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Posts Made By: Rob Mackie

February 2, 2007 06:54 PM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Deep Sky

M1 "The Crab" in Color

Posted By Rob Mackie
Luminance layer of this M1 consists of 100 minutes of 13nm HA in 5 minute subs. Scope was AP 130 F/6 operating @ F/4.5, Starlight Express SXV H9 ccd, and STV/Efinder for guiding.
Rob Mackie

February 5, 2007 07:12 PM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Deep Sky

M81 LRGB

Posted By Rob Mackie
This M81 ("Bode's Galaxy") in Ursa Major done from my light polluted yard. 78 minutes luminance, 30 minutes each R, G & B, 3 minute subs. The image has lots of noise and gradients, which I've attempted to remove. I used an AP 130 F/6 operating @ F/4.5, SXV H9 CCD guided by an SBIG STV/Efinder, Tak EM 200 Temma 2 mount.
Rob Mackie

February 6, 2007 05:56 PM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Deep Sky

Horsehead Derby Longshot

Posted By Rob Mackie
Luminance layer consists of 2 hours through 13nm HA filter, 5 minute subs. RGB portion:40 minutes each red, green and blue using 5 minute subs. OTA is an AP 130 @F/4.5, Starlight Express SXV H9 ccd guided by an SBIG STV w/efinder.

Rob Mackie

July 6, 2007 06:19 PM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Deep Sky

Veil NGC 6992 Narrow Band Images

Posted By Rob Mackie
There are two versions. The first at http://www.pbase.com/steelnavy/image/81778146
was done using the Hubble pallette, which assigns (or "maps" in current parlance) SII to red,
HA to green, and OIII to blue. This mapping is necessary because the light emitted
by SII and OIII is not visible to the human eye, so assigning these invisible wavelengths
to visible wavelengths lets one "see" where SII and OIII are present.

The second version is at http://www.pbase.com/image/81778281 and uses a pallette
where LRGB channels consists of HA_HA_OIII_SII.

In both versions HA consists of 180 minutes of exposure with 10 minute
sub-exposures. SII and OIII each consist of 120 minutes in 10 minute subs.
Total exposure time for the image was 7 hours.

All imaging done on bright, near full moon evenings. These are my first attempts at
narrow band imaging. I used Custom Scientific 4.5nm HA, SII, and OIII filters, ST-10XE camera
and AP 130 F/6 ota. The Tak EM200 mount was guided by an SBIG STV.

My results are amateurish to be sure, but what did you expect. I Am an amateur.
Comments and criticisms most welcome.I'm trying narrow band because I image from a
light polluted SF Bay Area location and it seems like it's clear only on bright moonlit nights.

Rob Mackie

July 6, 2007 08:23 PM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Deep Sky

Narrow Band Pelican Nebula

Posted By Rob Mackie
I used a 4.5nm Custom Scientific HA filter to image the Pelican,IC 5070. This narrow band
filter delivers excellent contrast from my light polluted, moonlit SF Bay Area Yard.
See it (the Pelican, not my yard)at

http://www.pbase.com/steelnavy/image/81450392

I generated a "color" version by imaging the Pelican through an OIII filter and using the result
for the G and B channels. So the resulting LRGB image consists of HA, HA, OIII, OIII. The image
is at http://www.pbase.com/steelnavy/image/81450423/large

Rob Mackie

July 8, 2007 10:56 PM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Deep Sky

M16 Eagle Nebula in 4.5nm HA

Posted By Rob Mackie
Acquired with SBIG ST-10XE CCD Camera,AP 130 F/6,EM200 Guided by STV
Twelve 10-minute exposures through a 4.5nm CA Hydrogen Alpha Filter.
No flats used. The nebula was very low in the southeastern sky, buried in the middle of the Oakland light dome, so I was happy to get anything useable from my light polluted SF Bay Area location. If the Eagle had been any lower in the sky, the fence surrounding my yard would have shown up in this image. Focus wasn't terribly sharp, due in part to my using excessively short focus exposures in Maxim. I'm sure M16's location low in the sky didn't help.

Image is at http://www.pbase.com/steelnavy/image/81085300

Comments and criticism welcome. There's no easy way to learn narrow band imaging except by doing it and understanding where I've made mistakes.

Rob Mackie

July 11, 2007 10:18 AM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Deep Sky

Veil NGC 6992/6995 Reprocessed

Posted By Rob Mackie
Image is at
http://www.pbase.com/steelnavy/image/82060459

I used the Hubble palette, where red is SII, green is HA, and
blue is OIII and followed the processing routine outlined by Ron Wodaski
in his Zone Processing book.

I prefer this result over my first narrow band effort,
which you can view at http://www.pbase.com/steelnavy/image/81778146

All filters Custom Scientific 4.5nm. ST-10XE, STV guider,
AP 130 F/6,Tak EM200 mount. Ratio of RGB channels is S2=2.0, HA=1, O3=2.5
Background was manually normalized in Maxim with pedestal=100
3 hrs HA, 2hrs SII, 2hrs OIII. All subs 10 minutes in duration.
Colors combined in Maxim, then digital development applied.
More stretching using levels and curves in PS, then addition
of HA luminance channel. Also some smoothing and noise reduction
of luminance channel in PS.

I'll gather more data with the goal of doubling 7 hour exposure time
when the marine layer departs.

Rob Mackie

July 13, 2007 11:11 PM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Deep Sky

Pickering's Triangle in Hydrogen Alpha

Posted By Rob Mackie
See http://www.pbase.com/steelnavy/image/82172310

full size at http://www.pbase.com/steelnavy/image/82172310/original

I imaged this portion of the Veil Nebula using a 4.5nm
HA filter. 195 minutes total in 15 minute sub exposures.
Applied digital development in Maxim, then levels and curves
in Photoshop. Best FWHM readings at start of session were 1.9
Occasional thin scattered clouds wandered by, otherwise clear.

CCD temp -17C. Image was dark subtracted but no flats used.
SBIG ST-10XE CCD Camera,AP 130 @ F/4.5,SBIG STV Guider

Rob Mackie

July 23, 2007 04:41 AM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Deep Sky

M8 in Hydrogen Alpha

Posted By Rob Mackie
M8 is very low in the southern sky from my SF Bay Area location.
Worse, it's buried in heavy light pollution. I've been putting the
4.5nm Custom Scientifc filter through its paces and have found it
to be very effective in mitigating effects of light pollution.

Details:
AP 130 @ F/4.5,SBIG ST-10XE ccd,SBIG STV guider
120 minutes using 10 minute subs, 4.5nm HA filter.
Maxim for acquisition, sigma combining, digital development, bloom removal.
Post processing (levels, curves and touchup) in Photoshop
Background smoothing using Pixinsight

This image is 50% of full size. The original image from which
it was cropped can be viewd at http://www.pbase.com/image/82645582

Rob Mackie

July 23, 2007 07:21 AM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Deep Sky

Pickering's Triangle in HA and O3

Posted By Rob Mackie
This is an experiment that didn't go terribly well. I tried to
create a color version of Pickering's Triangle NGC 6979 in the Veil
using HA and O3 data. I need to gather some red data as using the HA
data alone makes the nebula look too salmon colored for my taste.

Here are the details:
Image comprised of 3 hours HA (4.5nm, 15min subs) and
3 hours O3 (4.5nm, 10min subs). I used HA for the red
and luminance channel, O3 for green and blue.
AP 130 @ F/4.5, ST-10XE, guiding by SBIG STV.

You can view a full size version at http://www.pbase.com/steelnavy/image/82599245/original

Rob Mackie

Rob Mackie

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