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I've been playing with Sharpcaps Live Stacking for the last few nights. Last night I finally got a few things worked out. My focuser is now working great and I decided to let Sharpcap handle the exposure time and gain setting automatically. The results were a surprise. It works pretty darn good.
Carolines Rose Cluster NGC7789
The Dragon Fly Cluster NGC457
The Fuzzy Butterfly Cluster NGC654
And last but not least, The Lawnmower Cluster NGC663
Captured 2-23-2021
Scope: ES80ed-cf
Camera: ZWO ASI533mc-pro
Mount: Orion EQ6g
Guided
Captured using Live Stack in Sharpcap with automatic settings.
Images were stacked in Sharpcap and processed in StarTools.
Gordon
Scopes: Explore Scientific ED80CF, Skywatcher 200 Quattro Imaging Newt, SeeStar S50 for EAA.
Mounts: Orion Atlas EQ-g mount & Skywatcher EQ5 Pro.
ZWO mini guider.
Image cameras: ZWO ASI1600 MM Cool, ZWO ASI533mc-Pro, ZWO ASI174mm-C (for use with my Quark chromosphere), ZWO ASI120MC
Filters: LRGB, Ha 7nm, O-III 7nm, S-II 7nm
Eyepieces: a few.
Primary software: Cartes du Ciel, N.I.N.A, StarTools V1.4.
Pretty cool Gordon.
I just downloaded Sharpcap Pro last week. To start with I just wanted to use it for the Polar Align function and then expand from there. Two night ago I was able to practice the PA and I was well pleased, though we haven’t had clear skies enough to try imaging with the more precise alignment. Tonight is supposed to be clear...
Anyway, nice captures!
Kerry
Scopes; William Optics GT 81mm Triplet, TS Optics APO 102mm f/7refractor, Cestron Nexstar 8SE, Gskyer 80mm x 400mm refractor
Mount; Sky-Watcher HEQ5 Pro
Cameras; ZWO ASI 2600MC Pro, QHY5iii462C, ZWO ASI224MC, Canon 600D DSLR T3i.
Guide scope; ZWO 60280 f/4.6
Guide camera; ASI290mm mini
Filters; Optolong L-eXtreme 2”, Optolong L-Pro 2”, QHYCCD IR/CUT, QHYCCD IR850
Hi Gordon. Nice, very nice cluster images with great contrast. Hopefully someday soon, I will upgrade my old ZWO ASI120mc camera for a newer better model and the latest Sharpcap software. Thanks for putting these captures up on here for us to enjoy Gordon, and keep up the good work.
Marshall
Sky-Watcher 90mm f/13.8 Maksutov-Cassegrain on motorized Multimount
Orion Astroview 120ST f/5 Refractor on EQ3 mount
Celestron Comet Catcher 140mm f/3.64 Schmidt-Newtonian on alt-az mount
Celestron Omni XLT150R f/5 Refractor on CG4 mount with dual axis drives.
Orion 180mm f/15 Maksutov-Cassegrain on CG5-GT Goto mount.
Orion XT12i 12" f/4.9 Dobsonian Intelliscope.
Kamakura 7x35 Binoculars and Celestron SkyMaster 15x70 Binoculars. ZWO ASI 120MC camera.
>)))))*>
Very nice images, Gordon. So if I have this right, you just roll all the stuff outside, turn it on, and sit back for a cool beverage or three! Sounds like you have it knocked Ah, the life of the AP maven.
bobharmony wrote: ↑Wed Feb 24, 2021 8:46 pm
Very nice images, Gordon. So if I have this right, you just roll all the stuff outside, turn it on, and sit back for a cool beverage or three! Sounds like you have it knocked Ah, the life of the AP maven.
Bob
That’s about right! 5 minute setup, sit at my desktop computer and work everything from there! Let Sharpcap do the work. When I’m done it’s about 5 mins to take everything down.
It wouldn’t work quite as well on DSO’s but worked great on clusters!
Gordon
Scopes: Explore Scientific ED80CF, Skywatcher 200 Quattro Imaging Newt, SeeStar S50 for EAA.
Mounts: Orion Atlas EQ-g mount & Skywatcher EQ5 Pro.
ZWO mini guider.
Image cameras: ZWO ASI1600 MM Cool, ZWO ASI533mc-Pro, ZWO ASI174mm-C (for use with my Quark chromosphere), ZWO ASI120MC
Filters: LRGB, Ha 7nm, O-III 7nm, S-II 7nm
Eyepieces: a few.
Primary software: Cartes du Ciel, N.I.N.A, StarTools V1.4.
I have been wondering about the benefits of live stacking I know that the DSS live stacker is not as good as the regular batch one. If it is meant to entertain an audience, live stacking is probably pretty boring to watch so one might as well take a single exposure that is long enough.
... Henk. Telescopes: GSO 12" Astrograph, "Comet Hunter" MN152, ES ED127CF, ES ED80, WO Redcat51, Z12, AT6RC, Celestron Skymaster 20x80, Mounts and tripod: Losmandy G11S with OnStep, AVX, Tiltall, Cameras: ASI2600MC, ASI2600MM, ASI120 mini, Fuji X-a1, Canon XSi, T6, ELPH 100HS, DIY: OnStep controller, Pi4b/power rig, Afocal adapter, Foldable Dob base, Az/Alt Dob setting circles, Accessories: ZWO 36 mm filter wheel, TV Paracorr 2, Baader MPCC Mk III, ES FF, SSAG, QHY OAG-M, EAF electronic focuser, Plossls, Barlows, Telrad, Laser collimators (Seben LK1, Z12, Howie Glatter), Cheshire, 2 Orion RACIs 8x50, Software: KStars-Ekos, DSS, PHD2, Nebulosity, Photo Gallery, Gimp, CHDK, Computers:Pi4b, 2x running KStars/Ekos, Toshiba Satellite 17", Website:Henk's astro images
SkyHiker wrote: ↑Wed Feb 24, 2021 9:16 pm
Nice images certainly since the Moon was out.
I have been wondering about the benefits of live stacking I know that the DSS live stacker is not as good as the regular batch one. If it is meant to entertain an audience, live stacking is probably pretty boring to watch so one might as well take a single exposure that is long enough.
There are plenty of benefits of LiveStacking multiple shorter exposures over a single long one.
1. In my Bortle 8-9ish skies, with a Luminance filter I'm limited to about 30 seconds, maybe 40-45seconds depending on which direction I point.
2. With liveStacking and using the Pre-processing darks and flats option, you get rid of any dust bunnies and amp noise.
3. Stacking 4x 15 second exposures vs. a single 60 second exposure helps to clean up the sensor nad walking noise common in most CMOS cameras.
When I'm doing my live events I always tell people the first couple of minutes is going to bring out almost all the detail that you will see but the next 2-5-10 minutes is going to clean up the noise.
SkyHiker wrote: ↑Wed Feb 24, 2021 9:16 pm
Nice images certainly since the Moon was out.
I have been wondering about the benefits of live stacking I know that the DSS live stacker is not as good as the regular batch one. If it is meant to entertain an audience, live stacking is probably pretty boring to watch so one might as well take a single exposure that is long enough.
There are plenty of benefits of LiveStacking multiple shorter exposures over a single long one.
1. In my Bortle 8-9ish skies, with a Luminance filter I'm limited to about 30 seconds, maybe 40-45seconds depending on which direction I point.
I'm curious about that. The photons produced by LP and target accumulate linearly in time, stacking is linear, so if the sensor is linear and we stay within the well depth, many short exposures vs one long one should not matter if we subtract the background, say in a 32 bit editor. So there must be some nonlinear effect that causes short exposures to deal better with LP?
I don't disagree BTW, I feel like I'm limited by LP just looking at the LCD images on my DSLR - the background lights up excessively with long exposures due to LP. But that's possibly not the right thing to consider, since it's filtered in unknown ways.
Regardless, I will be receiving a 2600 soon so I am curious about the exposure vs. gain arguments. Any pointers are welcome.
... Henk. Telescopes: GSO 12" Astrograph, "Comet Hunter" MN152, ES ED127CF, ES ED80, WO Redcat51, Z12, AT6RC, Celestron Skymaster 20x80, Mounts and tripod: Losmandy G11S with OnStep, AVX, Tiltall, Cameras: ASI2600MC, ASI2600MM, ASI120 mini, Fuji X-a1, Canon XSi, T6, ELPH 100HS, DIY: OnStep controller, Pi4b/power rig, Afocal adapter, Foldable Dob base, Az/Alt Dob setting circles, Accessories: ZWO 36 mm filter wheel, TV Paracorr 2, Baader MPCC Mk III, ES FF, SSAG, QHY OAG-M, EAF electronic focuser, Plossls, Barlows, Telrad, Laser collimators (Seben LK1, Z12, Howie Glatter), Cheshire, 2 Orion RACIs 8x50, Software: KStars-Ekos, DSS, PHD2, Nebulosity, Photo Gallery, Gimp, CHDK, Computers:Pi4b, 2x running KStars/Ekos, Toshiba Satellite 17", Website:Henk's astro images
Great cluster shots Gordon. I really like NGC457 - the Dragon Fly. I have also heard it called the Owl cluster, but I like the name Dragon Fly better.
Jim Thommes Jim's Astrophotography
David Levy Maksutov Newtonian, Celestron Edge 9.25, FSQ-106N Refractor (on loan), WO ZenithStar 66 APO Refractor, WO Megrez II APO, Sigma 150 mm EOS Lens
Losmandy G11/Gemini, iOptron GEM45, Celestron Advanced VX, iOptron CEM70
ST8300M Camera, Atik 383L, Canon 350D (IR cut modified), ASI1600M, ASI294M, ASI260M
Observatory - Desert Astronomy Association (Shelter Valley, CA)