Here is my second attempt at imaging the Carina Nebula and my first attempt at imaging it with a dedicated astronomy camera.
I've learnt a lot about processing images in Pixinsight over the last few months and tools like RC Astro and Graxpert have made processing images a lot easier, more accessible and in my opinion, more fun.
Take a peek into cosmic ballet that is the Carina Nebula:
Captured in this vibrant image, layers of interstellar gas and dust paint a portrait of stellar birth and destruction, spanning over 300 light-years across.
Right in the heart of this spectacle is Eta Carinae, a volatile star system whose explosive nature has sculpted the surrounding nebula with its fierce winds and energetic outbursts. The cool blues and violets depict hydrogen gas being ionised by the radiation of nearby stars, while the rich pinks and reds reveal stellar nurseries where new stars take shape eagerly awaiting their debut on the cosmic stage.The Carina Nebula serves as a reminder of the intricate dance of creation and destruction that shapes the cosmos and reveals a fraction of the beauty and wonder that surrounds us.
I initially imaged this target in SHO and for a bit of fun and something I've never done before, I thought I would add some RGB stars to it. I captured 50 subs at 30s each in the RGB channels and as I was processing the data, I realised there was actually a decent amount of detail in the nebulosity. Seeing this detail, I created a synthetic luminance layer from my SHO data and applied it to the RGB data and this was the final result.
I've also added my processing attempts in the SHO and Foraxx palette. This was my first attempt at Foraxx but I'm quite happy with the result, I'm not sure whether I like it more than the SHO version though. I think my favourite is still the RGB image!
I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!
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