Shameless crowd pleaser stuff but I was happy to get M42 at all and I hadn't ever seen NGC1977 before which is an attractive object in its own right somewhat overshadowed by its A list neighbors -- there is only a very brief window of opportunity between trees when I can catch it from my backyard
110mm WO triplet apo at F5.6 (WO reducer flattener), AstronomiK UHC, 41 min of 66s exposures, offset 10, gain 124 using cooled ASI 294MC. One point of possible interest is the HDMR/ mask function in Pixinsight which allowed the stretch of the central region to be altered so that the Trapezium stars are visible and not just blazed out
https://onedrive.live.com/?cid=330584F8 ... 29&o=OneUp
Then, secondly, just to complement Bruce's post, a view of the bubble nebula comprising a stack of 1) 48 min stack of 3s, gain 200 exposures through a 10 inch Synscan F4.7 dobsonian with Baader coma corrector and UHC filter whihc was DSS combined with 2) a 45 min stack of 96s, gain 124 exposures through an 8 inch SW Newtonian at F 4.5 using the SW reducer/flattener plus UHC filter. It is not as sharp as Bruce's picture which I think was partly down to very poor seeing but also due to me relying on manual rather than autofocusing (running in and out of the house and transporting mud to my wife's annoyance). Using the UHC broad filter (and a lower total exposure time although faster F#) the signal to noise is poorer and the faint detail of the nebula is not really visible - there is also some artefactual gradient in the background possibly due to incorrect use of ABE in pixinsight? Against all that I do think that it looks quite pretty with sparkly diffraction spiked stars and colour contrast in both star and nebula.
https://onedrive.live.com/?cid=330584F8 ... 29&o=OneUp
best wishes
Tim
M42, M43 and NGC1977, the bubble (again)
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Please share the equipment used and if possible camera settings to help others.
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Re: M42, M43 and NGC1977, the bubble (again)
These are both very beautiful images, Tim. Congratulations but keep the wife happy so you can keep buying new telescope toys.
Bruce
Bruce
Re: M42, M43 and NGC1977, the bubble (again)
Tim
A couple of nice images. I like the depth around M43 in the M42 image.
Dave
A couple of nice images. I like the depth around M43 in the M42 image.
Dave