SonnyE Loc: Communist California, USA

OK, bla. But I was going after subjects I knew for a test.
I was testing the new scope, NINA, Plate solve, focusing, and of course my patience.

As Marc sez: The techy bits:

Astro Tech AT130EDT - 130mm (5.12 Inches) ED Triplet
Losmandy GM811G HD Mount
Sharpcap Pro Polar aligned - My way, as close to zeros as I can get it. (Over achiever)
Mount Aligned on 5 stars West, and 5 stars East
NINA file Sequence - Attained from Stellarium, Plate Solved and centered with Astrometry.net. Autofocused with ASI EAF and NINA, Filters used EFW L,R,G,B No darks no flats in this image.
Stacked with ASIDeepStack and saved automatically as FIT, TIF, and JPG. I like that! I don't have to mess around converting FIT files to something for the Internet. I no longer hate FIT files.
After realizing -15°C is only 5°F, I lowered my cooling to -20°C for a try.
These are 20 second, X 10ea of the 4 filters. Not long like a Nebula would be, just stars.

Feel free to download and play. I'll give you the JPG and the TIF files to work with if you'd like to, per my usual open door Internet Policy. Have fun!
The plate solving jury is still out. I think Astometry.net might like the images from the new telescope. But if they aren't sharp, the web site doesn't return results. So I'm still learning, and the Autofocusing or the EAF still needs some tuning.

But I'm happy, and the "Meat of the Matter" is the longer focal length is giving me the subject without a huge star field. More of what I'm looking for. At this point I'm happy with the field as it is. But a field flattener is in the thought tank. I often cropped my images to focus on the subject, and not the corners.
I'm getting deep into NINA for my immediate equipment. I really like the automation of watching things work on their own, when everything works. When it doesn't, I try to figure it out and move along.
Since I've gone with ZWO ASI Cameras, Filter wheel, and Focuser, NINA finally works,

I also took files of the Rose Cluster, but something went wrong and they don't seem to want to process.
Operator Error again. My filing seems to stink.

JPG from ASIDeepStacker, Hercules Cluster.

(Download)

SonnyE Loc: Communist California, USA

I don't know what the cloudiness is I see on the published picturd.
It only shows here on UHH after uploading.
But this is only the LRGB filters, is only stacked and no Darks, Flats, or Bias applied.
I need to make those adjustment files.

I vill be back!

When I download this picture, it appears as it does on my display. Strange.

bwana Loc: Bergen, Alberta, Canada

You done good! But why only a B&W image?

bwa

SonnyE Loc: Communist California, USA

It is only stacked, and no other processing.
Mono camera.
LRGB filters. No darks, No flats, No Narrowband.
Quick and clean.
When I look up, I see white stars on a black or blackish background.

Easy target to see how NINA and plate solving is working.
No Peanut Butter and Jelly applied.

You need to teach me how to process. See, it's your fault.

Humm, it isn't "foggy" today. What is goin on?

Yesterday I built some Flats, Darks, and Bias files. But they look black on my display.
I really don't know what I'm doing. I'm still new to this, it's only been 10 years.

bwana Loc: Bergen, Alberta, Canada

Dropbox me your individual L,R,G&B stacks and I'll gladly process them. I don't require your Darks, Flats or Bias stacks.

bwa

Marc G Loc: East Grinstead, West Sussex, England

This looks really good mate, are you using a flattener yet?
If not, this looks like a nice flat field

SonnyE Loc: Communist California, USA

No, no flattener. They make one specifically for this telescope, but they are on back order right now.
But the FOV I'm seeing has been satisfactory to me.
Right now I finally realized my EAF has a problem. And it has had the problem all along, it is weak in one direction.
Of course, the direction is in. Where it has to move the weight of the camera, filter wheel, and focuser tube up.
I just didn't realize it before because with the ED80T I just left the focuser extended. But in talking to others with the same telescope and EAF focuser, I now see mine has a problem.
So I put in a warranty claim. Mine is ~6 months old, and ZWO warrants it for 2 years. So I should be good once they respond.
I have to go through the company as the vendor only has a 30 day return policy.
So of course, me being me, I denied and didn't realize mine had a problem. But it won't autofocus now.
In fact, it won't run the tube in with it setting flat on the floor.
The focuser is very smooth and easy to the hand without the EAF engaged.
I do like the size of the star field I'm seeing through it. And I think it does fill the sensor.

Always something, it seems.

SonnyE Loc: Communist California, USA

OK, got it done (I hope)
Sent you a PM.

bwana Loc: Bergen, Alberta, Canada

Received

bwa

Ballard Loc: Grass Valley, California

Nice shot of M13 SonnyE. You also caught NGC 6207 at magnitude 11.4 and even IC 4617 at Magnitude 15.2.

SonnyE Loc: Communist California, USA

Thanks Ballard. Purely coincidental on my part.
While I'm waiting for a reply about my focuser, I think I'll do some visual for the fun of it.
Not that I'll know what I'm looking at, mind you.
But whatever Stellarium sez it is I'll believe.
Mostly taking it as the skies allow right now. Last night I finally get in focus and things got odd. Until I looked up and the fog had rolled in.
Just my luck.

SonnyE Loc: Communist California, USA

bwana took a run at processing for me to see what might be there.
I asked him if I could post the results, he said sure.
So nice! I should hope to aspire someday to being this proficient.


"It is always nice to work with good image data AND yours was quite good.
- Nice stars to the corners; you probably don't require a flattener.
- There were a couple of big 'dust' spots (lower left & lower center) in the image and some sort of smudge? lower center.
- Noise was manageable with Topaz DeNoise.
- A few stars in the center of M13 were overexposed and bloomed but you have to pixel peep to see them.

I used your TIF file as my starting point.
Aligned the four stacks in PixInsight.
Did a Masked Stretch in PixInsight
Did an Automatic Background Extraction in PixInsight to balance color
I then moved to Photoshop and used the Astro-Panel Extension to pop the star color, boost the contrast and up the detail.
I finished off in Lightroom with a few extra tweaks.

You captured a very nice M13

I've attached a JPG of the final image. I've also uploaded the JPG and final TIF to DropBox for your playing, at:


Enjoy!

bwa


(Download) https://static.uglyhedgehog.com/upload/2023/5/16/19723-1x_pi_mstretch_abe_ps_a_p_.jpg
From stardust I was born, to stardust I shall return...

"The surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that it has never tried to contact us!" 🙄

I welcome any and all input. 😎"

Thank You, Brian!

Hurcules Star Cluster, Post Processed by bwana for me.

bwana Loc: Bergen, Alberta, Canada

Some additional info on the globular star cluster.

"M13 is about 145 light-years in diameter and is composed of several hundred thousand stars, with estimates varying from around 300,000 to over half a million. The brightest star in the cluster is a red giant, the variable star V11. M13 is 22,200–25,000 light-years away from Earth, one of over a hundred globular star clusters that orbit the center of the Milky Way."

bwa

SonnyE Loc: Communist California, USA

I was wondering why all those stars are there like that.
Are they in a traffic jam for a black hole we can't see?

bwana Loc: Bergen, Alberta, Canada

My understanding is globular star clusters exist because the region they're in had the material to create abundant stars. Very similar to what's happening in the Pillars of Creation area at present.

bwa