Come join the friendliest, most engaging and inclusive astronomy forum geared for beginners and advanced telescope users, astrophotography devotees, plus check out our "Astro" goods vendors.
Come join the friendliest, most engaging and inclusive astronomy forum geared for beginners and advanced telescope users, astrophotography devotees, plus check out our "Astro" goods vendors.
30 90 second subs, 10 dark, 10 flat dark, 10 flat, 10 bias using Canon T3i/600D with Optalong L-Pro Clip Filter
Telescope: Sky Watcher EvoStar ED80 on a EQ6-R Pro mount with .85 reducer/ flattener
Software used APT for image sequence and focusing, N.I.N.A. for polar alignment, mount syncing and target slewing, PHD2 Guiding DSS used for stacking and PS for one tweak
Any suggestions for how I can improve the image are most welcome, specifically how to get more color. I am assuming longer exposure time and more subs. Framing is an obvious one, I ordered a rotator today that should show up next week. It's been an interesting journey getting to this point.
What you see is what you get,
Clear Skies!
Update: 13:30 I just realized I picked the wrong plan in APT, these are 60 second subs, not 90...
Last edited by chris_g on Fri Oct 08, 2021 6:34 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Image Cam: Canon 6D (Ha mod), 600D (Stock), SVBony SV405CC
Image OTA: EvoStar ED80, WO Z73, C8-A XLT
Mount: EQ6-R Pro Pier, AZ-EQ5 Pro Pier
Guide OTA: Orion 60mm, WO 32mm, ZWO OAG, SV501P
Guide Cam: ZWO 120mm, 290mm mini
EAA OTA: Orion ST80
EAA Cam: SVBony SV705C
EP: Baader Hyperion Modular Set
Filters: L-Pro Canon EOS C, L-eNhance, L-Pro, Optolong Ha 7mm, Optolong Oiii 6.5mm, Optolong Sii 6.5mm, ES H-Beta
Session Control: Mini PC/Win11 Pro, APT 4.1, PHD2 2.6.10
Processing: PixInsight, DSS 4.2.6, Adobe PS CC, Astronomy Tools Action Set, Star Spikes Pro
Congrats of your first DSO image and its a great one at that. The stars are reasonably tight and decent colours and there is good contrast into the core.
Of course more subs (more total integration time) are always going to help but with targets like this you'd want to be careful about increasing individual subs duration too much for fear of blowing out the core. From your image above I think that you have hit the sweet spot on individual sub duration. To do better than that you'd need to be doing some longer, some shorter then combining them as HDR to get more dynamic range.
But I think there is a lot more in that data that you could pull out. If you tell us a bit more about how you processed it we can maybe help more to get you further. Specifically, did you do anything other than stack in DSS and what was your "one tweak in PS". Do you have or are you willing to get any of the astro-specific tools for PS because at this stage they can really help.
Here is a link to my M31 done with very similar kit to yours - my SW Evostar 80ED and EOS700D. Now it has a good bit more integration time - 2 hours of 120s and I think 3 hours of 240s and is combined as HDR but I really think we could get your data a good bit of the way towards this type of result.
If you wanted to share your unprocessed stack straight out of DSS I'd be happy to give it a go then walk you through what I have done - that could be the best way to see what we can achieve.
Take care
David.
Scope: Skywatcher Evostar 80ED (SW 0.85 FR/FF) on a SW NEQ6Pro
Guiding; SW Evoguide 50ED, ASI 120mm mini
Meade 8" LX200 GPS on wedge (Guided with a cheapo 50mm guidescope and a ZWO ASI 120mm mini)
Sharpstar 61EDPH II (with dedicated 0.8 reducer) with wiliam Optics 32mm uniguide
Camera: ASI2600MC pro. QHY 163M with ZWO 7nm NB filters, Canon EOS700D astro mod
Secondary mount: Skywatcher StarAdventurer
Congratulations on your first DSO image, Chris! It's a beauty!
I see plenty of colour in your image. You just have to bring it out in processing. It takes a lot more than "one tweak" to process an astro image. When DSS is finished, your work has only begun.
DSO AP:Orion 200mm f/4 Newtonian Astrograph; ATIK 383L+; EFW2 filter wheel; Astrodon Ha,Oiii,LRGB filters; KWIQ/QHY5 guide scope; Planetary AP:Celestron C-11; ZWO ASI120MC; Portable: Celestron C-8 on HEQ5 pro; C-90 on wedge; 20x80 binos; Etc: Canon 350D; Various EPs, etc. Obs: 8' Exploradome; iOptron CEM60 (pier); Helena Observatory (H2O)Astrobin
Butterfly Maiden wrote: ↑Fri Oct 08, 2021 7:58 am
The image is showing now.
For others, it seems, not for me. I can see the image in post #4 but #1 just has a box with the word image inside. I'm using an iPad with Safari if that helps.
Scopes: Refs: Orion ST80, SV 80EDA f7, TS 102ED f11 Newts: AWB 130mm, f5, Z12 f5; Cats: VMC110L, Intes MK66,VMC200L f9.75 EPs: KK Fujiyama Orthoscopics, 2x Vixen NPLs (40-6mm) and BCOs, Baader Mark IV zooms, TV Panoptics, Delos, Plossl 32-8mm. Mixed brand Masuyama/Astroplans Binoculars: Nikon Aculon 10x50, Celestron 15x70, Baader Maxbright. Mounts: Star Seeker IV, Vixen Porta II, Celestron CG5
Butterfly Maiden wrote: ↑Fri Oct 08, 2021 7:58 am
The image is showing now.
For others, it seems, not for me. I can see the image in post #4 but #1 just has a box with the word image inside. I'm using an iPad with Safari if that helps.
Maybe it is a quirk with the iPad :Think:
I am using Safari on my MacBook which displays the image correctly, but I am unable to test it on an iPad. Maybe someone else can though.
Even stranger though that you can see the image in a quoted post, yet not the original.
I am in between clients at the moment nFA so I can't do much else just yet.
Butterfly Maiden wrote: ↑Fri Oct 08, 2021 7:58 am
The image is showing now.
For others, it seems, not for me. I can see the image in post #4 but #1 just has a box with the word image inside. I'm using an iPad with Safari if that helps.
Maybe it is a quirk with the iPad :Think:
I am using Safari on my MacBook which displays the image correctly, but I am unable to test it on an iPad. Maybe someone else can though.
Even stranger though that you can see the image in a quoted post, yet not the original.
I am in between clients at the moment nFA so I can't do much else just yet.
It IS an iPad quirk. It’s displaying nicely on my iPhone. So now I can congratulate @chris_g on his fine first effort with sincerity.
Scopes: Refs: Orion ST80, SV 80EDA f7, TS 102ED f11 Newts: AWB 130mm, f5, Z12 f5; Cats: VMC110L, Intes MK66,VMC200L f9.75 EPs: KK Fujiyama Orthoscopics, 2x Vixen NPLs (40-6mm) and BCOs, Baader Mark IV zooms, TV Panoptics, Delos, Plossl 32-8mm. Mixed brand Masuyama/Astroplans Binoculars: Nikon Aculon 10x50, Celestron 15x70, Baader Maxbright. Mounts: Star Seeker IV, Vixen Porta II, Celestron CG5
That is a nice first effort, Chris. As others have said, there is probably more available in the image you have than is showing yet. Those processing details would help give more direction on how to bring it out.
As a rule, more time on any target will help, particularly when using a filter. My personal bias is to not use filters for M31 as it is a wide spectrum object and the filter will remove some of the wavelengths that the galaxy is emitting in addition to removing background glow and LP wavelengths. This is an opinion, not an absolute direction
Hello Andro Gala!
You are well looking thanks to Chris,
JG
6" F/5 Sky-Watcher achro, 2" BBHS Star Diagonal, 2" zenith prism, 1.25" Takahashi prism Leica 82mm APO Televid Eyepieces: Docter UWA; Leica B WW and WW Asph. Zoom; Leica HC Plan S and L, monocentric; Pentax SMC XW, O-, XO; Tak MC O, Carl Zeiss B WW, and Pl, E-Pl, S-Pl, W-Pl;
Swarovski SW; Baader Symmetric Diascope Edition; Nikon NAV SW, ; TMB supermonocentric; Rodenstock; Vixen HR; TV Delos Filters: Astrodon, Astronomik, Baader, Balzers, Zeiss West and East, Lumicon Binoculars (7x42 up to 15x85): Docter Nobilem, Leica Ultravid, Nikon Astroluxe, Swarovski EL Swarovision; BA8 (Kunming Optical)
For others, it seems, not for me. I can see the image in post #4 but #1 just has a box with the word image inside. I'm using an iPad with Safari if that helps.
Maybe it is a quirk with the iPad :Think:
I am using Safari on my MacBook which displays the image correctly, but I am unable to test it on an iPad. Maybe someone else can though.
Even stranger though that you can see the image in a quoted post, yet not the original.
I am in between clients at the moment nFA so I can't do much else just yet.
It IS an iPad quirk. It’s displaying nicely on my iPhone. So now I can congratulate @chris_g on his fine first effort with sincerity.
@Butterfly Maiden It's probably due to how I saved the JPG, I didn't compress it at all, it's a 26MB file, I didn't want to loose any detail. I'm also hosting the image on my web site, my hosting account is on a low volume shared server. I suspect in your case it was load time. @notFritzArgelander , I have no idea why it wouldn't display on one particular device, perhaps again the size of the image???
Image Cam: Canon 6D (Ha mod), 600D (Stock), SVBony SV405CC
Image OTA: EvoStar ED80, WO Z73, C8-A XLT
Mount: EQ6-R Pro Pier, AZ-EQ5 Pro Pier
Guide OTA: Orion 60mm, WO 32mm, ZWO OAG, SV501P
Guide Cam: ZWO 120mm, 290mm mini
EAA OTA: Orion ST80
EAA Cam: SVBony SV705C
EP: Baader Hyperion Modular Set
Filters: L-Pro Canon EOS C, L-eNhance, L-Pro, Optolong Ha 7mm, Optolong Oiii 6.5mm, Optolong Sii 6.5mm, ES H-Beta
Session Control: Mini PC/Win11 Pro, APT 4.1, PHD2 2.6.10
Processing: PixInsight, DSS 4.2.6, Adobe PS CC, Astronomy Tools Action Set, Star Spikes Pro
I am using Safari on my MacBook which displays the image correctly, but I am unable to test it on an iPad. Maybe someone else can though.
Even stranger though that you can see the image in a quoted post, yet not the original.
I am in between clients at the moment nFA so I can't do much else just yet.
It IS an iPad quirk. It’s displaying nicely on my iPhone. So now I can congratulate @chris_g on his fine first effort with sincerity.
@Butterfly Maiden It's probably due to how I saved the JPG, I didn't compress it at all, it's a 26MB file, I didn't want to loose any detail. I'm also hosting the image on my web site, my hosting account is on a low volume shared server. I suspect in your case it was load time. @notFritzArgelander , I have no idea why it wouldn't display on one particular device, perhaps again the size of the image???
I think that is the key. I believe that the phone compressed the file but the pad struggled with it, it’s an older model. I’m looking forward to seeing it on my Mac.
Scopes: Refs: Orion ST80, SV 80EDA f7, TS 102ED f11 Newts: AWB 130mm, f5, Z12 f5; Cats: VMC110L, Intes MK66,VMC200L f9.75 EPs: KK Fujiyama Orthoscopics, 2x Vixen NPLs (40-6mm) and BCOs, Baader Mark IV zooms, TV Panoptics, Delos, Plossl 32-8mm. Mixed brand Masuyama/Astroplans Binoculars: Nikon Aculon 10x50, Celestron 15x70, Baader Maxbright. Mounts: Star Seeker IV, Vixen Porta II, Celestron CG5
Jockinireland wrote: ↑Fri Oct 08, 2021 10:23 am
Hi Chris,
Congrats of your first DSO image and its a great one at that. The stars are reasonably tight and decent colours and there is good contrast into the core.
Of course more subs (more total integration time) are always going to help but with targets like this you'd want to be careful about increasing individual subs duration too much for fear of blowing out the core. From your image above I think that you have hit the sweet spot on individual sub duration. To do better than that you'd need to be doing some longer, some shorter then combining them as HDR to get more dynamic range.
But I think there is a lot more in that data that you could pull out. If you tell us a bit more about how you processed it we can maybe help more to get you further. Specifically, did you do anything other than stack in DSS and what was your "one tweak in PS". Do you have or are you willing to get any of the astro-specific tools for PS because at this stage they can really help.
Here is a link to my M31 done with very similar kit to yours - my SW Evostar 80ED and EOS700D. Now it has a good bit more integration time - 2 hours of 120s and I think 3 hours of 240s and is combined as HDR but I really think we could get your data a good bit of the way towards this type of result.
If you wanted to share your unprocessed stack straight out of DSS I'd be happy to give it a go then walk you through what I have done - that could be the best way to see what we can achieve.
Take care
David.
In PS, I adjusted the brightness and contrast to bring out more detail. I can get more out of it with that adjustment by itself but was concerned about noise coming out it, the background started to wash out. I am completely new to PS in this regard.
I made some adjustments in DSS based from a previous session suggested by @SkyHiker I moved the sliders until I got all three RGB channels to the left side then I adjusted the levels to get the widest base I could then adjusted the luminance to as close to an S curve as I could get that intersected as much of the three channels as I could. I was tired last night and didn't save the settings in DSS that I used, I'll get the settings I used there again when I have more time to work with it this afternoon
I'm willing to get anything needed to improve my work. If there's a cost, I will have to figure out a budget for it.
More than willing to share the data, I can make the subs available for download but it will take some time, do you want the calibration frames as well or just the lights?
Image Cam: Canon 6D (Ha mod), 600D (Stock), SVBony SV405CC
Image OTA: EvoStar ED80, WO Z73, C8-A XLT
Mount: EQ6-R Pro Pier, AZ-EQ5 Pro Pier
Guide OTA: Orion 60mm, WO 32mm, ZWO OAG, SV501P
Guide Cam: ZWO 120mm, 290mm mini
EAA OTA: Orion ST80
EAA Cam: SVBony SV705C
EP: Baader Hyperion Modular Set
Filters: L-Pro Canon EOS C, L-eNhance, L-Pro, Optolong Ha 7mm, Optolong Oiii 6.5mm, Optolong Sii 6.5mm, ES H-Beta
Session Control: Mini PC/Win11 Pro, APT 4.1, PHD2 2.6.10
Processing: PixInsight, DSS 4.2.6, Adobe PS CC, Astronomy Tools Action Set, Star Spikes Pro
Congratulations. First DSO is quite a milestone and your off to a great start. As Kathy said, I bet you've got more color hiding in there with some additional post processing. Also can't quite tell if you were dithering during capture or not, but if not it's definitely worth doing to help avoid "walking noise". Dithering made a big difference for me when I first got started.
Scopes: Esprit 100, 12.5" Telekit Dob Camera: 294 MC Pro, 224 mc, 2600mm Guiding: ZWO 290 mini on 120mm guide scope Mounts: EQ6R-Pro, EQ Platform. Filters: Optolong L-Pro & L-Enhance, Chroma 36mm LRGB, 5nm HA, 3nm OIII, 3nm SII. Software: SharpCap, SGP, StarTools 1.7, Photoshop, Pixinsight The Death Star Observatory Astro Photos:https://www.astrobin.com/users/starfield/
Butterfly Maiden wrote: ↑Fri Oct 08, 2021 2:32 pm
@chris_g I think the very large image size has had a lot to do with the display issue Chris.
If you are able to store the image on another server and link to it there then you would be able to show the detail you desire.
As you say though, on a shared server you are limited, so I guess you would need to make some compromises to show your image in the best way possible.
Forums have limited file sizes that are acceptable so it is difficult to upload large files here.
Hopefully, you didn't lose much detail from your original image.
Now that I have the fundamentals down on, I'll start using Astrobin since it supports complete datasets to what the technology can accomplish. Thank you...
Image Cam: Canon 6D (Ha mod), 600D (Stock), SVBony SV405CC
Image OTA: EvoStar ED80, WO Z73, C8-A XLT
Mount: EQ6-R Pro Pier, AZ-EQ5 Pro Pier
Guide OTA: Orion 60mm, WO 32mm, ZWO OAG, SV501P
Guide Cam: ZWO 120mm, 290mm mini
EAA OTA: Orion ST80
EAA Cam: SVBony SV705C
EP: Baader Hyperion Modular Set
Filters: L-Pro Canon EOS C, L-eNhance, L-Pro, Optolong Ha 7mm, Optolong Oiii 6.5mm, Optolong Sii 6.5mm, ES H-Beta
Session Control: Mini PC/Win11 Pro, APT 4.1, PHD2 2.6.10
Processing: PixInsight, DSS 4.2.6, Adobe PS CC, Astronomy Tools Action Set, Star Spikes Pro
starfield wrote: ↑Fri Oct 08, 2021 3:07 pm
Congratulations. First DSO is quite a milestone and your off to a great start. As Kathy said, I bet you've got more color hiding in there with some additional post processing. Also can't quite tell if you were dithering during capture or not, but if not it's definitely worth doing to help avoid "walking noise". Dithering made a big difference for me when I first got started.
I'm not sure if it was dithering or not, N.I.N.A. new sequencer is giving me issues, so I did all set up with it then switched to APT for the actual sequence. I didn't connect anything other than the Canon in APT so I suspect no dithering was done if PHD2 doesn't do it automatically! A lot to learn!
Image Cam: Canon 6D (Ha mod), 600D (Stock), SVBony SV405CC
Image OTA: EvoStar ED80, WO Z73, C8-A XLT
Mount: EQ6-R Pro Pier, AZ-EQ5 Pro Pier
Guide OTA: Orion 60mm, WO 32mm, ZWO OAG, SV501P
Guide Cam: ZWO 120mm, 290mm mini
EAA OTA: Orion ST80
EAA Cam: SVBony SV705C
EP: Baader Hyperion Modular Set
Filters: L-Pro Canon EOS C, L-eNhance, L-Pro, Optolong Ha 7mm, Optolong Oiii 6.5mm, Optolong Sii 6.5mm, ES H-Beta
Session Control: Mini PC/Win11 Pro, APT 4.1, PHD2 2.6.10
Processing: PixInsight, DSS 4.2.6, Adobe PS CC, Astronomy Tools Action Set, Star Spikes Pro
Hi @chris_g
I and some others prefer to work on the unadjusted tiff straight out of the stacker so if you dont have that then it may be worth putting up the raw lights as you suggest. But we will need all the calibration frames too then we can take it from first principles and really see what you got. Otherwise redo the stack but save it as a 16b tiff without any adjustment and put that up.
If it's easier for you I can make a onedrive folder available and you can upload it there. Let me know.
Take care
David
Scope: Skywatcher Evostar 80ED (SW 0.85 FR/FF) on a SW NEQ6Pro
Guiding; SW Evoguide 50ED, ASI 120mm mini
Meade 8" LX200 GPS on wedge (Guided with a cheapo 50mm guidescope and a ZWO ASI 120mm mini)
Sharpstar 61EDPH II (with dedicated 0.8 reducer) with wiliam Optics 32mm uniguide
Camera: ASI2600MC pro. QHY 163M with ZWO 7nm NB filters, Canon EOS700D astro mod
Secondary mount: Skywatcher StarAdventurer