Astrophotography - The Rosette Nebula

[AZ Maverick]

So - I was going through some of my old data back when I first started astrophotography seven years ago.
I found a folder with IC434 (Horsehead Nebula) and the NGC 2024 (Flame Nebula).
This data was very bad and at the time software didn't exist to process it properly, so the end result was not very good and I never used the data.
However, in today's time the processing software has advanced a lot and I was able to re-process the data and actually get an acceptable image.

 

[AZ Maverick]

Thought I'd post another one...
This is NGC7380, the Wizard nebula.
It is located 7500 light years from Earth.
The image is a narrowband integration of three filters, Hydrogen Alpha (Ha), Sulphur2 (S2), and Oxygen3 (O3).
The integration of each filter image is - Ha 5 hours, S2 8 hours, O3 8 hours, and each image was 5 minutes.

 

[day_trippr]

Outstanding work! Thanks for posting those

 

[AZ Maverick]

Outstanding work! Thanks for posting those

You bet.
Just another one of my hobbies...

 

[Hoochin'Fool]

So - I was going through some of my old data back when I first started astrophotography seven years ago.
I found a folder with IC434 (Horsehead Nebula) and the NGC 2024 (Flame Nebula).
This data was very bad and at the time software didn't exist to process it properly, so the end result was not very good and I never used the data.
However, in today's time the processing software has advanced a lot and I was able to re-process the data and actually get an acceptable image.

I know zilch about astrophotography, but now I really want to see what the original (7 yrs ago) pictures looked like.

// retired software nerd who is interested in, and fearful of state-of-the-art image/ai-composition...
/// your pictures are freakin' stunning!!!

 

[AZ Maverick]

I know zilch about astrophotography, but now I really want to see what the original (7 yrs ago) pictures looked like.

// retired software nerd who is interested in, and fearful of state-of-the-art image/ai-composition...
/// your pictures are freakin' stunning!!!

Yeah, some of the image processing these days is using AI assisted processing, but it still needs halfway decent data to work with.
I'm a retired aerospace communications/navigation hardware/software guy also...
I actually still have the image that was the best I could get back at that time - it's not pretty, but here it is.

 

[IslandLizard]

I actually still have the image that was the best I could get back at that time - it's not pretty, but here it is.

Although the old image is still very acceptable, it's amazing what a big difference a few years of imaging processing technology can make!

 

[passedpawn]

I am infatuated with it. Gimme a minute to catch up, but I will. So cool.

 

[HBT_Admin]

I am infatuated with it. Gimme a minute to catch up, but I will. So cool.

I am too. It's pretty amazing. I've enjoyed the photos and wish I had caught the thread earlier. I'm following now.

 

[bruce_the_loon]

Your images are beautiful and are making me feel lazy.

I've got a Celestron Advanced VX mount with an 11" SC optical tube that I need to take outside. When it stops raining and the sky clears that is. Probably late April. This year, I promise.

 

[bailey mountain brewer]

Your images are beautiful and are making me feel lazy.

I've got a Celestron Advanced VX mount with an 11" SC optical tube that I need to take outside. When it stops raining and the sky clears that is. Probably late April. This year, I promise.

Nice!! I've got the 9.25" SC on evolution mount. I have it out for visual use pretty regularly.. yeah when the skies cooperate. I recently got a planetary camera that I've been practicing with, maybe someday I'll get a DSO setup. .. in the meantime, don't judge me, but here's a pic I took last week, I've got some work to do.

 

[AZ Maverick]

Nice!! I've got the 9.25" SC on evolution mount. I have it out for visual use pretty regularly.. yeah when the skies cooperate. I recently got a planetary camera that I've been practicing with, maybe someday I'll get a DSO setup. .. in the meantime, don't judge me, but here's a pic I took last week, I've got some work to do.
View attachment 871713

Nice! With little better focus, that image would be fabulously amazing!
I also have a C 9.25 SCT, but I mainly use it for long reach galaxies.

 

[passedpawn]

Yeah, some of the image processing these days is using AI assisted processing, but it still needs halfway decent data to work with.
I'm a retired aerospace communications/navigation hardware/software guy also...
I actually still have the image that was the best I could get back at that time - it's not pretty, but here it is.

View attachment 871569

what are you using for stacking?

 

[AZ Maverick]

what are you using for stacking?

I have used many.
But I finally just spent the money and bought PixInsight as it is the gold standard.
However, there are other free options that work very well also.

 

[passedpawn]

I have used many.
But I finally just spent the money and bought PixInsight as it is the gold standard.
However, there are other free options that work very well also.

yea that's what I figured.

 

[bailey mountain brewer]

Thanks @AZ Maverick .. focusing is what I'm really focusing on, I'd say it's my main focus.. all kidding aside that is my 3rd attempt so far, and out of my other 2 I had one that had better focus but it was also a smaller image, so I'm working on that. As the planets leave us soon I might mess around with my sisters dslr, which I haven't event started playing with that yet, I don't have tracking, just an Alt-Az mount with goto so I'll just have short exposure times if I try to get Andromeda or something like that.

 

[balrog]

yea that's what I figured.

You mean Registax is not the gold standard???!!??

 

[AZ Maverick]

You mean Registax is not the gold standard???!!??

LOL. I don't do any planetary imaging anymore, I guess Registax does a pretty good job at that.
All of my stuff these days is DSO, and for that PixInsight is pretty much the best out there - but it better be at how much it costs...

 

[balrog]

<sheepishly has to think for several minutes to come up with Deep Sky Object for the acronym. sheepishly shuffles away, shaking his head, feeling older than dirt, not even sure he could correctly align his Celestron newtonian 6" on german mount anymore, shuffles past box of old data center tape drive stepper motor he is "one day" going to make a wicked pissa barn door drive, sighs, heads for a beer keg>

 

[sibelman]

Cosmic observations: https://www.earth.com/news/galaxies...he-same-direction-leaving-scientists-baffled/

 

[passedpawn]

Nice!! I've got the 9.25" SC on evolution mount. I have it out for visual use pretty regularly.. yeah when the skies cooperate. I recently got a planetary camera that I've been practicing with, maybe someday I'll get a DSO setup. .. in the meantime, don't judge me, but here's a pic I took last week, I've got some work to do.
View attachment 871713

That's a sweet look at Jupiter. Did you capture the moons? I think the image of jupiter with it's moons is awesome. I think I'll have some equipment arriving shortly and I will contribute here. My current scope isn't really camera friendly (I've tried).

 

[bailey mountain brewer]

That's a sweet look at Jupiter. Did you capture the moons? I think the image of jupiter with it's moons is awesome. I think I'll have some equipment arriving shortly and I will contribute here. My current scope isn't really camera friendly (I've tried).

I have captured some of the moons in other pics, I'm still learning the imaging process but hoping in the coming fall and winter I'll be able to produce better photos.

 

[AZ Maverick]

Had the telescope out again for the last couple of days.

This time I took an image of NGC6960, also known as "The West Veil" and also "The Witches Broom".
It is faint parts of what is left of a Super Nova that exploded some 10000 years ago.
It is part of what is called the Cigna Loop which is the entire remnants of that super nova which is about 2400 light years from Earth, but I can't image the entire loop without making a four-panel mosaic (which I intend on doing at some point).

I used my Skywatcher ED127mm Carbon Fiber telescope with a .7 reducer for a focal length of 666mm at a focal ratio of f5.25.
Since the Veil is mostly Hydrogen and Oxygen, I imaged it with only two 7 nanometer narrowband filters, Ha - Hydrogen Alpha and OIII - Oxygen3 and mapped them with Ha going to the red channel and OIII going to the blue channel.
The image is 4 hours and 20 minutes of 5-minute Ha exposures combined with 2 hours and 55 minutes of 5-minute OIII exposures.

 

[Brockness Monster]

That's crazy (in a good way). I feel like it would jump out at me if I had on some old fashioned red and blue 3d glasses. Great job.