Okay, so this is my first attempt at M81 and M82 using long exposures and guiding. The post-processing is rough, and I tweaked with it for HOURS. Still not happy with the result. I think the problems with this photo are:- Not in focus. I should have slowed down on Friday night and "focused" on "focusing"! ;-) As a result, it's not as sharp as it could be by a long shot.
- Stars are too bright and "burned out" in my opinion. But I couldn't decrease star brightness without decreasing the nebulosity of the galaxies. Very annoying.
- There is still a digital feel to this image. I'm trying to get a nice, glossy image and seem to be far from that. Not sure how to do that.
Having said that, it's a vast improvement on my attempt from last year and definitely a step in the right direction. You can clearly see the spiral arms of the main galaxy and there's some nice color there too.
Image Details:
- Imaging Scope: AstroTelescopes 80mm ED Refractor
- Imaging Camera:
Nikon D40 - Guiding Scope: William Optics 66mm Petzval Refractor
- Guiding Camera: Meade DSI-C
- Mount: Celestron CGEM
- Exposure Time: 1 hr 20 mins (8 * 10-minute exposures)
- ISO400
- Aligned and Stacked in Deep Sky Stacker
- Post-processing in GIMP
- Noise reduction in NeatImage
3 comments:
These are beautiful pictures Phil! They're so crisp and clear! Absolutely beautiful!
Good pic here Phil as you captured this intrepid pair in there glory!
Thanks a lot, guys!!! I really appreciate the positive feedback. I was happy to get this result with my new gear and am looking forward to tackling other types of objects over the coming months.
Clear skies!
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