Horsehead and Flame Nebula in HaRGB

I'm done playing with the Horsehead for now.  I am a little dissatisfied with the image in particular with the coarseness of the Ha data (see previous post: link).  As others have stated, Ha-filters on a DSLR collect only on the red channel so you have collect 4 times the amount than you would using a monochrome camera so this may be a reason for the coarseness.  On the other hand, it did bring out more detail than I ever could with just the RGB and for that I am pleased.  That being said here is my final image along with some others:

Final HaRGB - I like this the best

HaRGB - with addition of the HaR Channel Boost - I did not like this 

RGB - no Ha Data - OK

Horsehead Nebula IC 434 and Flame Nebula NGC 2024

Location: Home Monroe, CT
Date: 12-30-17(Ha), 1-2-18 (Ha), 1-13-18 (RGB), 1-14-18 (RGB), 1-20-18 (RGB), 1-24-18 (Ha)
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i(a), Backyard EOS
Telescope: Orion ED80 80mm f/7.5 Apochromatic Refractor Telescope
Barlow: None
Focal Length: 600mm
f/7.5
Focal Reducer: Orion 0.8x Focal Reducer for Refractor Telescopes
Mount: Orion Sirius EQ
Filter: Astrodon UV/IR, Astronomik Ha Clip-filter, Baader Neodymium Skyglow 2"
Autoguiding: QHY-5L-II-M attached to an Agena 50mm Guide Scope with Helical Focuser
Exposure: 30 x 150s (Ha), 30 x 150s (Ha), 78 x 120 (RGB), 20 x 120 (RGB), 32 x 120 (RGB), 80 x 150s (Ha)
ISO: 1600
Temp: -12 C, -10 C, -15 C, -10 C, -5 C, 0 C
Post Processing: Deep Sky Stacker, Photoshop, Astronomy Tools, Lightroom.
https://kurtzeppetello.smugmug.com/

Ha Processing Difficulties

I have recently been shooting Ha-images with a 7 nm Astronmik clip in filter and a Canon T3i/600D modified camera. The setup is attached to an Orion ED80 f/7.5 refractor.  I have seen other Ha images with quite stunning results and my images look much less impressive.  There is more detail than the RGB image I took but I hopping for more.

Here are images of 5.8 hrs (140 x 150s, ISO1600) on the Horsehead Nebula:
Image 1 - DSS raw exposures default settings

Image 2 - DSS raw exposures super pixel mode
Image 3 - DSS tiff exposures default settings

I have been converting all of my RGB images to tiff and then stacking them as I like the way the stars look better.  The Tiff method does look smoother, however, stacking raw images seems to give more detail in Ha.  It is just the crunchy look that I am concerned with. Not sure if it my camera or if my processing is horrible.  I should mention my camera is a 5-year old work horse and I plan on getting a new monochrome CMOS as soon as finances are available.  If any one has any thoughts I would appreciate them. Cheers Kurt 

Image 1

Image 2

Image 3

Witch Head Nebula - Best I can do at my location.

Not hard to find a better image of the Witch Head Nebula.  Just look at any one else's.  I did learn that I need to head for darker locations when shooting dim reflection nebulae if they are less than 45 degrees looking south, at least with my equipment. Looking overhead my sky is a 5 on the Bortle light pollution index but looking south it is more like 8 given that Bridgeport is than 7 miles, Stamford is 25 miles, and Manhattan is 50 miles as the photon flies.  I thought I could get a better image since I have had pretty good luck with emission nebulae using the Astronomik UHC filter.  I did use the Baader Skyglow filter (UHC does not work well for reflection nebula) but this nebula is especially dim so I had no such luck.  So I had some fun turning up everything in order to see the nebula with all these wacky colors.   I feel defeated I could not get a better image but oh well, I thought the star field looked pretty cool.

NGC1909 - Witch Head Nebula
Location: Home Monroe, CT
Date: 1-18-18, 1-20-18
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i(a), Backyard EOS
Telescope: Orion ED80 80mm f/7.5 Apochromatic Refractor Telescope
Barlow: None
Focal Length: 600mm
f/7.5
Focal Reducer: Orion 0.8x Focal Reducer for Refractor Telescopes
Mount: Orion Sirius EQ
Filter: Astrodon UV/IR, Baader Skyglow
Autoguiding: QHY-5L-II-M attached to an Agena 50mm Guide Scope with Helical Focuser
Exposure: 82 x 120s, 25 x 120s
ISO: 1600
Temp: -5 C, 4 C
Post Processing: Deep Sky Stacker, Photoshop, Astronomy Tools.
https://kurtzeppetello.smugmug.com/

Horsehead and Flame Nebula in Ha

I was not planning on imaging this as I did it just last year and really want to go after the Witch Head Nubula.  However, it was finally clear, the temperature was somewhat tolerable, and the moon was out so I decided to image this gem again.  I was not totally happy with my image from last year as the Flame Nebula appeared to have the same color the Horsehead Nebula.  I believe this was a result of using the UHC filter.  It did bring out a great amount detail but I think it messed up the color a bit.  This time around I will try out my new Baader Neodymium Moon & Skyglow Filter for RGB data and combine it with this Ha data.

I have been converting my raw exposures to tiff and then stacking them in DSS as I get better star fields, however, I believe I am getting better nebula detail by stacking the raw Ha exposures in DSS. It would be great if there was some photo expert who knows why and what the best way to process these but after doing this stuff for the last few years I believe there is no "best" way.

Horsehead Nebula IC 434 and Flame Nebula NGC 2024
Location: Home Monroe, CT
Date: 12-30-17, 1-2-18
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i(a), Backyard EOS
Telescope: Orion ED80 80mm f/7.5 Apochromatic Refractor Telescope
Barlow: None
Focal Length: 600mm
f/7.5
Focal Reducer: Orion 0.8x Focal Reducer for Refractor Telescopes
Mount: Orion Sirius EQ
Filter: Astrodon UV/IR, Astronomik Ha Clip-filter

Autoguiding: QHY-5L-II-M attached to an Agena 50mm Guide Scope with Helical Focuser
Exposure: 30 x 150s, 30 x 150s
ISO: 1600
Temp: -12 C, -10 C
Post Processing: Deep Sky Stacker, Photoshop, Astronomy Tools.
https://kurtzeppetello.smugmug.com/

Combining Astronomy Images in Photoshop: Waxing Gibbous Moon-Pleiades-Aldebaran

Thought this would be an interesting image - the waxing gibbous moon, Pleiades, and the orange giant Aldebaran.  They were in this arrangement Friday 12/29. Fortunately I did not have to be outside for very long since it was so cold.  To get this shot I did a 2-second exposure for Pleiades and Aldebaran but the moon was overexposed so I took another 1/4000-second exposure to get the detailed moon. 

I wish I would have taken longer exposures as I believe the star field would have been richer, but I was not sure how much overexposure would have compromised the star field.

Details in Photoshop:
2-second image:
1) create second layer same as 1st
2) select Filter > Noise > Dust and Scratches. I used a radius of 25 pixels, with a threshold of 0.
3) select and copy this layer and apply to original layer. Use subtract function.
4) adjust the newly created background star layer as needed.

1/4000-second image:
1) adjust the moon as needed.

Combining:1) copy moon using the Magic Wand or Lasso on to the background star layer.
2) you may have to line it up if it does not show up in the proper location.
3) do final adjustments.

Moon-Pleiades-AldebaranLocation: Home Monroe, CTDate: 12-29-17
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i(a)
Lens: 50mm Canon f/1.8 (nifty fifty)
Barlow: None
Focal Length: 50mm
f/3.2
Focal Reducer: none
Mount: fixed
Filter: Astrodon UV/IR
Autoguiding: none
Exposure: 1 x 2s, 1 x 1/4000s
ISO: 1600
Temp: 8 F, -15 C
Post Processing: Photoshop.
https://kurtzeppetello.smugmug.com/

Drifting through Space - California Nebula

Finally done with the California Nebula (NGC 1499) after a month of waiting for clear weather.  I started acquiring Ha-data in late November but the weather turned for the worse in CT so it wasn't until mid-December that I was able to collect some color using my UHC-clip.

Like our own sun the California Nebula is drifting through the Orion Arm of the Milky Way Galaxy.  By chance it happens to resemble California on the west coast of the United States.  It is about 1,500 ly from Earth in Perseus and approximately 100 ly long (source: APOD).  For reference, the closet star to our sun, Proxima Centauri, is 4.2 ly away.  As any chemistry student knows, the red color is caused by excited electrons from ionized hydrogen falling from the 3rd energy level to the 2nd energy level - that transition releases red photons...

NGC 1499 - California Nebula-HaRGB
Location: Home Monroe, CT
Date: 11-28-17, 12-20-17
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i(a), Backyard EOS
Telescope: Orion ED80 80mm f/7.5 Apochromatic Refractor Telescope
Barlow: None
Focal Length: 600mm
f/7.5
Focal Reducer: Orion 0.8x Focal Reducer for Refractor Telescopes
Mount: Orion Sirius EQ
Filter: Astrodon UV/IR, Astronomik Ha Clip-filter, UHC-clip
Autoguiding: QHY-5L-II-M attached to an Agena 50mm Guide Scope with Helical Focuser
Exposure: 29 x 120s, 60 x 120s
ISO: 1600
Temp: 8 C, -2 C
Post Processing: Deep Sky Stacker, Photoshop, Astronomy Tools, Lightroom.
https://kurtzeppetello.smugmug.com/

Flaming Star Nebula and Friends

Finally got a complete HaRGB image of the Flaming Star Nebula and friends last Saturday night. It was not clear at first but by 11 pm it was pretty clear (and cold) so I managed to get a couple hours. I did not use a filter to capture the RGB data as I wanted to keep some of the colorful star field that I have seen others capture. Also, I used a 0.8 focal reducer with my f/7.5 ED80 in order to get IC 410 although a an f/5 80mm or less scope would have given a better FOV.

The Flaming Star Nebula (IC 405) is composed of red and blue colors created by different processes. The bright star AE Aurigae is so hot it is blue, emitting light so energetic it knocks electrons away from surrounding gas. The two regions are referred to as emission nebula and reflection nebula, respectively. The Flaming Star Nebula, officially known as IC 405, lies about 1500 light years distant and spans about 5 light years. Close by is another nebula, IC 410, surrounding the open star cluster NGC 1893 (source: skyfactory).

IC 405 - Flaming Star Nebula and IC 410
Location: Home Monroe, CT
Date: 11-29-17 Ha, 12-16-17 RGB
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i(a), Backyard EOS
Telescope: Orion ED80 80mm f/7.5 Apochromatic Refractor Telescope
Barlow: None
Focal Length: 600mm
f/7.5
Focal Reducer: Orion 0.8x Focal Reducer for Refractor Telescopes
Mount: Orion Sirius EQ
Filter: Astrodon UV/IR, Astronomik Ha Clip-filter, RGB none
Autoguiding: QHY-5L-II-M attached to an Agena 50mm Guide Scope with Helical Focuser
Exposure: Ha - 32 x 120s, RGB - 90 x 90s
ISO: 1600
Temp: 8 C, -7 C
Post Processing: Deep Sky Stacker, Photoshop, Astronomy Tools.
https://kurtzeppetello.smugmug.com/