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NGC1499


Guest Phillyo

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Hi guys,

 

Well, I thought as it cleared up last night I'd try setting up my new guide scope and trying to get it focused etc. After spending nearly 90min trying to figure out why PHD2 wouldn't connect to my QSI "guide scope" and banging my head against the wall...I realised that the QSI wasn't the guide scope, it was the Lodestar X2... :duh:

 

By this time it was 3:15am and I didn't have much darkness left but I thought I'd have a quick look at NGC1499 - The California Nebula. I did 1 x 1800s test shot to see how guiding was and it worked flawlessly. Stars were pin points!

 

But I wanted to get more than a couple of subs in so I dropped it to 1200s

 

So this is NGC1499,

 

Exposures: 6 x 1200s
Scope: Megrez 72 APO DDG
Imaging camera: QSI 583wsg
Guide camera: Lodestar X2
Mount: EQ6
Software: APT, CdC, PHD2 and Astrotortilla.

Processed in PI then a couple of touches in PS CS6.

 

Comments/criticism always welcome guys.

 

Full res image can be found here: http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y115/Mercenary118/CaliforniaNebula_Full.jpg

 

Thanks,
Phil.

 

CaliforniaNebula.jpg

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Managed to add another 4.5 hours of data to this picture now in 1800s subs (9 x 1800s). A bit more of the detail is starting to come out.


 


Phil


 


NGC1499-22-9-14Final.jpg


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Nice, though I think I prefer the more nebulous processing on the first cut. I'm awful for pushing images too far also!


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Aye it's not my favourite picture. I don't like using photoshop and much prefer PI but thought I'd give it a try. Not to worry, there's always more time and data to collect :)


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It's funny how people like different versions of essentially the same picture. Just goes to show that there's no 'right' or 'wrong' way to really do something. Personally I think I prefer a slightly softer approach and having reprocessed it (again), this time as a mosaic with other data I think it gives it a kind of ethereal aspect.


 


Thank you all for the comments. Luckily(?!) it's raining tonight so I can get some sleep!


 


Phil


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