Imaging telescopes or lenses: Astro-Tech AT8IN
Imaging cameras: ZWO ASI1600MM-Cool
Mounts: Skywatcher NEQ-6 Pro Synscan
Guiding telescopes or lenses: Astro-Tech AT8IN
Guiding cameras: ZWO AS120MM-Mini
Focal reducers: High Point Scientific Coma Corrector Photo & Visual For Netwonian Telescopes 2"
Software: DeepSkyStacker · Noel Carboni's Astro Tools for PhotoShop · StarTools · AstroPlanner · PHD2 Guiding · Sequence Generator Pro · EQASCOM · photoshop
Filters: ZWO Red 31 mm · ZWO Luminance 31 mm · ZWO Green 31 mm · ZWO Blue 31 mm
Accessory: Orion Thin Off Axis Guider (TOAG) · Robert Brown's Arduino ASCOM Focuser Pro DIY · ZWO EFW filter wheel
Dates:April 10, 2020 , April 11, 2020
Frames:
ZWO Blue 31 mm: 15x180" (gain: 139.00) -20C bin 1x1
ZWO Green 31 mm: 15x180" (gain: 139.00) -20C bin 1x1
ZWO Luminance 31 mm: 45x180" (gain: 139.00) -20C bin 1x1
ZWO Red 31 mm: 15x180" (gain: 139.00) -20C bin 1x1
Integration: 4.5 hours
Avg. Moon age: 18.07 days
Avg. Moon phase: 87.88%
Bortle Dark-Sky Scale: 5.00
Astrometry.net job: 3404537
RA center: 10h 18' 18"
DEC center: +41° 25' 13"
Pixel scale: 1.719 arcsec/pixel
Orientation: 6.971 degrees
Field radius: 0.649 degrees
Resolution: 2167x1640
Locations: Mapleton Lateral Observatory, Mapleton, Utah, United States
Data source: Backyard
39.8 ± 12 MLy
The sky was too clear, and I’m too stir crazy with working from home, to pass up a chance to image even though there is still a lot of Moon. My last attempt on this target was way back in 2016 so I thought I’d try it again. Finally having all my camera cabling and focuser tension issues worked out, it is really nice to have imaging sessions “just work.” I tried to start as soon as it got dark so as to maximize imaging time before the Moon rose. I could have taken a little more data but also wanted to move on to a second target. It was also really nice to have good flats. This image is quite a lot better than my last attempt.
Date: 10-11 Apr 2020
Subject: NGC 3184
Scope: AT8IN+High Point Scientific Coma Corrector
Filters: ZWO 31 mm diameter unmounted L, R, G, B
Mount: EQ-6 (EQMOD 2.000j)+PEC
Guiding: Orion Thin Off-axis Guider + ASI120MM-mini +PHD 2.6.7 (Win 10 ASCOM)
Camera: ASI1600MM-Cool, -20 °C, Gain 139 Offset 21
Acquisition: Sequence Generator Pro 3.1.0.457
Exposure: 15x180 R, 15x180 G, 45x180 L, 15x180 B
Stacking: Deep Sky Stacker 4.2.3 (64-bit) dark+flat+bias, κ-σ stacking with κ = 1.5 (see above!).
Processing: StarTools 1.6.392 beta: Software binned L 2x2, cropped, wiped, developed, HDR (reveal all), deconvoluted, untrack denoised (grain equalization). Combined R, G, & B in StarTools. Software binned 2x2, cropped, wiped, developed, HDR (optimize hard), color with a lot of saturation boost, untrack denoised (grain removal). Applied L to color in Photoshop. A little bit of levels adjustment, and one round of deep space noise reduction. AstroFrame.
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