Clear Skies

[Graeme1858]

Looking good for tonight! Best go start setting up now.

[Don Quixote]

Good hunting Graeme !

[pakarinen]

Good to know somebody's going out. Muck under muck here.

[Lady Fraktor]

Good luck viewing, it is raining here tonight.

[Graeme1858]

All set up and running. Polar aligned with an eyepiece then aligned with the camera on through CPWI. Took 20 shots of Saturn and 20 shots of M13. Currently on 45 of 100 of NGC7479 using APT. The 12 volt hair dryer packed up so I have the old lady's 230 volt one plugged in ready to go if required! I'm sitting in the warm watching events using Chrome remote on the laptop!

Regards

Graeme

[Graeme1858]

So, NGC7479 subs completed I moved on to M33. Then, what with it being a school night, I set up APT to take some Darks and Bias frames.

A question came to me. The NGC7479 subs were at iso 1600 and the M33 subs were at iso 3200. My darks were at the M33 settings and it was too late to do darks at the NGC7479 settings. So, should I process my NGC7479 subs using Darks with an incorrect iso setting or should I just leave them out?

Other than that, all in all, a relatively trouble free night!

Regards

Graeme

[Juno16]

Good for you Graeme!

Man, you are racking up some data!

Looking forward to your images!

Thanks,
Jim

[Seawolfe]

We had clear skies this week as well....all on a WORK night.

[pakarinen]

We had clear skies this week as well....all on a WORK night.

I hear you. That's one of the reasons I prefer pre-dawn observing. I can get up early on a weekday and still function pretty well at work.

Staying up late and getting up at a normal time doesn't work very well for me for whatever bio/physio/psychological reason(s).

[helicon]

Sounds like an excellent evening Graeme - glad you could get out there.

[John Baars]

Have a good observation-session!

[Graeme1858]

Thanks for the comments everyone!

Well, here's my NGC7479, too late for the compo though!

100 x subs at iso 1600, 30 seconds. 10 darks. 50 Bias.

Set up, CPWI. Plate solve and Capture, APT. Stacked, DSS. Levels and Curves, Gimp. Autodev and gradient, Startools.

Looks like more photons required. I could increase the exposure more, the stars are good and round at 30 seconds, but at 60 seconds they are elongated. If I up the iso to 3200 then the noise increases too much. I need a guide scope or processing practice, or more probably both!

Regards

Graeme

[Thefatkitty]

Good for you in getting out; what is that like again..?? And I like what you've got so far, nice!

All the best and hope the rest goes well

[Graeme1858]

Here's an image of M33 from the same session in the style of the Hankmeister, 1 x 60 second sub.

There's no colour in the stars but the background was magenta after I stretched it so I colour balanced that out, hence the slight green cast.

Processing tips appreciated!

Regards

Graeme

[Graeme1858]

And here it is stacked and processed after reading a Startools tutorial!

28 x 40sec lights at 3200iso
10 x darks
50 x bias
DSS
Startools

Regards

Graeme

[Makuser]

Hello Graeme. Lots of rain here, but that didn't stop you from achieving some great DSO photos. Thanks Graeme, and the very best of regards.

[Graeme1858]

Hello Graeme. Lots of rain here, but that didn't stop you from achieving some great DSO photos. Thanks Graeme, and the very best of regards.

Thanks Marshall

I'm still just fumbling about in the dark really!

Regards

Graeme