×

INDI Library v2.0.6 is Released (02 Feb 2024)

Bi-monthly release with minor bug fixes and improvements

NGC 1499 in H-alpha

  • Posts: 294
  • Thank you received: 54


First astrophoto from my recently completed KStars/Ekos/INDI controlled obsy, in Bortle 8-9 skies (maybe Bortle 11 if I account for the street lamp 30 meters away! :lol: ). I hope I can get more subs if and when the clouds go away. Polar alignment needs to be refined.

WO GTF81 on Avalon M-Zero OBS mount
ZWO ASI1600MM Pro
Astronomik 6nm Ha filter
ZWO ASI290MM guide camera on ZWO OAG
Internal guider.

20x300second subs
flats
darks
bias
Processed with PixInsight and Affinity Photo
The following user(s) said Thank You: Eric
Last edit: 3 years 3 months ago by Gilles Gagnon.
3 years 3 months ago #64314
Attachments:

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

  • Posts: 1119
  • Thank you received: 182

Replied by Jose Corazon on topic NGC 1499 in H-alpha

Great shot! I also shot the California Nebula recently, but haven't processed the frames yet.
The following user(s) said Thank You: Gilles Gagnon
3 years 3 months ago #64316

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

  • Posts: 388
  • Thank you received: 17

Replied by Ronald Scotti on topic NGC 1499 in H-alpha

I imaged NGC7380 (the Wizard Nebula) the other night capturing both RGB and Halpha. I have an ASI533 MC with an SX filterwheel, Baader filters, an SX OAG with Lodestar guiding with Phd2. It was sort of a test run as the ASI533 is new to me. I captured 20x120sec subs at RGB and then 5x300sec subs with the Halpha in place. I stacked using DSS, with Darks and Flats and then add the Halpha channel to the Red channel of the RGB using Photoshop. The night sky was dark and not much wind, but where I am by the coast, the humidity is high and I don't have a good handle on the seeing. However, the guiding was very good. I know I am using the wrong combination of optics for this target, but it was what I had set up. My 9.25" SCT f/10 has a Celestron f/6.3 reducer in front of the OAG, FW and camera, I believe my back focus is about at the right location (105mm for the reducer), but I have not tested that by changing the back focus. Also, the FOV is a bit small for this target, next time I may use a different scope. It was also my first time processing Halpha with RGB as my previous camera (SBIG 8300M) was mono. Because of the limited data I did not spend a lot of time on the processing, but still it came out decent.



thanks for looking and comments welcome.
Ron
The following user(s) said Thank You: Eric
3 years 3 months ago #64358
Attachments:

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

  • Posts: 1119
  • Thank you received: 182

Replied by Jose Corazon on topic NGC 1499 in H-alpha

You can use SCNR in PixInsight to get rid of the greenish tinge and the halos around the stars.
3 years 3 months ago #64367

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

  • Posts: 388
  • Thank you received: 17

Replied by Ronald Scotti on topic NGC 1499 in H-alpha

Thanks Pixinsight is one luxury I have not allowed myself yet. I will look that up and see if there are other methods to implement it. I thought I had just overexposed the RGB subs, that 2 minutes was too long for mainly just the stars. But I could see the faint nebulosity in those images and thought a longer integration time would help. It wasn't until I ran the Halpha that I realized that it would bring out the nebulosity much more (well I knew that, I just did not think of that before).
3 years 3 months ago #64371

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

  • Posts: 1957
  • Thank you received: 420
There is a plugin for Photoshop called Hasta La Vista Green which does a similar thing as SCNR in PixInsight. Not sure if it is as effective against star halos as SCNR though.
3 years 3 months ago #64376

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

  • Posts: 388
  • Thank you received: 17

Replied by Ronald Scotti on topic NGC 1499 in H-alpha

Yes, I just checked my version of Photoshop and I had loaded that plug-in one time in the past. I applied it strong to the image and it did seem to help with the green aspect, but not so much the halo around stars. I still have a lot to learn about post-processing images. Anyway here is the image with HLVG applied.



It says that it is based on the same algorithm that PixiInsight uses.

thanks,
Ron
3 years 3 months ago #64377
Attachments:

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

  • Posts: 1119
  • Thank you received: 182

Replied by Jose Corazon on topic NGC 1499 in H-alpha


On the long run, if you are serious about getting the best possible results from your frames, you will not be able to get around PixInsight. It is hands down the best, but also the hardest to learn, program for processing astrophotos. The license is good for a life-time and you can use it on Windows, Macs and Linux machines.
I have not even scratched the surface yet of what PixInsight can do, but I am already lightyears ahead of what Photoshop would allow me to do, unless I buy all sorts of extensions which cumulatively cost more than what is fully included in PixInsight.
Jo
3 years 3 months ago #64384

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

  • Posts: 388
  • Thank you received: 17

Replied by Ronald Scotti on topic NGC 1499 in H-alpha

thanks, I understand the pros and cons of PixInsight. Who knows, Christmas is coming!

Ron
3 years 3 months ago #64387

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

Moderators: OlegChristian
Time to create page: 0.744 seconds