TheSkySearchers

Still reprocessing some of last years images with this year's processing knowledge. Cloudy skies right now.

This is the Western Veil Nebula and Pickering's Triangle and Fleming's Triangular Wisp in HOO. I used darkarchon's EZ Star Reduction to reduce the number and brightness of the stars because there are sooooo many! This allows the nebulae to be seen a bit more clearly (at least in my opinion).


IMAGE DETAILS:
Equipment:
W.O. Star71 telescope, 3 nm Chroma S/H/O/ filters, ASI1600MM camera (-15C, Gain=140), CEM40 mount, Orion MMAG autoguider, StarLite stepper motor (focusing)

[Mount/ASI1600MM camera/Filter wheel/MMAG autoguider/Focusing stepper motor all controlled remotely using APT. APT is on a laptop in the house which is connected by WEme 4-port USB 2.0 extender system with 40 ft ethernet cable connecting the equipment outside to the laptop inside the house.]

Images:
33x600 sec Ha, 24x600 sec O3 (Total Exposure 9 hr 30 min), 24 Darks, 30 Flats, 30 Flat Darks

Software:
Captured with APT, Guided with PHD2, Processed with PixInsight

It has been fun reprocessing some of my earlier data. The HOO and SHO processing is starting to feel more comfortable. The added details that NB imaging has produced relative to what the Canon DSLR was capable of producing has been astounding. Modern technology has allowed us amatures to produce results that only the expert astronomers could produce not many years ago. We are very fortunate. Not only that, there are so many good tutorials available to help us learn and progress in this complicated hobby both for data acquisition and image processing. Forums like this with friendly and helpful members have been a great aid also.

Steve

beautiful lace , thx .

Great capture and processing!

That is a wonderful reprocess Steve. I really like the details and gentleish touch on processing. Looks great!

I agree on the EZ Star Reduction script. It does quite a nice job. I like it much better than using the Morphological Transformation Process (which I believe the script uses, except in a much better way than I can).

I could be wrong, but I believe that the PI EZ suite of scripts are by darkarchon. He is also a N.I.N.A. contributor (quite a versatile and volunteering guy!). Are you talking about the Star De-emphasizer script? I think that it is a script version written by AstroSwell of Adam Block's Star De-Emphasis methods. I have had limited success with that one (probably because I don't use it correctly).

I am still working my way through Adam Block's Fundamentals course. He is a super smart guy and gets very detailed. I will never remember all of what he has covered, but I know its there and can dig back into it if needed. I am in the "PixelMath" section now and the works behind the scenes in PI is amazing!

I really like your process! Not too bold and not too soft. Just right!

Tha is a lovely repro, Steve. You have brought out a lot of great detail without going over the top. Very nicely done!

Bob

Wonderful image! Great work, Steve! I never use this script (I used only MT process), but I'll try next time.

Juno16 wrote: ↑Fri Nov 19, 2021 2:20 pm That is a wonderful reprocess Steve. I really like the details and gentleish touch on processing. Looks great!

I agree on the EZ Star Reduction script. It does quite a nice job. I like it much better than using the Morphological Transformation Process (which I believe the script uses, except in a much better way than I can).

I could be wrong, but I believe that the PI EZ suite of scripts are by darkarchon. He is also a N.I.N.A. contributor (quite a versatile and volunteering guy!). Are you talking about the Star De-emphasizer script? I think that it is a script version written by AstroSwell of Adam Block's Star De-Emphasis methods. I have had limited success with that one (probably because I don't use it correctly).

I am still working my way through Adam Block's Fundamentals course. He is a super smart guy and gets very detailed. I will never remember all of what he has covered, but I know its there and can dig back into it if needed. I am in the "PixelMath" section now and the works behind the scenes in PI is amazing!

I really like your process! Not too bold and not too soft. Just right!

Hi Jim.
You are right about the EZ Star Reduction script author. I edited the post to correctly give darkarchon the credit. It does a better job than I can too.

I've watched quite a few of Adam's free videos and enjoy them. He did a wonderful series (7 videos?) on WBPP that helped me to get using that wonderful script for my CMOS sensor.

Thanks for the nice words on the processing. I've found this target to be very difficult to process. It is easy to see the nebula, but, difficult not to over process it either in brightness or contrast (too bold). Yet if it isn't enhanced somehow then it doesn't seem to stand out (too soft). So far this version is the best compromise.

Thanks for the comments and corrections.

Steve

STEVE333 wrote: ↑Fri Nov 19, 2021 3:55 pm
Hi Jim.
You are right about the EZ Star Reduction script author. I edited the post to correctly give darkarchon the credit. It does a better job than I can too.

I've watched quite a few of Adam's free videos and enjoy them. He did a wonderful series (7 videos?) on WBPP that helped me to get using that wonderful script for my CMOS sensor.

Thanks for the nice words on the processing. I've found this target to be very difficult to process. It is easy to see the nebula, but, difficult not to over process it either in brightness or contrast (too bold). Yet if it isn't enhanced somehow then it doesn't seem to stand out (too soft). So far this version is the best compromise.

Thanks for the comments and corrections.

Steve

I am glad to hear that you also find the EZ Star Reduction Script helpful. I just recently started using it along with the EZ Soft Stretch. Good stuff!

I am very grateful for the folks that give their time to write these wonderful scripts for PI.

Juno16 wrote: ↑Sat Nov 20, 2021 12:45 am
I am glad to hear that you also find the EZ Star Reduction Script helpful. I just recently started using it along with the EZ Soft Stretch. Good stuff!

I am very grateful for the folks that give their time to write these wonderful scripts for PI.

Couldn't agree more Jim. The GAME script is another one I use often with very nice results.

Steve

Stunning repo and an all-around incredible image. I just checked the price of those 3nm Chroma filters ...

Gmetric wrote: ↑Sat Nov 20, 2021 2:26 pm Stunning repo and an all-around incredible image. I just checked the price of those 3nm Chroma filters ...

Thanks "G" - I've been very happy with their SHO filters. Because I get limited opportunities to capture data I often have to contend with the moon. Much of the data I've collected has been with the moon at 50% or more (at least once with full moon). The data has always been good.

I purchased the 31mm unmounted filters to go into my 8-position Filter Wheel.

Those filters aren't cheap, but, they sure do a good job. I highly recommend them.

Steve

Excellent re-process Steve. Balanced just right, as Jim says.

You might be interested in the current AP Processing Challenge. We're having a go at Bob's data on the same target!

I see you're using a WEme 4-port USB 2.0 extender system. I need to get sorted in a similar way as I have the capturing pc in the house now. I bought a USB Ethernet converter but I haven't tried it yet!

Regards

Graeme

Graeme1858 wrote: ↑Sat Nov 20, 2021 5:52 pm Excellent re-process Steve. Balanced just right, as Jim says.

You might be interested in the current AP Processing Challenge. We're having a go at Bob's data on the same target!

I see you're using a WEme 4-port USB 2.0 extender system. I need to get sorted in a similar way as I have the capturing pc in the house now. I bought a USB Ethernet converter but I haven't tried it yet!

Regards

Graeme

Hi Graeme - Thanks for the nice words.

Things have been busy at this end. If I get the time I'll give Bob's data a go.

I use an ASI1600MM camera. That camera has built-in USB hub. There are two USB connections on the back of the camera where I plug in my Orion MMAG autoguider camera and the Filter Wheel. I then connect the ASI1600MM output to one of the WEme hub inputs (there are four USB inputs available). I connect the iOptron CEM40 mount to a second WEme input and the focus motor controller to a third WEme input. The output from the WEme hub (which is powered) is connected with a 40' ethernet cable to the other part of the WEme system which is a little box (unpowered) with an ethernet connector on one side(where the ethernet cable plugs in) and a short USB cable on the other side. That short USB cable connects to a USB input on my laptop. This system has been pretty reliable as long as I don't wiggle the USB connection into the laptop. I make sure now to prevent any perturbations to the USB input connection to the laptop. Aside from that the connection has been rock solid. I control everything with APT.

Steve

Really great subtle processing on this. I really like it cause it's subtle without sacrificing details!
Great Job!!
Tom

STEVE333 wrote: ↑Sat Nov 20, 2021 8:26 pm Hi Graeme - Thanks for the nice words.

Things have been busy at this end. If I get the time I'll give Bob's data a go.

I use an ASI1600MM camera. That camera has built-in USB hub. There are two USB connections on the back of the camera where I plug in my Orion MMAG autoguider camera and the Filter Wheel. I then connect the ASI1600MM output to one of the WEme hub inputs (there are four USB inputs available). I connect the iOptron CEM40 mount to a second WEme input and the focus motor controller to a third WEme input. The output from the WEme hub (which is powered) is connected with a 40' ethernet cable to the other part of the WEme system which is a little box (unpowered) with an ethernet connector on one side(where the ethernet cable plugs in) and a short USB cable on the other side. That short USB cable connects to a USB input on my laptop. This system has been pretty reliable as long as I don't wiggle the USB connection into the laptop. I make sure now to prevent any perturbations to the USB input connection to the laptop. Aside from that the connection has been rock solid. I control everything with APT.

Steve

Thanks for the explanation Steve. I'm hoping to get round to trying my USB/Ethernet hub today.

Regards

Graeme

Graeme1858 wrote: ↑Sun Nov 21, 2021 8:37 am

STEVE333 wrote: ↑Sat Nov 20, 2021 8:26 pm Hi Graeme - Thanks for the nice words.

Things have been busy at this end. If I get the time I'll give Bob's data a go.

I use an ASI1600MM camera. That camera has built-in USB hub. There are two USB connections on the back of the camera where I plug in my Orion MMAG autoguider camera and the Filter Wheel. I then connect the ASI1600MM output to one of the WEme hub inputs (there are four USB inputs available). I connect the iOptron CEM40 mount to a second WEme input and the focus motor controller to a third WEme input. The output from the WEme hub (which is powered) is connected with a 40' ethernet cable to the other part of the WEme system which is a little box (unpowered) with an ethernet connector on one side(where the ethernet cable plugs in) and a short USB cable on the other side. That short USB cable connects to a USB input on my laptop. This system has been pretty reliable as long as I don't wiggle the USB connection into the laptop. I make sure now to prevent any perturbations to the USB input connection to the laptop. Aside from that the connection has been rock solid. I control everything with APT.

Steve

Thanks for the explanation Steve. I'm hoping to get round to trying my USB/Ethernet hub today.

Regards

Graeme

Good luck Graeme. Hope it works as well for you as it has for me.

Cheers