Bode’s Nebula and a Puppy – Updated and Final

[Juno16]

Hi all,

The last time that I posted the thread viewtopic.php?p=133918#p133918. I was fostering a puppy and missed out on a month of imaging (including four clear night in a row!).

Taking care of the puppy and missing out on a month of imaging (and just about everything else) was really tiring and intense, but the rewards and memories are priceless.
She (Fiona) showed me the very simple basic fun of life and I will never forget her and the experience. She was adopted by a family in Virginia and is happily living there now.

I was fortunate to get some more time on Bode’s last week (six weeks later) before the moon got intrusive. Not as much as I wanted to get, but more time. I think that I have just over 7 hours total.

I tried to run Pixinsight’s new WBPP script on both night’s data, but had lots of issues with frames registering. If you have any interest in what happened, pm me or post to this thread.
It is not a PI issue because all frames register in other data sets. I feel that it is a ROWORDER issue because of changes in my imaging software that got by me.

Anyway, I stacked the frames in DSS and post-processed in PI. I really can’t say how many frames DSS stacked and registered because there is not report or log that I know of.

So here is my final image. At best, just over 7 hours of integration. Imaged on 1/5/21 and 2/16/21.
ASI 533 MC-Pro with 120 second exposures at a gain of 104 with APT. IDAS LPS D-1 lp filter used.



Every time that I look at the image, there is something that I want to change!

Thanks for looking and c/c very welcome!

[John Donne]

Wowzer!
This a beautiful, Jim.
Dang !

It is very kind of you to care for the puppy...what goes around comes around...

[messier 111]

superb work thx.
love the pup .

[STEVE333]

Nice one Jim - Your nice image brings back memories of my OSC days. Well done.

And congrats on your successful foster care efforts. Sounds very rewarding.

Steve

[Mac]

Great image and processing Jim.

It's on my list as it finally clearing the tree to my North.

[Jockinireland]

Thats a beautiful image of the galaxies and a super one of Fiona too.

[Juno16]

@John Donne @messier 111 @STEVE333 @Mac @Jockinireland

Thank you for you nice comments on the image and pup!

[SkyHiker]

Beautiful image, well done Jim!

[Jockinireland]

Your new Avatar is brilliant! You could caption what Jack is thinking!

[Juno16]

Beautiful image, well done Jim!

Thanks Henk! This was my third try at Bode’s and first with a dedicated astro camera.
I was pleased with M82’s Ha starburst especially.

Your new Avatar is brilliant! You could caption what Jack is thinking!

Let me tell you David, Jack was super. He was constantly attacked and harassed and was an excellent teacher.

The pup gave me a good chance to get the Nikon out and shoot something other than astro. I collected over 200 photos and video’s of the pup and antics with the other dogs. Great memories!

[BABOafrica]

That's a great capture of the duo. And yeah there's something we always want to improve. But you'll be back doing that one again...

In the meantime, wonderful image.

BABO

[MariusD69]

Wonderful image! Very well done, Jim!!

[bobharmony]

Beautiful image, Jim. I love the action in the center of the firecracker. FWIW the only way I have figured out to tell how many subs DSS has stacked is a line of text that only shows when the Autosave file is displayed at the end of the stacking process. It lists something like "One frame" and the amount of time that it covers. You may be able to work that time value backwards to figure out how many frames are in the stack.

Fiona looks like an old soul in that photo - I'm glad you enjoyed the time with her. I don't think I could foster an pet, we'd just wind up with another family member - good on you for doing it!

Bob

[helicon]

Great image of Bode's and M82 Jim. Also, it's great to see that the pup went to a good home.

[Juno16]

Beautiful image, Jim. I love the action in the center of the firecracker. FWIW the only way I have figured out to tell how many subs DSS has stacked is a line of text that only shows when the Autosave file is displayed at the end of the stacking process. It lists something like "One frame" and the amount of time that it covers. You may be able to work that time value backwards to figure out how many frames are in the stack.

Fiona looks like an old soul in that photo - I'm glad you enjoyed the time with her. I don't think I could foster an pet, we'd just wind up with another family member - good on you for doing it!

Bob

Hi Bob,

Thanks for the information about DSS! Yes, I do see that DSS did stack all of the files from both nights. Very good information and thank you!

The last few iterations of APT (including 3.87.7 beta that I am using now) have had changes in how it writes data to the FIT header. I never really paid much attention to this because I had no issues (and didn't want to create any!).
There is a keyword called "ROWORDER" that Pixinsight uses to interpret both the Bayer matrix and the image orientation. I collected night's one and two using different versions of APT (one that wrote ROWORDER and one that did not unless I selected it in settings (which I did not do). So, I ended up with two sets of data (two nights with a time gap of six weeks) that had different info in the FITS header.
Even though I told PI not to use the "ROWORDER" keyword, I still could not get the right image orientation and all of the light frames would not register.
It is really good to know that DSS did register all of the light frames from both nights thanks to your helpful tip. This is especially useful in case I add data to a set a year later and have an incompatibility with FITS headers.

Thanks a lot for that information!!!!!! It is shown exactly as you describe!!!

You are definitely right about fostering a pet and winding up with another family member. I most definitely would have done that. My wife (the only one with sense in the family) told me that we are getting up in age and could not walk/control three big dogs. She is right. Fiona was on a weight/age ratio higher than Jack was and Jack is 110 lbs!

She does look like an old soul in that photo (and others). She was really sick when we got her and when she got to feeling better, look out! Almost everything in the house was unplugged and she tried to eat everything in the house and yard! She is quite a personality. When she left, I was down in the dumps for five days before I started feeling a bit better. Still miss her quite a bit, but at least she was pulled from a high-kill shelter in the South and is in a new home now.
I just might foster again maybe before the grandchild comes in July!

Thanks again Bob. Your help is greatly appreciated!

[Thefatkitty]

Jim, glad to see you got some more time with Bode's and M82. You've really got this mastered for sure! Nicely done!!

I was wondering about your avatar; I thought late last month Jack had found the Fountain of Youth... I completely missed your first post about Fiona (just read it); now it all makes sense Good on you for doing that and I so admire your dedication to her. And very glad you found her a good home too!

BTW, Sarah came down when I was looking at your picture of Fiona. We both have to say, that is one seriously beautiful shot. The look on her face...

Sarah asked me if I could send her your picture so she could use it as a background on her Macbook. I said I'd ask you first... Hey, it's your pic!

All the best Jim,

[Juno16]

Jim, glad to see you got some more time with Bode's and M82. You've really got this mastered for sure! Nicely done!!

I was wondering about your avatar; I thought late last month Jack had found the Fountain of Youth... I completely missed your first post about Fiona (just read it); now it all makes sense Good on you for doing that and I so admire your dedication to her. And very glad you found her a good home too!

BTW, Sarah came down when I was looking at your picture of Fiona. We both have to say, that is one seriously beautiful shot. The look on her face...

Sarah asked me if I could send her your picture so she could use it as a background on her Macbook. I said I'd ask you first... Hey, it's your pic!

All the best Jim,

Thanks Mark!

Of course! Fiona really gave me a reason to drag out the Nikon and have some fun. I have hundreds of images of her and my dogs.

Here is a link to the full res version.



Please let your wife know that I hope she gets better soon!

[Thefatkitty]

Thanks Jim, I certainly will, and thanks for that; what a shot! Sarah is so happy

Thanks again buddy, and best wishes from all of us here

[Greenman]

Hey Jim that is one fine picture, oh, and I like the Galaxy too, you are certainly coming to terms with the 553. That gives me some motivation to get myself going.

I am smitten with Labrador’s and I would have another in an instant, but for my sensible wife Sue. She points out the downsides and the worst one for me is losing them. I have gone through one too many euthanasia’s I was stuck hard by our Cat Mia’s sudden demise. Sue points out the cost, need to kennel if you want to go away, and all of that is true.

None of that would stop me, but being a soft old fool - is what stops me. Glad Fiona got a good home, all our dogs and cats have been rescues.

[jthommes]

Good looking image Tom. Swell dogs too!