Astromart

September 21, 2008 06:40 PM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Deep Sky

NGC6960 Veil Nebula

Hi Donald,
It looks like you are getting some good detail on the objects (Veil and North American). You also seem to be getting a strong central gradient in the images. I think this can be pretty typical with many optical set ups with even a nominal amount of light pollution. You can get rid of this by taking and calibrating flats. There are also some good programs (IRIS, ande an Astroart plugin comes to mind) to help get rid of this in processing steps as well.

September 21, 2008 07:03 PM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Deep Sky

M33 reprocessed - not as harsh

Posted By Jim Thommes

Tom,
This is an interesting thread and it is stimulated by your great M33 image. I think that incorporating emission line data into RGB is always going to be a challenge for the astro imager. Others have stated that those taking this approach will always get critical comment on the color hue. There is also the challenge of relative intensities of the exposure sets. We can calibrate RGB pretty well (G2V, balanced fiter sets etc.). But we have little guidance when adding emission line data to RGB. Perhaps you have some insights into that?

Only other comment/question on the image (I personally like the color) would be a suggestion that the Ha saturation might be lowered a bit. I can do this on the overall image and it seems like it would be a useful consideration, only I can't do it on just the Ha like you could. My 2 cents worth...

September 23, 2008 04:19 AM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Deep Sky

Cocoon revisited

Posted By Jim Thommes

Looks pretty cool Tom. I vaugely remember the first process - seems like you made the dust a little more evident.

September 23, 2008 04:21 AM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Deep Sky

Messier 26

Posted By Jim Thommes

Charlie, Kevin,
Thanks for the comments.

October 2, 2008 03:57 AM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Deep Sky

M78 and McNeil's nebula at Okie-Tex

Posted By Jim Thommes

Joe,
Cool image of M78 and good update on McNeil's.

October 4, 2008 03:38 AM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Deep Sky

LBN564

Posted By Jim Thommes

Tom,
Very nice and dusty image. I can't recall seeing this guy before. I think you did a nice job of it. I am guessing from the vividness of the starfield that this is a fairly dim object.

October 4, 2008 03:49 AM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Deep Sky

IC 5068

Posted By Jim Thommes

Thanks for the comments guys.

I was pleased to get this result considering my penchant for short time on an object. I must have gotten lucky on the framing too. Sometimes my mosaic halves are not well positioned. These turned out well. I think I needed very little crop and the overlap was pretty square at my intended 5% overlap.

October 12, 2008 04:41 PM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Deep Sky