June 2011 Contest Images

[Pleiades]

The June 2011 PixInsight Monthly Astrophotography Contest is open. Please submit your images here. Good luck!

[Alejandro Tombolini]

Hola, Va una foto de Centaurus A. Si hace falta algún dato adicional avisen y lo adjunto.

El resumen de los procesos es: (todo en PixInsight)

Calibrado de las imágenes sin debayerizar con MasterBias y MasterDark
Alineación e integración de las imágenes debayerizadas
Crop
DBE
Color Calibration
ATrousWaveletTransform a la luminancia con máscara de estrellas.
Deconvolución en el canal azul
Histogramas
ACDNR con máscara de estrellas
HDRWaveletTransform con máscara del canal verde.
HDRWaveletTransform con máscara de estrellas
MorphologicalSelection con máscara de luminancia
SCNR al verde
ATrousWaveletTransform con máscara de estrellas
Color saturation con máscara de luminanica en el fondo.
Curvas canal H y c
GREYCstoration con máscara de luminancia en la galaxia
Curvas y ACDNR finales

Datos adicionales:

Objeto: NGC 5128
Cámara: Canon 450 Digital Rebel - Filtro Type I
Telescopio: William Optics 132 FLT (5 inch) - Longitud focal 925 mm - f/7
Cantidad de tomas: 18 x 10 minutos. ISO 800
Tiempo total: 3 horas.
Programa: PixInsight.
Comentarios: Guiado con SSAG y Orion 100 desde Trenel - La Pampa - Argentina.
Luna en cuarto menguante. Todas las tomas de un solo día (25/05/11)


Hi, Here is Centarus A. If is needed any aditional information please let me know.

The summary of process is: (all in PixInsight)

Calibration without debayerizing with MaterBias and MasterDark
Alignment and integration of the debayer images.
Crop
DBE
Color Calibration
ATrousWaveletTransform to luminance with star mask.
Deconvolución to blue channel.
Histogram
ACDNR with star mask.
HDRWaveletTransform with mask of green channel.
HDRWaveletTransform with star mask
MorphologicalSelection with luminance mask.
SCNR to green
ATrousWaveletTransform with star mask
Color saturation with luminance mask to background
Curves, channel H and c
GREYCstoration with muminance mask to galaxy.
Curves, channel S and L y ACDNR finals.

Aditional information:

Objet: NGC 5128
Camera: Canon 450 Digital Rebel - Filtro Type I
Telescope: William Optics 132 FLT (5 inch) - Focal Leng 925 mm - f/7
Images: 18 x 10 minutes. ISO 800
Total time: 3 hours.
Program: PixInsight.
Comments: Guided with SSAG and Orion 100 from Trenel - La Pampa - Argentina.
Moon in diminishing quarter. All images of one day (25/05/11)


http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Y_AVCbt6ZNk/TeZ7lMPYwhI/AAAAAAAAADo/zYkkU8HA3EI/s1600/ProximaSurNgc5128-1600x1059Completa.jpg

Saludos,
Alejandro.

[oldwexi]

Object:         Simeis 147   

Authors of Images:      © Dr. Franz Gruber & Gerald Wechselberger      

Time of Exposures :       30.Dec.2010   to  08.Feb.2011      

Location:      A-2823 Pitten : Lng = 16.1830 E  Lat = 47.7170 N       

Exposures                  
             sec.   h.
R           10.920   3,03
G           6.300    1,75
B           8.760    2,43
H-Alpha 43.800 12,17
O-III   58.500   16,25
            
Total:128.280   35,63
            
Optik :      Canon Lens EF 300 mm       
Blende:      f / 2.8      
            
Camera:      SBIG 11 K , monochrome      
            
Filter:
Baader H-alpha Narrowband 7nm
Baader OIII Narrowband 8,5nm       

Calibration & Stack:      CCD-Stack 
      
Image Processing with                      PixInsight
On each channel RGB HA OIII
 DBE
 ACDNR
 Conv
 Morphology
 masked MTF multi

O-III mixed into G and B with Max Function of PixelMath
H-Alpha mixed into R     with Max Function of PixelMath
RGB combine
BG-Normalization
Saturation with LRGB

Image:      http://www.werbeagentur.org/oldwexi/gallery_deepsky/Simeis_147_oldwexi_final_crop.jpg   

Gerald

[kelvinator]

Hello, my name is Luis Martinez (Kelvinator) and this is my photo of HorseHead and Flame Nebula in Orion.
The processing has been entirely made with pixinsight and using the advice of Silvercup.

Object: HorseHead (IC434) and Flame Nebula (NGC 2024) in Orion
Date: 17-10-2010
Locate: Los Arroyos - El Escorial - madrid - Spain
Telescope: LongPerng 80/550mm
Mount: Celestron CGEM
Guide: EZG60 +  QHY5 (PHD Guiding)
DSLR: Canon 350D (Mod.)
Filter: Baader IDAS LPS
Reducer/Flattener: William Optics v.III 0.8x
ISO: 800
Images: 18 Light + 14 darks + 20 flats + 20 bias
Sub Exposure: 10 minutes
Total Time: 240 minutes
capture: Images Plus
Calibrate: ImagesPlus
Process: Pixinsight 1.6
Temperature: 10ºC

Summary Process:
- ScreenTransferFunction
- Dynamic Crop
- DBE
- Background Neutralization
- Color Calibration
- Histogram TRansform
- SCNR
- Script MaskedStrecht
- Histogram Transform
- HDR Wavelets
- Curves (Saturation and RGB)
- ACDNR
- Morfological Transform
- Deconvolution

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/28/ic434nebulosacabezacaba.jpg/



Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Regards,
Luis (Kelvinator)

[Nocturnal]

Great images so far!

[Sean]

M45 - The Pleiades
An old standard, but still a beautiful object.

Takahashi FSQ106EDX, QSI583wsg, Astrodon LRGB Filters, AP900 Mount, Guided with PhD
Captured Oct 2010 from the Rogue Valley in Southern Oregon
Imaged using Images Plus 4.0, Calibrated and Processed using PixInsight 1.6 and 1.7

L    = 10x300sec, Bin 1x1
RG  = 10x300sec, Bin 2x2
B    = 12x300sec, Bin 2x2

Luminance Processing
- Calibration
- Star Align
- Integration
- DBE
- Histogram Transformation
- HDR Wavelets with Mask
- ACDNR on Luminance
- Final tweak with Histogram Transform

RGB
- Calibration
- Star Align onto Luminance
- Integration
- Combine RGB
- DBE on combined RGB
- Histogram Transformation - colors well balanced, so just slight tweaks to align Histogram peaks
- ACDNR Lum and Chrom
- Slight saturation and contrast enhancement with Curves
- SCNR to remove slight green cast

LRGB
- Combine Luminance with RGB
- Final Curves and Histogram Transformation tweaks

Larger Version:
https://picasaweb.google.com/sxcurry/AstroPhotos#5617017735682368178

[leochino]

Hola a Todos esta es mi primer imagen en el foro debido a que soy nuevo.
Proceso

Calibrado de las imágenes sin debayerizar con MasterBias, MasterDark y Master Flat
Alineación e integración de las imágenes debayerizadas
Crop
DBE
Color Calibration
Histogramas
ACDNR con máscara de estrellas
HDRWaveletTransform con máscara de estrellas
SCNR al verde
Curvas canal a y S

Objeto: NGC 6727
Cámara: 5D Mark II Hutech
Telescopio: Epsilon 180 ED
Montura: Losmandy G11 Ovision
Guiado: Orion Shot Tube y Sbig SG4
Exposición: 3 hs 4 min
Lugar Intendente Alvear La Pampa


http://astronomiapampeana.com.ar/foto/77/NGC-6727-Dust-and-Gas-in-Corona-Australis.html

saludos
Leonardo Julio
http://astronomiapampeana.com.ar/

[RafaRo]

Hi, i post my last photo, M101

EQUIPMENT

Telescope: GSO RC 8"
Camera: Sbig 8300M
Mount: Tak EM200

PHOTO DATA

Exposure: L 10x600", 7x300" bin2 in each chanel RGB

LUMINANCE

Histogram
ABE
ACDR
HDWT with starmask
Deconvolucion with starmask
DarkStructureEnhanced
CurveTransformation
Final Histogram

RGB

Histogram
ABE
ACDR
CurveTransformation
Final Histogram

LRGB

LRGBCombination
Backgrundneutralitation
ColorCalibration
ABE
SCNR
CurveTransformation
ColorSaturation
FinalHistogram

http://www.skyandphoto.com/photos/Galaxy/M101-OK-final2_C.jpg



Uploaded with ImageShack.us

[sleshin]

NGC 4565 The Needle Galaxy

http://sleshin.startlogic.com/stargazergallery/main.php?g2_itemId=525

Taken in Sedona, Arizona over seven nights in May. Used an RCOS 14.5 at f9 mounted on an AP 1200. STL 11000 with an AOL and OAG. Took 20 min sub-exposures and used 420 mins Lum, and 180 mins each of R, G, and B. Acquisition with CCD Autopilot 4 and CCD Soft. All processing in PI save some final minor tweaks of a few stars in PS CS5.

Images were calibrated and registered and then master L, R, G, and B created.

RGB workflow:

1. RGB master created with LRGB combine tool using combine ratios determined with exCalibrator.
2. Dynamic Crop
3. DBE
4. Histogram
5. Curves for color saturation with Lum mask

Lum workflow:

1. Dynamic Crop
2. DBE
3. Deconvolution
4. Histogram
5. Linear fit to match brightness with the Cie L image extracted from the completed RGB image

LRGB workflow:

1. LRGB Combination
2. Minor adjustments with Histogram and Curves
3. HDRW: 6 layers than 4 layers
4. Curves to enhance contrast
5. AtrousW to sharpen layer 2 only
6. MT to decrease size of larger stars
7. In PS fixed color of a few of the larger stars
8. Final crop and image rotation

[Catanonia]

Hey, great addition to the forum.

Only been using PI for a couple of months and almost fully converted to it from other software, so hopefully my image will be worthy enough for consideration.


Here is my submission for June 2011 and taken on 11th and 13th of June 2011

It is of the North American and Pelican region in Ha 8nm

Taken in the UK Cheshire from my back yard with a WO66 with Flattener II (300mm F4.9) and a QHY9 mono CCD with 8nm Ha filter.
All guided on a EQ6 Pro mount with and ED80 + PHD + QHY5 guide setup side by side ADM bar.

6 hours total in 2 panes in 15min subs of the Ha.

All processed and mosaic with PI in linear format before moving to Photoshop CS5 for levels and contrast.

PI was used for calibration, stacking, mosiac, DBE etc etc

Link to file   http://dl.dropbox.com/u/10801850/Astro%20Pictures/Small%20Files/NGC7000%20Mosiac.jpg

Link to full sized   http://dl.dropbox.com/u/10801850/Astro%20Pictures/Large%20Files/NGC7000%20Mosiac.jpg    5mb size.

Attached a jpg conversion for general viewing with obvious compression routines.

[gvanhau]

Hello Here is my submission:
last image taken on 3-4 June from Cajón del Maipo near Santiago de Chile:

Rho Ophiuchi and neighborhood

Beautiful and collorful nebula and star cluster complex near Antares.


2 h 13 min exposure in 180 and 300 sec frames

camera: self modified canon 450D (XSi) at ISO 800
Teleslecope: Canon 85mm f/1.8 lens stopped at f/3.5
Mount: Celestron CG5 without guiding.

outside temp: -4ºC

Acquired with APT software
Calibrated and stacked in DSS.
Processed in PI:

Histogram
Curves (color saturation)
Curves (contrast)
ADCNR
Histogram (starmask)
Dynamic Crop
DBE
Curves (starmask)
Histogram
SCNR (green)


full res image:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/astro_gvanhau/5803125106/sizes/o/in/photostream/

Regards
Geert

[jeffweiss9]

Ok, here's a go for the fun of it:

M101 Pinwheel Galaxy

http://www.astrophotogallery.org/member-galleries/p7443-m101-pinwheel-with-halpha.html

   Details:
Scope used and reducer: Stellarvue SVR90T Raptor APO and W.O. 0.8FR
Mount Used: Vixen SXD
Camera Used: SBIG ST-2000XM with Astrodon Gen2 I LRGB, Orion UNB Ha filters
Exposure: L:14x8min, RGB:29x4min2x2; Ha:12x8min; 5.0 hours total
Location: Mercey Hot Springs, CA 3/31/11, 4/30/11, Dinosaur Point, CA 4/4/11


    My workflow was:
1) Calibration entirely in PI  following Vicent's tutorial but using CosmeticCorrection
2) Processed L,R,G,B with Star Alignment, Image Integration
3) Channel Combination to RGB followed by Background Neutralization, DBE, Color Calibration (Galaxy method) and Histogram Transformation .
4) DBE, Histogram Transformation for L.
5) LRGB Combination with .45/.40 chrominance noise reduction settings
6) HDRWT Transformation 4 level/.250 ringing only, to lightness using lightness mask; star mask applied followed by 3 level/.150 setting. 2 level/0.15 did not work (and usually doesn't for me).
7) ACDNR: use 2 for lum, 3 for color with a moderately heavy mask followed by 5/6 with heavy mask per Harry's tutorial. 
9) Histogram Transform after noise reduction and very slight Curves Transformation for both RGB/K and Saturation.  Starmask was applied where I first clone onto the star mask a few bright stars that are missed somehow by the starmask process
10) ACDNR again at 4 for lum, 5 for color.  Guess I went back and thought it needed more noise reduction probably because I actually used too heavy a mask the first time. 
11) Go to PS CS2 for final touchup: Carboni's "Make Stars Smaller", HP filter (7.5 setting) on the galaxy with hide/all layer (Jack Harvey's ATWT didn't work for this one but I generally try it first), some star flare reduction on brightest stars, and then final curves to bring the boosting down somewhat.
12) Collected Ha to enhance the HII regions, calibrated and processed as above in PI but Ha channel only and separate from LRGB.
13) Did the Ha combination into the LRGB in PS CS2 by colorizing Ha as "Ha_as_Red", putting it as a layer on top of RGB layer in lighten mode with 24% opacity. I only recently came across Harry's new video that goes through Vicent's method or I would definitely have used that.

-Jeff

[Howard]

Hi:

I'd like to submit my image of IC1396A, the Elephant's Trunk Nebula (which I previously posted in the Gallery).

Here is the full resolution image.

I've also attached a downsampled version.

Here are the details:

Image capture
--------------
Telescope: PlaneWave CDK17, with a focal reducer at about f/4.5.
Mount: Paramount ME.
Camera: SBIG STL-4020M.
Dates: Three nights from August 6-15 2010.
Exposures: 300 minutes total in luminance unbinned, 100 minutes total in each of red, green, and blue filters, with 2x2 binning; 10 minute sub-exposures in all channels.
Flat field correction: using twilight flats.
Image capture: MaxIm DL, TheSky 6, and FocusMax.
Image scales: Unbinned pixel size 0.78", full image about 26' on a side.

Image Processing
-----------------
LUMINANCE:
* Deconvolution (StarMask generated local deringing support, with global deringing, and modest noise reduction); 
* ATrous (background/star mask, layer 2 small positive bias, modest noise reduction);
* Histogram stretch;
* HDRWaveletTransform (brightest stars masked, 8 layers, 3 iterations);
* Curves to reduce bright star halos (using StarMask);
* MorphologicalTransformation to erode fainter stars (using StarMask);
* Curves and UnsharpMask to tighten eroded stars (same mask as above);
* UnsharpMask on brightest nebular regions (stars and background masked).
WITH CHROMINANCE:
* RGB ChannelCombination (unbiased);
* BackgroundNeutralization
* Histogram stretch followed by SCNR (Green);
* LRGBCombine (Saturation=0.2);
* ColorSaturation and Curves saturation for color balance and saturation;
* ACDNR (luminance and chrominance with lightness mask);
* CloneStamp to eliminate a few dark frame errors;
* Histogram stretch for final blackpoint.

Best regards,
Howard.

[Nigel Ball]

Taken over the period 28 January to 28 March 2011. I originally collected just under 10 hours of data, however, only half of this was usable due to atmospheric conditions.

Centre: RA 05h 41m 19s, Dec +27° 57' 42"
Camera Angle +0° 04'

Focal Length: 389.0 mm
Resolution: 4.77"/Pixel

Imaging scope: Takahashi FSQ106EDX at f/3.6
Camera: SBIG STL-11000
Filter: Astrodon Ha 5nm
Capture Software: Maxim DL
Guide scope/camera: IKI 80mm/Orion Starshoot Autoguider
Mount: EQ6 Pro

Exposure:
Ha 13x900s and 3x1200s dithered 2.5 pixels

Processing: Stacked in CCDStack. Processing in PixInsight v1.7 as follows

1. DBE
2. Histogram Transformation
3. ACDNR
4. HT
5. HDR Wavelets
6. Curves
7. Morphological Transformation
8. Crop
9. Rescale for posting