M42 Orion Nebula Bortle 8 Skies

[Startrek]

Captured M42 Orion Nebula last week over 3 nights during the New Moon period under my B8 City suburban skies. Its been just over 2 years since I last imaged this spectacular celestial object. I chose Narrowband in lieu of Broadband to see how the 2600MM and Antlia 3nm filters performed with shortish Narrowband subs.

New Moon period
Seeing conditions good to excellent
Captured over 3 nights ( 20th ,23rd and 24th December )
8" f5 Klaus Helmerich carbon Newt
Skywatcher EQ6-R Pro mount
ZWO 2600MM cooled to -10C , Gain 100
Antlia 3nm SHO filters
Goto and Tracking EQMOD and Stellarium
Capture software APT
Guiding PHD2 Multistar ( 0.45 to 0.55 arc sec total error )
Sii filter 62 x 2 min dithered subs
Ha filter 72 x 2 min dithered subs
Oiii filter 63 x 2 min dithered subs
Darks from Library
Flats for SHO filters
Flat Darks for SHO filters
Subs Reviewed, Analysed, Calibrated , Stacked and Aligned in ASTAP
SHO Data set post processed in Startools V1.8 via Compose

Quite please at the level of detail I could expose for 6.5 hours of Data using shortish narrowband subs.
Using Startools HDR and other tools I managed to keep the core under control and expose 4 of the Trapezium Stars.

I decided to post another version in Visual Spectrum Synthetic LRGB using my SHO data set.
Same details as before but this time used the Compose Module in Startools to map specific channels prior to processing.

L - Synthetic Luminance created from SHO loaded into Luminance channel
R - Synthetic Red created from Ha + Sii loaded into Red Channel
G - Oiii loaded directly into Green Channel
B - Oiii again loaded directly into Blue Channel

Luminance, Color set to L,RGB

This method is the closest way possible of creating a Synthetic LRGB image from SHO Narrowband Data.

Near the end of processing I used the Startools "Entropy Module" to enhance to detail and colour and give the image a lift. Entropy is only used on Narrowband data sets.

Astrobin links below for full resolution…..,

https://www.astrobin.com/gypvps/

https://www.astrobin.com/71zmxh/


Thanks for Looking

Comments Welcome

Martin

[grc02]

Interesting approach. Looks great.

[Startrek]

Thank you !
I just followed Ivo’s advice a while ago on using SHO narrowband data and process it like an LRGB
Result was pleasing
I’ve used this method on a few other projects , again with good results.
Another useful tool in the Astro tool box

Martin