M51 - Whirlpool Galaxy - 2012Mar19

[bwa]

Took another run at the Whirlpool galaxy last night:

https://picasaweb.google.com/116260312230579398213/MVRGalaxies#5744718600550852066

Better than some, not as good as others...

Enjoy!

bwa

[Kaidan]

There's something you do during the processing that kills your pictures.

[bwa]

And what do you see wrong with the image?

bwa

[Kaidan]

I don't know, it's like you would have removed the first three or four wavelets layers : there's no detail and weird gradients in the object.

[MikeM]

I'll tell you what I think - it appears that there is too much blue channel in the image judging by the overall cast
in the background. I think because of that it makes the galaxy have a magenta tint.
Also it appears that you may be either slightly out of focus or out of collimation. Just my thoughts.

[bwa]

...it's like you would have removed the first three or four wavelets layers...

Ok, now I'm totally confused.  I have absolutely NO idea what you're talking about by "wavelet layers"!?

bwa

[bwa]

Also it appears that you may be either slightly out of focus or out of collimation. Just my thoughts.

Collimation was dead on and focus was good before and after imaging per a Bahtinov mask.

I did have to correct star shape and size due to guiding problems.  It is possible this introduced some eccentricity into the final image.

As for the blue cast, I don't see it in the 32 bit image; however, it is present in the uploaded 8 bit JPG.

bwa

[Lex]

Hi;

Wavelet layers can be created in processing softwares like PixInsight; I do not think that this is the source of the problem..
As collimation and focus were spot on my only concern is that there is simply not enough data...
I had a go with M51 and even with 6 hours of integration I was not satisfied...
I simply attached my Lum file who needs more and more hours...

M51; IMHO is an object that needs at least a minimum of 12 hours of integration to have a real nice result...

Astrophotography; an easy and slow hobby eating all of your time 

[bwa]

I had a go with M51 and even with 6 hours of integration I was not satisfied...

M51; IMHO is an object that needs at least a minimum of 12 hours of integration to have a real nice result...

What scope focal ratio are you using with the above hours?

bwa

[Lex]

It's a 10" f5 Newtonian that I am using for the moment, i also did use an f6 triplet without compromising result...

[petervde]

This is what I made of it last year, when there was a bright supernova in M51: 10x3m with an Atik 16HR and my William Optics 80mm f/6 triplet apo.

Peter

[Lex]

Answering an old topic I know;

Peter; this is a nice result according to the short FL!
For me M51 is something for FL above 1000mm...