Imaging telescopes or lenses: Takahashi FSQ-85EDP
Imaging cameras: ASI1600mm Pro
Mounts: Astro-Physics Mach1GTO CP3
Guiding telescopes or lenses: QHYCCD QHYOAG-M
Guiding cameras: ZWO ASI120mm-Mini
Focal reducers: Takahashi Flattener 1.01x
Software: StarNet++ · Adobe Lightroom Classic 2019 · Adobe Photoshop 2019 CC · Astro Pixel Processor · Sequence Generator Pro · PixInsight 1.8 Ripley
Accessory: PrimaLuceLab Sesto Senso Robotic Focusing Motor · ZWO EFW · Kingdel NC860 (i7-8550U)
Dates:July 24, 2019 , July 25, 2019
Frames:Astrodon 3nm Ha 31mm: 39x300" (gain: 139.00) -10C bin 1x1
Integration: 3.2 hours
Darks: ~40
Flats: ~40
Bias: ~60
Avg. Moon age: 22.10 days
Avg. Moon phase: 50.53%
Bortle Dark-Sky Scale: 9.00
Mean SQM: 18.00
Temperature: 30.50
Astrometry.net job: 2827992
Resolution: 4103x2735
Locations: Backyard, Coppell, Texas, United States
Data source: Backyard
Heard this target from one my astrophotography buddies. Pulled out the Sky Guide App on the phone and checked if it's in my shooting range. From my backyard, the lobster is basically a tad above the tree lines and neighbors' roofs. The cool thing is, it dances its way along the line and could give me 2~3 hours of imaging time before 1:00am.
I never thought this is pretty hard until I got started. The target is extremely low and the scope is literally pointing and neighbors' roof top. Downtown Dallas is right on the direction where the scope is aiming at and the sky glow is that strong. My dear neighbor has the routine to play with the dog in their backyard from 9pm to 10pm with the garage door light on all night long. There is a thumbnail picture I attached in Revision B to show how low the scope is pointing.
But it's fun. The data is not the best and the amount of data is definitely not enough. I like it somehow. I might do this target again. Maybe. Collecting other channels especially O3 will be a big challenge from the backyard though.
Pre-processing of Ha Master
- Calibration / Integration, Astro Pixel Processor
- Dynamic Background Extraction, PixInsight
- Deconvolution, PixInsight
- MultiscaleLinearTransformation (Denoise), PixInsight
- ScreenTransferFunction / HistogramTransformation, PixInsight.
Post-processing
- Final touch up and export, PhotoShop
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