2ND ATTEMPT

For my second image I chose the same target to see if I could improve with what I learned the other night. Switched from 10min subs to 3min subs and changed my workflow in Siril … still can’t get FDBs to work and Starnet won’t load …

The details:

RGB 50 x 3 minute

Scope: Skywatcher Evostar 100ED

Camera: ZWO ASI535MC AIR (guide & main)

Mount: Skywatcher EQ-AL55i

Issues:

I DID take Darks after the session … but for some reason I can’t find them on the asi air … still solving that mystery.

Star removal still isn’t working with Siril.

I wanted to capture more data … but at 2.5 hours I encounter my first meridian flip which didn’t go well so I called it a night with my 50 good subs.

Had some tracking issues (lost the Star a few times).

I cleaned the whole imaging train using a hand air thing and lens brush. This seemed to get rid of a lot of the dark spots in my first image.

The glow from Alnitak in the upper right was annoying but I couldn’t figure out how to get rid of it.

Workflow: (all done in Siril on a MacBook Pro)

Plate solve

Color calibration

Background extraction

Histogram stretch

Curve stretch

Pour a whiskey

Desaturate stars

Denoise

Color edits

More Histogram experimenting

(Redo the whole thing 3 times)

I chose this framing so I could use it as a lock screen on my iPhone and I’m pleased with it 🙂

Thanks everyone for the tips! The clouds look like they returning tonight, so I’ll just have this data to play with for the next week … or month.

by BDA_Cosmos

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