A lobster and a bubble

Oh the weather is a fickle thing, yes the nights are drawing in seriously now but so has the cloud too. In a rare few evenings of clear skies I have started a new project. A previous effort a couple of years ago for this target was a bit of a disappointment. I cannot quite remember but I think the project was unfinished so time to have another go. I have managed to create a lovely framing of the Lobster Claw with the Bubble nebula for this image. Night 1 was a 3h55m aquasition of Ha data. A quick process has revealed some lovely clean data.

Night 2 at the time of writing has been a little hit and miss with some high fast moving cloud, quickly clearing and returning some great guiding numbers again. This too is without any PEC training on the mount and I would love to get these numbers more consistent and will have a look at training over the weekend. I am hoping for 6 plus hours of Oiii so looks like a 4.00am finish if the clouds hold off, forecast now looking a good deal better. 1hr 15 so far.

Managed an exact 6 hours or 72 x 5 minute sub frames. Night 3 was again a wonderful night and managed 4 hours with 48 z 5 minute sub frames.

Pixinsight process Background extraction Deconvolution Noise reduction Stretch to non linear Pixel Maths combine channels Curves ACDNR Local Histogram equalisation Dark structure enhance Final curves Star reduction I love the starless image created just before final star reduction.

Final Image

I have also in recent weeks completed a complete new set of calibration frames. As per the image above it looks like a great set and a relief. As I had a few issues with flats a few months ago so a new set needed doing. Pixinsight too has also seen some updates and has updated it's WBPP (weighted batch pre processing script) and it worked flawlessly with the new calibration set. I am really starting to enjoy using it now, still a complete novice and relying on tutorials but the results speak volumes. I am sure there are plenty of die hard fans who want to run all the calibration manually, but there are plenty of trusted you tubers and of course imagers like Adam Block who are increasinly confident that it is doing everything in the background a a full manual run. Like I said I am far from competent with the programme so will enjoy and take all the help I can get.

I along with my family are suffering from Covid. For us all it has been a struggle, having escaped it over the last 2 years it has caught up with us all. On the mend now but has been a real struggle to breath and a cough so bad it made my throat bleed. As I said thank god we are all on the mend now.