February 2020

[mAnKiNd]

Added a luminance layer to my M97 - Owl Nebula using my ASI290MM-Cool through a UHC+UV/IR filter. It really separated the nebulosity and lifted it from the background, tightened the star shapes and brought out some really nice colors. The color data was acquired last month with my ASI290MC-Cool through a CLS-CCD filter, and I used it as a chrominance layer for this rendition.

As always, acquired and enjoyed in real-time through Sharpcap Live Stacking with individual frames processed later.

Hope you like it

M97_Dual_Shot.jpg (202.21 KiB) Viewed 3165 times

Full resolution: https://www.astrobin.com/1mbaoz/E/

[turfpit]

Minos

I can see the difference (on Astrobin) the additional frames have made over the original image. What software did you use to add the additional data?

Dave

[mAnKiNd]

Hi Dave,

I used Pixinsight to create the master light and then again Pixinsight to apply that master as a luminance layer over the previous data. From there on out, it was jumping between Pixinsight and Photoshop. I really liked how the red, green and blues came out in the nebula.

Cheers,
Minos

[mAnKiNd]

I'm getting a coma corrector though, as the longer horizontal aspect of the sensor is picking up the coma in the stars and I don't have much of a field of view to begin with in order to crop them out.

[turfpit]

Thanks Minos.

[oopfan]

She's a beauty, Minos! You put some serious time into it: 7.1 hours. Great signal-to-noise ratio.

Brian

[mAnKiNd]

Thanks Brian, appreciate it.

I have a series of clear nights coming up and I'm debating whether to shoot more of M97 or switch to a new target. I'm limited however, to mostly the North Eastern part of the sky, due to surrounding apartment blocks, and there aren't many other nebulas up there right now. Galaxies are really tough with my immediate light pollution, leaving clusters as the next logical choice. I have to make a decision before I setup tonight.

Cheers,
Minos

[oopfan]

Good luck, Minos. I have that same stretch of good weather. Tonight I'll capture RGB for M81 and then turn my attention to a star cluster in Ursa Minor. Am going to try bin1 in the color channels.

Brian

[mAnKiNd]

Thanks Brian, good luck to you too buddy.

[mAnKiNd]

Did another reprocess and cropped out the coma distorted field.

Best to look at the full rez: https://www.astrobin.com/full/1mbaoz/G/?nc=user

M97_jpg.jpg (127.28 KiB) Viewed 2943 times

Cheers
Minos