SharpCap Forums

10 minutes image on Omega Centauris, 20 exposures of 30 seconds each,
Telescope Vixen ED80Sf, SharpStar Flattener 2"
Filter UV/IR Cut,
Camera ZWO 294 mc Pro, Gain 120, Offset 10, temperature -5C.
SharpCap, PxI and GIMP
Mount iOptron CEM 25P
Place, Curicó, Chile (Lat -35, Lon -71)

Very nice image for such a short capture period.

Cheers
Nick

Wow. That is a very good image showing stars right to the core and a short imaging time. Of course can't see that object from here -- our best is M13.

Did you need to use high dynamic range processing in PI to reduce the relative brightness of the core?

Tim

Hi Tim, actually what I did was just very slow stretching, manually, and then a very small and highly diffuse mask, just enough to compensate the stretching, so the core could get something like 20% stretch and the outer part the 100%, it was the only way I imagine to create a sort of distribution of intensity in the strength of the stretching, to say it in a way.

Thanks Nick, the cluster is quite luminous, so I am planning a longer exposure, in total, but stacking exposures of no more than 10 to15 seconds each. I have some friends that actually mix, short with long exposures.

Very cool capture!
I now and then do some experimenting with it too but then in the realms of lucky imaging with <1 second exposures with of course the big disadvantage of very long stacking times :p

Menno