Tonight was a very long 7-minute pass of the International Space Station (ISS). It was still fairly light at 5:30 p.m. so I had to take the shots as 5-second exposures and then stitch the lot together. As the ISS moved out of the camera field of view towards the end of the pass – I had to move the camera position and just capture the last bit before the ISS disappeared into Earth’s shadow.
And a last reprocess (maybe) on this one too. This is around 12-hours of Sky90 data added to 10-hours and 40-minutes of 200mm lens data giving a composite image of the IC410/IC405 region in Auriga – a total (composite) exposure time of nearly 23-hours. Again the Lighten Colour mix was used in Photoshop 2023 which has made the blue reflection nebulosity in the Flaming Star nebula a little brighter.
I added 16-hours of Sky90 data (which added to the bright nebula core) to the 8-hours of 200mm data (which provided the only data for the faint “nose”) to get this result.
Here are just 10 x 20-minute subs on the 200mm lenses, ASI 2600MC Pro OSC CMOS cameras and the Optolong L-Enhance filters. If I can get 30 or more subs on this one it should start looking quite nice.
Finally got a total of 32 x 20-minute subs on this one, so calling it a day on this for now.
IC410/IC405 region taken on the 2 x Canon 200mm prime lenses with 2 x ASI 2600MC Pro OSC CMOS cameras and 2 x Optolong L-Enhance filters. The blue reflection nebulosity in the head of the Flaming star, being broadband radiation, is lost with the Optolong filter. I can replace it with some RGB data – but that’s for another day.
Got a little more data on the IC410/IC405 region last night with the 200mm lenses, ASI 2600MC Pro CMOS cameras and the Optolong L-Enhace filters. I am now up to 18 x 20-minute subs. If I can get another 12 subs on this one, taking me up to 10-hours of data, I think I’ll call it a day. What this has shown me (which is rather a blow) is that the 76 x 15-minute subs I took of this region – minus the filters – is rubbish in comparison. Still, without this filtered data I wouldn’t have known that was the case.
These Optolong L-Enhance filters have really transformed my OSC imaging and I have a pile of targets on my list which are now viable using this amazingly powerful imaging combo.
Apart from being freezing cold – last night was also cloudless and Moonless. Managed to get 24 x 20-minute subs (8 hours) on the California nebula with the 200mm lenses, the ASI 2600MC Pro CMOS cameras, and of course the Optolong L-Enhance filters. Without the filters I don’t think there was any chance of me picking up the long “nose” rarely imaged on this one.
Got today’s EPOD with a 3D view of DNA.
This image is just 8 x 20-minute subs on the 200mm lenses with the ASI 2600MC Pro CMOS cameras AND the Optolong L-Enhance filters.
There is more signal in the Spider’s Web region in these 8 x 20-minute subs than there was from 76 x 15-minute subs using the straight RGB data (UV/IR cut filter only).
This filter is going to completely transform my OSC camera work – COMPLETELY!!
Only one negative point in this image – can you see it?
The bright blue (broadband) reflection nebulosity in the head of the Flaming Star nebula is missing (taken out by the filter). However – that can easily be put back in again by using the straight RGB data 🙂
