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Posts Made By: Larry Durst

January 3, 2006 06:21 PM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Deep Sky

Second Light, Rosette Nebula

Posted By Larry Durst
Here's my follow-up post, a portion of the Rosette. Ha filter, 20x60seconds, MX716 through a Zenithstar 66 SD piggybacked on an LX90 unguided. Processed in Astroart. I think I'm going to enjoy this scope!
Larry

January 24, 2006 02:26 PM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Deep Sky

Another try at the Rosette

Posted By Larry Durst
Hi All,
Despite a very, very, very windy evening I decided to have another go at the Rosette. Not up to the roses I've seen here and elsewhere lately, but I thought I'd offer it up anyway.

Beacuse of the wind, only could use about half the images I shot. Total of 106 x 60 seconds Ha, unguided with an MX716 through a Zenithstar 66 SD piggybacked on an LX90. Processed in AstroArt 3. Signiciant Log stretch to bring out the nebula, but also the noise.

Question: will 60 second subs ever be enough for Ha no matter how many? Or must I really start guiding to try for long integrations?

Thanks for any suggestions,
Larry

January 30, 2006 07:47 PM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Deep Sky

Yet another Rosette

Posted By Larry Durst
Not quite up to the amazing Rosettes posted lately (quite a bouquet at that!), but after shooting a few earlier this year I decided to do one more. My first night out with a Meade 6.3 FR on my ZS 66 SD for a wider field (and so my family can see that it is, indeed, a rose and not the "skull nebula" as they dubbed my earlier attempts). It's 86 minutes of Ha (60 second subs) with a Starlight Xpress MX716. Acquired and processed in AstroArt 3. Of course, if I get my guiding system up and running in the next few weeks, I guess I'll give it yet another go!
All suggestions appreciated,
Larry

January 30, 2006 07:52 PM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Deep Sky

A very quick M45 to test focal reducer

Posted By Larry Durst
Decided to shoot the Pleiades as a test of adding a Meade 6.3 FR to my ZenithStar 66 SD. I was merely interested in seeing any vignetting (yes, there is some--can't get away from flats, I guess!) and how the stars held up on the edges (quite well it seems). But when I added a bit of a non-linear stretch I actually got a hint of the nebulosity. I was actually quite pleased! I'll have to revisit and shoot longer and color. 10x15seconds, camera is MX716. No other processing but average combine and the stretch.

April 5, 2006 04:01 PM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Deep Sky

Ha Target Suggestions?

Posted By Larry Durst
It's snowing in New Jersey as I write this (yes, snow), but that won't deter me. What just might is the moon. I'm on vacation beginning Friday (can forego the sleep, at least) and we actually have some rare good weather (no clouds, light wind) forecast...with a nice bright moon high in the sky, of course. I've been planning for the Leo Trio
my next night out, but was wondering if anyone had any Ha target suggestions for a northeast location. It seems we're caught between the big emission nebulae stretches of sky for a while.
As always, thanks in advance,
Larry

April 14, 2006 04:08 PM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Deep Sky

M13 wide field

Posted By Larry Durst
An almost full moon smack dab in Leo made me abandon the Trio early, so I swung around to a very low lying M13 on the opposite side of the sky. Thus the very wide field for this object. But I did catch very, very faintly the galaxy NGC6207 to the left of the cluster; always fun to have those bonus objects! LRGB of 30/10/10/14--maybe the reason for the very bright blues.
William-Optics ZS66SD with Meade 6.3FR
LX90 as mount, unguided
SX MX716 camera
Captured and processed in AstroArt3
Any suggestions always appreciated (make that needed!)
Regards,
Larry

May 1, 2006 06:56 PM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Deep Sky

Markarian's Chain

Posted By Larry Durst
I am really loving shooting wide fields since getting my William-Optics ZS66 SD. (Haven't put the camera in my SCT since I got it.) Here is one from this weekend, a luminance only of Markarian's Chain, part of the Virgo Cluster. Definetely a tough (from my skies) but fun target. The bright galaxy on the right is M86/NGC4406, the chain winds up with NGC447 on the upper left. It's 95 minutes in all, mostly 60 second subs (some 45 seconds while checking out tracking), unguided.
Scope: ZS66SD with Meade .63 focal reducer
Mount: piggybacked on LX90
Camera: SX MX716
Acquired in AstroArt3, processed in AA3 with final curves (and cloning to remove hot pixels) in GIMP.
Thanks for looking and any suggestions to bring out details.
Larry

May 3, 2006 07:01 PM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Deep Sky

OT: How to save images for viewing on different mo

Posted By Larry Durst
Hello All,
A bit of an off-topic technical question, but here goes: When I process images I usually do so on a Toshiba laptop and then create the Jpegs which I ultimately post here. I also have another newer laptop at work (ThinkPad). A recent image I posted looked good on both those screens. Last night I happened to take a look at the posted image on an HP flat screen LCD I have at home (mostly used by the rest of the family, of course, so I can't monopolize with my projects) and the background was very black and the detail had been lost from my fainter areas. My worry is that, depending upon the monitor people have at home, they may well not be seeing the image that I am hoping they'll see. Okay, that was way too long, so finally my question: is there any way to save images so that they'll be good on a variety of screens that people might be using, or should I always give final tweaks looking at the best monitor I can?
Thanks for any advice,
Larry

May 19, 2006 04:35 PM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Deep Sky

Congrats to Warren for Picture of the Day

Posted By Larry Durst
Good to see a frequent contributor here get the nod. Nice going, Warren.
Larry

May 22, 2006 01:24 PM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Deep Sky

M101

Posted By Larry Durst
Hi All,
Finally a clear and still night, no moon. Yet I spend most of the time trying to autoguide (never quite got there). Here is M101, luminance only, squeezed in. 51x60seconds with MX716 through a William-Optics ZS66 SD. AstroArt3 plus some curves in GIMP. Is the background too dark? (I'm trying to cover up some weird gradients due to dirty optics--must clean!).
Thanks for looking,
Larry

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