acquisition time 2.66 hours.

 

View High Resolution HaLRGB

www.astrobin.com/xhk3zv/

View High Resolution H-Alpha

www.astrobin.com/u6djqe/

 

Filters used were supplied courtesy of Optolong

 

Plate Solve Information

Referentiation matrix (world[ra,dec] = matrix * image[x,y]):

+1.09243694e-04 -9.03580643e-07 -5.20203876e-01

+8.72695046e-07 +1.09320113e-04 -3.53349451e-01

WCS transformation ....... Linear

Projection ............... Gnomonic

Projection origin ........ [4788.284896 3194.021007] px -> [RA: 18 18 54.820 Dec: -13 50 32.63]

Resolution ............... 0.393 arcsec/px

Rotation ................. 179.514 deg

Observation start time ... 2020-04-25 09:58:01 UTC

Observation end time ..... 2020-04-25 10:03:01 UTC

Focal distance ........... 1971.28 mm

Pixel size ............... 3.76 um

Field of view ............ 1d 2' 47.5" x 41' 53.2"

  

Technical Details

Captured and processed by: Terry Hancock

Location: GrandMesaObservatory.com Purdy Mesa, Colorado

Dates of Capture April 26 and 27th 2020

HA 80 min 8 x 600 sec

LRGB 80 min 4 x 300 sec

Filters by Optolong

Camera: QHY600 Monochrome CMOS

Gain 60, Offset 76 with Dark, Bias and Flat Frames

Optics: William Optics 12" RC @ F6.4

EQ Mount: Paramount ME

Image Acquisition software Maxim DL6 Pre Processing in Pixinsight Post Processed in Photoshop CC

 

The incandescence of the Eagle Nebula is laced with intricate dark lanes, globules, and huge clouds of dust which shroud ongoing star formation from direct view. The most prominent dark structures are the so-called “Pillars of Creation”, three long fingers of gas and dark dust nearly ten light years long. The Pillars are a field laboratory for the study of star formation and have been examined intensely by astronomers at visible, infrared, and ultraviolet wavelengths. Within the Pillars are much smaller, warmer, and denser regions called evaporating gaseous globules (EGGs), some of which contain just a few solar masses. The EGGs are ground zero for star formation, though it’s difficult to catch these new stars in the act of igniting because they remain obscured by cloaks of dark dust. EGGs located near bright stars are elongated by winds of light and charged particles into what look like schools of celestial tadpoles.

 

The stars within the Eagle Nebula appear to be in an intermediate state. Stars within the Pillars and other dusty regions remain obscured, while a cluster of some 400 new stars clearly appears in a more transparent section of the nebula. The largest of these stars has a mass some 80 times that of our Sun and the luminosity of perhaps a million Suns. The cluster formed just 2 to 5 million years ago. The nebula itself is only slightly older.

 

The light we see from the Eagle Nebula and its associated stars left some 7,000 years ago, but some astronomers suspect the Pillars of Creation may have already been obliterated when a massive young star within the nebula detonated as a supernova. The Spitzer Space Telescope detected evidence of a patch of hot gas near the Pillars which may have been caused by such an event about 8,000 years ago. Information from our e-book cosmicpursuits.com/astronomy-courses-and-e-books/armchair...

ccd: Moravian G3-11000 with IFW + OAG

filters: Optolong LRGB and Astrodon 5-nm Ha

telescope: DSI RC10C f/7.3

mount: 10Micron GM2000 QCI

guider: Lodestar

exposure: L 14x20min + RGB 7x12min + Ha 14x30min (all 1x1)

location: Les Granges, 900 m

software: TheSkyX Pro, CCD Commander, Pixinsight, PS CS5

date: 16 Jul - 16 Aug 2017

Equipo Principal: ZWO ASI 1600 mm-pro + SW Explorer 200p + ZWO EAF + SW Coma Corrector 0.9x + EQ6R-Pro

 

*Gain 100, -20º C, Ha 7nm 2" Optolong, 5000 frames (apilado solo el 70%, 3500 frames en total)

 

Procesado: Sharpcap 3.2, Autostakkert 3, Registax 6, PS CC 2017

ZWO ASI533MC Pro

Optolong L-Extreme dual narrowband filter

Sky-Watcher Quattro 200P

Sky-Watcher Quattro Coma Corrector

Orion Atlas Mount EQ-G

ZWO ASI 120mm guide camera

Orion 50mm guide scope

ZWO ASIAir Mini

22 / 300sec exposures

10 Dark frames / 25 Flat frames

Bortle 6 skies

Processed with Pixinsight and Lightroom Classic

NGC 2244 (Rosette Nebula) to NGC 2264 (Cone Nebula)

 

La Jonquera - Girona - Spain

 

Equipment used :

 

Canon 6D + Star71+ Optolong Astronomy Filters, H-alpha, OIII & SII

Mosaic 3 tiles

 

20x1500" x 3 x SHO ISO 3200

20 x 600" x 3 RGB ISO 3200

  

Sky Watcher EQ6 Mount

Guide camera QHY5

Flats, Darks & Bias

Calibrated, stacked and processed with Pixinsight, and final tweaks with Lightroom

Canon 600D mod + Optolong l-eNhanced + Samyang 135mm f/2

 

Tracked on EQ6-R

Data - 07/09/2022

Hora - 20:42 - 21:16 local (-3 UTC)

Lat - 7,13S

Log - 34,83W

Local - João Pessoa, PB - Brasil

Bortle - Class 7

Telescopio - Lente Canon 200mm F2.8L USM @F4

Montagem - EQ5

Motorização - On Step Brazil

Guider - SW 9x50 + SVbony 105

Câmera - ZWO ASI 183 MC PRO

Filtro L-Enhance Clip Optolong

Gain - 200

Light - 4 x 300s (20 min)

Dark - 15 x 300s

Bias - 15 x 0,0032s

Temperatura do sensor - 0°C

Software Captura - APT/PHD2

Softwares Processamento - SiriL/PIX/AstroShap/PS

Messier 106 and Friends

 

Messier 106 (also known as NGC 4258) is an intermediate spiral galaxy in the constellation Canes Venatici. It was discovered by Pierre Méchain in 1781. M106 is at a distance of about 22 to 25 million light-years away from Earth. M106 contains an active nucleus classified as a Type 2 Seyfert, and the presence of a central supermassive black hole has been demonstrated from radio-wavelength observations of the rotation of a disk of molecular gas orbiting within the inner light-year around the black hole. NGC 4217 is a possible companion galaxy of Messier 106.

(Wikipedia.org)

 

Technical Information for Image

 

Captured on a New Moon Night.

Telescope: William Optics Zenithstar 81 Refractor

Mount: iOptron CEM25P

Imaging Camera: ZWO ASI294MC Pro. Gain 120 at -5C.

Filter: Optolong L-Pro

Guiding: William Optics 50mm, 200mm FL, ASI290MC camera

Exposures: 33 x 240s each Bin 1x1

Capture: ASIAIR Pro

Guiding: ASIAIR Pro through ASI290MC camera

Polar Alignment: ASIAIR Pro

Site: Pinyon Pines, CA USA, Bortle 4

Processing: Pixinsight with Touch up in Corel PaintShop Pro.

H II region in Sagittarius near the centre of our galaxy

 

Camera: Moravian G2 8300

Filters: 31mm unmounted Optolong

Optic: Televue 102 f/7

Mount: Ioptron CEM60 HP

Autoguider: camera Magzero 5m on SW 70/500, Phd guiding

Frames Ha 7nm: 7X600sec - RGB: 4X600sec each - Bin1 -25°

Processing: Pixinsight, Photoshop

Enhanced & lightpainted w/ led headlamp

2 panels (each 3x120s stacked) Nikon D600 full spectrum Optolong L-Pro clip filter Nikkor AIS 28mm f/2 @ f/4 ISO 3200

Sorry, no Eta Aquariids...

Tarantula Nebula is an impressive cosmic object, it lies in Great Magellanic Cloud, a nearby galaxy of our local group. This nebula is very rich in hydrogen, in this image we can see many complex clouds of ionized gas. NGC 2070 is a jewel for southern astrophotographers and I'm feeling so happy with this work. It's always a challenge to get this nebula because it is high on sky in rainy season here in Brazil.

 

Besides that, it was a great pleasure to do this work because there was a cooperation between Rick Stevenson and me sharing our h-alpha images to improve exposure time.

 

Rick Stevenson:

Ha: 47x120s (1,6 hours) bin1x1

 

Delberson:

Ha: 26x300s (2,2 hours) bin1x1

R: 15x120s (0,5 hour) bin2x2

G: 15x120s (0,5 hour) bin2x2

B: 15x120s (0,5 hour) bin2x2

 

Total exposure: 5,3 hours

 

* Setup:

Telescope: Refractor Orion ED80

Focal Length: 600mm

Camera: QHY163M

Mount: HEQ5 Pro

Filters: LRGB Optolong and H-Alpha 7nm Baader

Location: Silvânia / GO / Brazil

Recently, I sent a set of remote equipment to Yunnan province. Before my new telescope arrived, I borrowed a 130 f/2.8 HNT from SharpStar and tested it with my new QHY268M camera and Optolong LRGB filters.

 

The six-panel is the result of the test photography in February.

 

Top left: the famous Orion Nebula M42/43, located below the belt of the hunter, about 1350 light-years from Earth, the nearest star-forming region.

 

Upper center: the Witch's Head Nebula IC 2118, located to the lower right of Orion, about 900 light-years from Earth, a patch of dust illuminated by Rigel.

 

Upper right: the Seagull Nebula IC 2177, about 3,700 light-years from Earth, with a wingspan of more than 100 light-years, soaring between the constellations Monoceros and Canis Major, consisting of a large cloud of hydrogen and dust, containing a large number of newborn stars.

 

Lower left: The Black Eye galaxy M64 in the constellation Coma Berenices, about 24 million light-years from Earth, slightly smaller than the Milky Way, is the result of the merger of two galaxies; the surrounding faint nebula is the dust in the Milky Way.

 

Lower middle: DIR 198+32, an indescribable faint cloud in Cancer, even can't find much information, it should also be the molecular cloud in the Milky Way.

 

Lower right: A small patch of the Virgo cluster contains a number of galaxies, notably M100 on the upper left, NGC 430/4298 on the left, M99 on the left of center, M98 on the right, and NGC4216 on the lower, all more than 40 million light-years from Earth. The largest, M100, is 55 million light-years away and has a diameter of more than 100,000 light-years. It is about the size of our own Milky Way and is one of the largest and brightest members of the Virgo-Coma Cluster. The bright star right in the center, with a good number, HD 106888.

 

Now my new telescope is in place, with a 10-inch aperture and 1-meter focal length, it's time to start another round of testing.

 

Stay tuned!

——— STRUMENTAZIONE ———

Obiettivo: Samyang 135mm f2

Camera: Zwo Asi 294 mc pro

Montatura: Skywatcher AZ-EQ5

Autoguida: Zwo mini guide con zwo asi 224mc

Filtri: Optolong L-pro L-ultimate

Software d'acquisizione Sgpro

 

————— FOTO ————

temp 0 con dark, flat e darkflat

200 x 300s

75 x 300s

—— ELABORAZIONE ——

Pixinsight

Photoshop

Auriga constellation, the pentagon in the northern sky.

IC 405 Flaming Star Nebula, IC 410, IC 417, M38 Starfish Cluster, M36 Pinwheel Cluster, NGC 1931

 

Processed with 39 exposures of 5 minutes each, stacked in DSS and processed in SetiAstro.

ASI294MC camera, Tamron 100-400 lens at 200mm, ASI Air Pro, Optolong e-Extreme dual band filter, Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer GTI Mount

Kemble’s Cascade, also known as Kemble 1, is an asterism in the constellation Camelopardis named after Lucien Kemble, a friar who spotted it with its binoculars. It is formed by about 20 stars in a straight line with a length of 3 arcseconds (about the same as 5 times the Full Moon apparent diameter); on one end the open cluster NGC 1502 can be seen. These stars are not related and their alignment happens by coincidence.

 

Shot at Barcarena, Portugal in January 2023

 

Technical details:

RGB: 3x38x120s

Ha: 46x300s

Total integration: 7h38

 

RedCat 51 | QHYCCD 268M | Astronomik Ha 6nm | Optolong RGB

 

Acquisition: N.I.N.A. | Processing: Pixinsight

 

M27 The Dumbbell nebula (added subs and reprocessed)

 

Details:

Gain 125

Lights: 7x300s + 9x180s

Darks: 35x300s + 67x180s

With flats

 

Equipment:

Celestron C5 Spotter scope

ASI533MCPro

Sky Watcher EQ5Pro Goto

ASIAirPro

Optolong L-Extreme filter

DSS + Pixinsight + Adobe Photoshop + Topaz DeNoise AI

 

Annotated version:

nova.astrometry.net/user_images/6174633#annotated

 

Caldwell 9 Diffuse Nebula in the Constellation Cepheus

 

Sh2-155 (also designated Caldwell 9, Sharpless 155 or S155) is a diffuse nebula in the constellation Cepheus, within a larger nebula complex containing emission, reflection, and dark nebulosity. It is widely known as the Cave Nebula, though that name was applied earlier to Ced 201, a different nebula in Cepheus. Sh2-155 is an ionized H II region with ongoing star formation activity, at an estimated distance of 725 parsecs (2400 light-years) from Earth. (Wikipedia.org)

 

Technical Information for Image

 

Telescope: William Optics Zenithstar 81 Refractor

Mount: iOptron CEM25P

Imaging Camera: ZWO ASI294MC. Gain 120. Cooled to -5C.

Filter: Optolong L-Pro ... Although I should have used the Optolong L-Enhance filter.

Guiding: William Optics 50mm, 200mm FL, ASI290MC camera

Exposures: 17 x 240s Bin 2x2

Capture, Guiding, Polar Alignment: ZWO ASIAIR PRO

Site: Borrego Springs, CA USA, Bortle 4

Processing: Pixinsight with Final Touchup in Corel PaintShop Pro.

 

Processing some lost data from last year! This is IC 59 and IC 63 and are found in the constellation Cassiopeia very near the bright star Gamma Cassiopeia. This set of objects is also known as the Ghost of Cassiopeia. Gamma Cassiopeia also has the informal nickname of Navi. The “IC” designation comes from a group of objects discovered between 1888 and 1907, most made possible by photography, and known as the Index Catalog.

 

These nebulae are a combination of emission and reflection, they are located about 610 light years from Earth and are about 10 light years across. Gamma Cassiopeia provides the radiation to light up this area of dust and gas, eventually dissipating in the area.

 

Tech Specs: Sky-Watcher Esprit 120ED Telescope, ZWO AS2600mc-Pro running at 0C, Sky-Watcher EQ6R-Pro mount, Optolong L-eXtreme filter (2”), 6 Hours 50 Minutes using 300 second exposures, guided using a ZWO 30mm f/4 mini guide scope and ZWO 120 Mini, focus with a ZWO EAF, controlled with a ZWO ASIAir Pro. Processed using PixInsight and DSS. Image Date: September 14, 2023. Location: The Dark Side Observatory, Weatherly, PA, USA (Bortle Class 4).

* Setup:

Telescope: Refractor Orion ED80

Focal Length: 600mm

Camera: QHY163M

Mount: HEQ5 Pro

Filters: LRGB Optolong and H-Alpha Baader

 

*Exposure:

L: 7 hours (subs 300s) bin1x1

Ha: 4.2 hours (subs 300s) bin1x1

R: 1 hour (subs 300s) bin1x1

G: 1 hour (subs 300s) bin1x1

B: 1 hour (subs 300s) bin1x1

Total: 14.2 hours

Sh2-155 (Cave Nebula) is a diffuse nebula in the constellation Cepheus, within a larger nebula complex containing emission, reflection, and dark nebulosity. It is widely known as the Cave Nebula, though that name was applied earlier to Ced 201, a different nebula in Cepheus. Sh2-155 is an ionized H II region with ongoing star formation activity, at an estimated distance of 2400 light-years from Earth.

Gathered in average sky condition through 3 nights. Not entirely happy but still working to improve the setup.

Celestron RASA 11"

QHY168C @-10C

No guiding

AZ-EQ6-GT

Optolong L-PRO MAX Luminosity

159x60sec. = 2 hour 39 minutes

60xDark

60xBias

A dust cloud with blue reflection nebulae located in the northern part of the Corona Australis, about 500 light-years away, while the globular cluster NGC 6723, higher to the right, is 30,000 light-years further away.

The object is so low that it took me several evenings to integrate enough signal.

 

——— STRUMENTAZIONE ———

🔭 Askar fra600 reducer f3.9

Zwo Asi 2600 duo

⚙️ Zwo Am5

Filtri Optolong l-quef

————— FOTO ————

temp 0 con dark, flat e darkflat

160 x 300s

————— ELABORAZIONE ———

Pixinsight

Photoshop

 

This landscape is a zoom of my photo here: flic.kr/p/2nJxuyz. Raw data was cropped and processed independently.

 

Shot at Santa Susana, Portugal (Bortle 4) on the 30th and 31st of August 2022.

 

Technical details:

LUM: 126 x 180 s (6h18)

RGB: 138 x 180 s (6h54), 1:1:1

 

TS Optics Triplet APO 800/115 | QHYCCD 268M | Skywatcher EQ6-R Pro | Optolong LRGB | TSOptics TSFLAT 3’ 0.79x | RB Focus Gaius-S

Acquisition: N.I.N.A. | Processing: Pixinsight

 

---Photo details----

Stacks HSO: 3x75x2min

Darks : 100

 

Exposure Time : 7.5h

Stack program : PixInsight

 

---Photo scope---

Camera : ZWO ASI6200MM PRO

CCD Temperature : -10C

Filter(s) used: Optolong Ha 3nm, Optolong S2 3nm, Optolong O3 3nm

Tube : Takahashi FSQ-106 EDX4

Field flattener / Reducer : -

Effective focal length : 530 mm

Effective aperture : F/5

 

---Guide scope---

Camera : ASI Mini guider

Guide exposure : 3 sec

 

---Mount and other stuff---

Mount : Skywatcher AZ-EQ-6 GT

 

---Processing details----

NINA for acquisition, controlling the following:

- ASTAP (plate solving)

- PHD2 (guiding)

- Stellarium

 

PixInsight : stacking, alignment, background extraction, histogram manipulation

 

Lightroom for final touchups

 

Topaz Denoise for a last processing step

SH2-263 is a red emission nebula in the constellation of Orion - famous for its spectacular nebulae. SH2-263 is a rather modest nebula but is associated with a blue reflection nebula which makes the image rather nice.

This is an integration of 20 hours of data shot on a QHY183C OSC camera with a William Optics Zenithstar 103 scope. 10 hours of data was taken with no filter to capture the reflection nebula and another 10 with an Optolong L-eXtreme filter for the Ha emissions. All post-processing was carried out in PixInsight.

Total Exposure: 3hrs 36mins

Filter: Optolong L-enhance filter

Mount: i-Optron Zeq25GT

Telescope: Astrotech AT65EDQ

Camera: Nikon D810A

Autoguider: MGEN II

Description: This image of the Elephant’s Trunk Nebula IC 1396 was developed from 37x300s subs or 3.08 hours of total exposure time. A dual bandpass integrated image was first separated into Starless and Stars only images. The Starless image was split into its RGB components, which were individually boosted as appropriate, followed by the application of appropriate weighting factors to the individual RGB channels, further followed by LRGB Combination. The resulting image was then recombined with the Stars only image the result of which was post processed with various color masks using Curves Transformation to generate a final image.

 

Date / Location: 12 July 2023 / Washington D.C.

 

Equipment:

Scope: WO Zenith Star 81mm f/6.9 with WO 6AIII Flattener/Focal Reducer x0.8

OSC Camera: ZWO ASI 2600 MC Pro at 100 Gain and 50 Offset

Mount: iOptron GEM28-EC

Guider: ZWO Off-Axis Guider

Guide Camera: ZWO ASI 174mm mini

Focuser: ZWO EAF

Light Pollution Filter: Optolong L-eXtreme Dual Bandpass

 

Processing Software: Pixinsight

 

Processing Steps:

 

Preprocessing:

I preprocessed 37x300s subs (= 3.08 hours) in Pixinsight to get an integrated image using the following process steps: Image Calibration > Cosmetic Correction > Subframe Selector > Debayer > Select Reference Star and do a Star Align > Image Integration.

 

Linear Postprocessing:

Dynamic Crop > Dynamic Background Extractor (doing subtraction to remove light pollution gradients and division for flat field correction) > Background Neutralization > Color Calibration > Blur Xterminator > Noise Xterminator.

 

Nonlinear Postprocessing and additional steps:

Histogram Transformation > Star Xterminator to create Starless and Stars Only Images.

Starless Image > Noise Xterminator > Local Histogram Equalization > Multiscale Median Transform > Curves Transformation to boost O(III) and H-alpha signals > Split RGB channels > Create new green and blue channels > Boosted the channels as appropriate > LRGB Combination > Curves Transformation using various color masks.

Stars Only Image > Morphological transformation.

Pixel Math to combine the Starless Image with the Stars Only Image to get a Rejoined Image.

Rejoined Image > Dark Structure Enhancement > Topaz AI.

Pixel Math to combine the non-AI Rejoined Image with the Topaz AI Image to get a final image.

 

A two-panel wide field mosaic of the colorful Cygnus region captured on 7/22/23. Shot using a Nikon D750, Rokinon 135mm f/2 lens, and an Optolong L-Pro clip-in filter. Tracking via an AstroTrac. Exposure settings were 2', f/2, ISO 3200. 63 exposures were captured for a total of 126 minutes of exposure time. Feel free to check me out on Instagram - @dm_astro

47 x 4min Optolong 7nm Ha filter - Takahashi FS60CB + ASI 1600MM pro + NEQ6pro mod - 80 darks - Edit: PIX and PS

Went out 2 nights, IC1396, NGC6888, NGC2244, NGC7293, IC1805 and IC434

Orion 80mm ED refractor, Zwo 183MC Pro cooled color camera

Optolong L eNhance filter

#SharpCap Pro, PoleMaster

Ioptron i45 Pro EQ mount, PHD2 guiding

Orion 60mm guidescope SSAG

220 Gain offset 20 0c cooling,

IC1396 was 90 minutes, 1 minute exposure each

IC434 was 60 minutes, 1 minute exposure each

NGC2244 was 15 minutes, 1 minute exposure each

IC1805 was 60 minutes total, 1 minute exposure each

NGC7293 was 60 minutes total 1 minute exposure each

NGC6888 was 90 minutes total 1 minute exposure each

Weather was good all night for me, Getting colder too with some dew forming

50 darks 50 flats and 50 bias frames

Astro Pixel Processor and PS

Taken with my new portable setup: AM5 mount, Radian Raptor 61, EAF, AsiAir plus, ZWO2600mm and optolong filters. Mostly from bortle 1-2, with about 20 hydrogen frames from Phoenix, bortle 9. After seeing other shots, I really liked bringing out the wispy hydrogen clouds in the foreground. I really pushed the stretching to get this far on it. 15 hr 14 min integration time.

SH2-115 is a large emission nebula found in the northern regions of the constellation Cygnus, about 2° northwest of the bright star Deneb. Located about 7,500 light-years away, this extensive HII region is broken into two basic parts - one being roundish and associated with a bright cluster known as Berkley 90- which is shown in this SHO rendering to be a mix of blue and red colors. The other section is a long linear feature that is shown in red in this rendering.

 

Also in this view is Abell 71 (Pk 85+04.1). This is recorded as a faint planetary nebula with a magnitude of 18.9 central star.

The Leo Triplet (M65, M66, and NGC 3628) is a small group of interacting galaxies about 35 million light-years away in the constellation Leo.

 

Telescope: William Optics ZenithStar 81 Refractor

Mount: Losmandy GM811G

Imaging Camera: ZWO ASI 2600MC Pro

Filter: Optolong L-Pro Filter

Site: Elk Grove, California, USA

Calibration Files: None

Guiding: None

Integration Time: 2h 38m

No of Frames: 158

Sub Exposure Time: 60 seconds

Bortle Zone: Class 6

Date Taken: February 23, 2021

Near-parabolic comet with a retrograde orbit discovered on December 20, 2018 by Japanese amateur astronomer Masayuki Iwamoto

 

Camera: Moravian G2 8300

Filters: 31mm unmounted Optolong

Optic: Triplet Apo Tecnosky 80mm f/4.8

Mount: Ioptron CEM60 HP

Frames: RGB: 9X60 sec each bin1 -35°

Processing: Pixinsight, Photoshop

 

Telescope: Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 L II Lens @ 200mm

Mount: Fornax LighTrack II

Imaging Camera: ZWO ASI 2600MC Pro

Filter: Optolong L-Extreme

Site: Elk Grove, California, USA

Calibration Files: None

No of Frames: 31

Sub Exposure Time: 30sec

Integration Time: 15m 30s

Bortle Zone: Class 6

Date Taken: June 7, 2022

Celestron C8 SCT with Hyperstar F/1.9 Optolong L-eXtreme filter ASI294MC Pro, processed in S.I.R.I.L., Topaz and Photoshop fine adjustments

* Setup:

Telescope: Refractor Orion ED80

Focal Length: 600mm

Camera: QHY163M

Mount: SkyWatcher HEQ5 Pro

Filters: LRGB Optolong and H-Alpha Baader

 

*Exposure:

Ha: 50x 300s bin1x1

L: 40x 300s bin1x1

R: 19x 120s bin2x2

G: 16x 120s bin2x2

B: 17x 120s bin2x2

Total: 9.2 hours

This beautiful nebula is a Blue reflection nebula called Iris nebula NGC 7023 located in Cepheus constellation. Its like a flower in the space that illuminated by a central hot young star. It lies about 1,200 light years from us and surrounded by a huge dark interstellar dust. Gear setup: TS140 CF f/6.5, iOptron GEM 45, ZWO 2600MC @0, ZWO OAG-L with ZWO 174, ZWO EFW 2 x 5, Optolong L-Pro 2”, Antlia RGB Tri-band ultra filter. Lights L-Pro 92 x 300sec, RGB Tri-band 36 x 300sec, 20 Darks, 20 Flats, 50 Biases. total exposure 10.75 hours taken from Bortle 4 sky class. Captured by NINA, PHD2. Stacked in APP and processed in PI & PS.

A new processing with enhanced colors and upper orientation for better view of the tower.

 

* Setup:

Telescope: Refractor Orion ED80

Focal Length: 600mm

Camera: QHY163M

Mount: Veronica CEM

Filters: LRGB Optolong and H-Alpha Baader

 

*Exposure:

L: 1.15 hours (subs 180s) bin1x1

Ha: 3.7 hours (subs 300s) bin1x1

R: 10 min. (subs 60s) bin1x1

G: 10 min. (subs 60s) bin1x1

B: 10 min. (subs 60s) bin1x1

Total: 5.35 hours

SADR ( parte del Cigno) Asi 533 MC PRO -Olimpus 50mmf1,8-Astrophysics 400 GTO-Filtro Optolong L EXTREME

This is an image of M1, a super nova remnant in the constellation of Taurus.

 

C8, ASI294MC Pro, Optolong L-eNhance filter

Good seeing, some clouds, moderate humidity

Shot from the red zone suburbs, Bortle 6 skies

1 hour 45 minutes of 5 minute exposures.

 

Popularly known as the Dolphin Head nebula, SH2-308 in Canis Majoris is an expanding shell of hot gas expelled by its central star. The nebula does show some red light from hydrogen ions but it is dominated by the blue emission of oxygen ions.

This widefield shot also shows red hydrogen emission nebulae in the Dolphin Head's neighbourhood.

This image is a stack of over 6 hours of data taken on an IR-modified Canon 700D camera with a William Optics Redcat51 telescope. I used an Optolong L-eXtreme dual band filter to improve the contrast of the hydrogen and oxygen ion emissions. All post-processing was carried out in PixInsight.

Observed from Prachinburi, Thailand.

 

Planetary Nebula taken from my backyard @Tiny , Ontario through Newtonian telescope and Optolong L-eXtreme 2"inch filter with QHY268C OSC camera on February 04 , 2021 . Stack of 17 sub frames 300 seconds exposure time each .

Jones-Emberson 1 (PK 164+31.1), also known as the Headphone Nebula, is a 14th magnitude planetary nebula in the constellation Lynx at a distance of 1600 light years. It is a larger planetary with low surface brightness. The 16.8-magnitude central star is a very blue white dwarf.

Thanks for looking.

Redcat51

AZ-EQ5

ZWO ASI533MC + Optolong L-Pro

26x480" lights

Calibrated with dark and bias frames

Nebulosity4

Guiding with ZWO ASI120MC-S + William Optics UniGuide 32mm + PHD2

PixInsight

Photoshop CC

Backyard, Cairns, Australia

Bortle 5

40x300s

WO71-II, Optolong L-Extreme, ASI071MC, AVX

Celestron 9.25" + Celestron f/6.3 Reducer + ZWO ASI533MC + Optolong L-Pro

AZ-EQ5

86x60" lights

Calibrated with dark and bias frames

Nebulosity4

PixInsight

Photoshop CC

Backyard, Cairns, Australia

Bortle 5

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