sh2-132 The Lion Nebula - very much a WIP

[ram]

(2) sh2-132 with about 14 hours of data from all three SHO filters combined with my FC100DF. The first is from channel combination of just SHO as RGB and the second is using a synthetic L created by integrating all the calibrated and registered lights and then doing an LRGB combination. In both cases, linear images were combined and then tweaked in colour with PixInsight, i.e., minimally processed.

I thought I would have to hang up my imaging cables for this year but the last few nights have afforded me the opportunity to go after three targets for which I've collected varying amounts of data. The reason there are multiple targets is due to the moon (1) or targets going behind trees as the night goes on (2) or targets not coming up early enough (3) so that in a given night I can switch targets in the middle to make the most use of a dark night. This unfortunately means that I don't get as comprehensive an amount of data as I need in one shot but oh well... my M33 took two years to complete after all.

(1) I'm trying to do an OSC wide field of IC405 and IC410, do a NB mosaic, and then combine them all in interesting ways. So far I've imaged 12 hours of this with my SV70T and I'm not happy with the final resolution. The main thing it has done so far is bring out the "smoky" reflection nebula which is on top of IC405 so if I just took my previously imaged IC405 and combine a cropped version of this, it looks respectable for a SHO-RGB combined image - unlike with M33, this is a case of producing both the emission and reflection nebula in one integrated image. Nonetheless by itself the OSC performance leaves me a bit underwhelmed given how much I can do with the narrowband. So I'm thinking more time on this combined target may help.

(2) I need to put in more time I think here also, perhaps with all the filters but definitely more Ha.

(3) Also working on IC443 - Jellyfish nebula. Because I only decided to do two targets in one night after spending more than two hours imaging a tree on the first, I have only the S2 and O3 data collected which look good but need to collect the Ha data.

If all goes well, in another night I should at least be able to get a completed image of IC443, perhaps Sh2-132 can be done (though I doubt it) and then I'd need clear moonless night to make a dent in my widefield of IC405+IC410 but the more I can add to the smoky reflection nebula of IC405, the better the integrated image will be.

So overall October turned out to be busier month than I thought (AP-wise and in other respects) and even though it has gone as low as 40 F (which is 5 degrees C) at night I've dealt with it but I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop when it gets so cold and windy that I have to bring everything in. Heck, my mount moved about half an inch due to a wind gust last week and the winter storms can get even more intense...

--Ram

[dritter]

(3) Also working on IC443 - Jellyfish nebula. Because I only decided to do two targets in one night after spending more than two hours imaging a tree on the first...

Hahaha! Yes I know how that goes. More than once I've spent several hours imaging my Bhatinov mask.

Otherwise the WIP looks good so far. More work to do for sure, but it's coming along.

[BABOafrica]

Nicely done. Never have to deal with winter myself ... just heat and more heat.

BABO

[ram]

It's now at 27 hours - probably still worth doubling it to make it work well. But it's coming along I think. Again, minimal processing here - just a combination of the linear images (after ABE, which is why you get those gradients) and then HT and SCNR tweaks...

--Ram