nikonshooter Loc: Spartanburg, South Carolina

A more faint Galaxy in the M51 group. I just had to add a few diffraction spikes.

I was using the D800e, 400 second exposures kept 35 - from 8:00 until 4:30. Guided with PhD2. 30 darks, 120 bias and 120 flats. Processed in PixInsight and Photoshop. The image is clearly in need of more data. I plan (next decent night) to add another 35 subs to the stack and see if can get more data and less noise....or data ruined by noise. I was at 640 ISO.

On another note. I have SkyFi (Celestron Wifi) but why wouldn't this work.

https://gridconnect.com/wifi-serial-adapter.html?gdftrk=gdfV25227_a_7c1592_a_7c6907_a_7c1043&utm_source=google&utm_medium=CPC&utm_term=&utm_campaign=Shopping:%20%5BPLA%5D%20%20-%20All%20Products%20General%20All&mm_campaign=477cea803cb14c83d8a99b6c7d0cd349&keyword=&mkwid=syWXahyjT_dc%7Cpcrid%7C59302249153&gclid=CjwKEAiA3aW2BRCD_cOo5oCFuUMSJADiIMILbGWQLlS7wbhCoOYwxOGCQCMHKPo_7NhIwxtckGHtIxoCsinw_wcB

M63 - Sunflower Galaxy

(Download)

CraigFair Loc: Santa Maria, CA.

I'll reply to this one Ed, I think you have done an excellent job on the M63

Albuqshutterbug Loc: Albuquerque NM

Very nice shot Ed. I've thought about shooting this but haven't gotten around to it yet.
I look forward to seeing the finished product just because I know you will add more to it.
Nice job again.
:thumbup: :thumbup:

Now I looked at the adapter, it won't connect to my AVX mount. The mount doesn't have a 9 pin input for signal.
That is a nice price for an WiFi adapter however.

nikonshooter Loc: Spartanburg, South Carolina

I am not technical enough to know. But I would have thought, connecting to the AUX port via a cable would be like my connecting SkyLink to the Aux port. But again, I am not very technical!

JimH123 Loc: Morgan Hill, CA

This turned out really good. Amazing what a stack of good images can produce!

SonnyE Loc: Communist California, USA

Beautiful, Ed!

Oknoder Loc: Western North Dakota

I shot this same subject last year, but nowhere as nice as your image. Well done. I love the data you have managed to collect already.

One thing I have had minor success with is binning the data. With the 36MP you still retain a great amount of data with the benefit of suppressing the noise. Do you need to use filters to gain 400s of exposure?

Matthew

nikonshooter Loc: Spartanburg, South Carolina

I use two filters, Baader IR-CUT Moon and Skyglow and a Baader I-Booster USHC-S- Filter. Neither of these are limiting much if any light.

Using the F/10 8 Inch at 640 ISO required a 400 second exposure to move the histogram left of center.

I do have one regret and for this I might start over. I wish I would have lowered the ISO to 100 and changed the exposure to 1600 seconds. But I already have 35 usable images but the S/N ratio is lousy as you can see. I hate starting over trying to accumulate 40 plus images at 1600 which will take several nights. I agree with the binning recommendation is solid but as a rule, and in the past, I could always come up with a "noise reduction plan in PS" if I have the data. But with this latest struggle, nothing I tried to do was all that good, IMHO.