M42 in H-Alpha with full Moon out!

Who says you can't do DSO imaging with a full Moon:)

Fair enough nebulas are about it, but when restricted to HA imaging you take what you can get!

Heres 26x3 minute HA filtered frames of M42. Darks, Flats, Bias used.
Celestron Onyx EDII refractor @ f/6/ ATIK 16HR, CGE mount.

webtreatz.com/component/option,com_zoom/...geNo,6/key,52/hit,1/

Dave - that's tasty

I know you like constructive feedback, so here goes:

1. Focus - bang on
2. Framing - bang on
3. Tracking - bang on
4. Evidence of coma in the corners (no big deal) - any idea if you can use a field flattener?
5. Core-burnout - very hard to get the balance right with M42
6. Is the image you posted the full resolution? I get distinc shading in the dimmer portions of the nebula on my (calibrated) monitor.

Ovrall, that's a truly good image. I think, like me, you'll find the extra five percent improvement so elusive. Until then, I think your Ha images set the grade to which any other Ha imagers here will need to aspire to. Hat's off....

Dave

I know you like constructive feedback, so here goes:

You bet I do!

6. Is the image you posted the full resolution? I get distinc shading in the dimmer portions of the nebula on my (calibrated) monitor.

Yes it is Dave, just the outer 1% cropped off. I'm not sure what you mean. Can you explain a little more? If I brighten my monitor too much I can see some sharp divides between the fainter regions and the background. But too see that, I have to brighten soo much that I can't see the difference between the leftmost two shades on the calibration strip underneath the image.

Thanks for your comments! As always appreciated.

Hmmm.

My monitor displays your cal schema across the board. When I look at the image, at least at the edges of the nebulosity, the gradation change is very noticable - not smooth. I know there's a technical term for what I'm trying to describe but for the life of me, I've forgotton it.

When I say 'very noticable' do of course remember that I'd probably spot those nuances when most others would miss them. I'm sure for most folks it looks just fine.

By the way, what format of image does the ATIK spit out? FITS?

Cheers
Dave

Dave,

That is a very beautiful result and yet another great reminder that we can still be productive thanks to h-alpha filters when the moon is doing its dirty work .... provided we don't have Dave McDonald's seeing of 8"/pixel. :lol:

By the way, what format of image does the ATIK spit out? FITS?

Yep! Don't think it does anything else but FITS. Thats all I ever need!