StarTools

First image for 2022 , IC434 Horsehead Nebula from southern skies “Down Under”

NexDome Obs
Bortle 3 Skies
No moon
Home custom made Dome Az rotation control system
8” f5 GSO Newt
Skywatcher EQ6-R mount
ZWOASI2600MC set in Ascom to highest dynamic range Gain 0 , cooled to-10C
Goto and tracking EQMOD and Ascom Stellarium
Framed focused and captured with APT 3.90
PHD2 Multistar guiding ( 0.70 arc sec error )
Subs reviewed in Astap
Stacked in DSS
Processed in Startools V1.7 OSC linear data set

Original frame version
Crop version

Comments most welcome

Great detail, even on the crop-in.

Very sharp on the diffraction spikes. I need to work on getting mine like that! Really cool that for the one bright star there, you can see the diffraction spikes of the little stars that are close to it but still within its overall halo. That's some real clarity there.

Lots of good stuff going on in your list -- Bortle 3, 8" Newt, 2600MC, and oh yeah, a dome.

How much integration? I know it often doesn't take much in such dark skies.

Mike,
Thanks for the kind comments
Forgot to add the captured data
45 x 3 minute dithered guided subs
40 x Flats
50 x Bias
So just over 2 hours
I was hoping for 4 hours plus but here “Down Under” on the east coast we have been experiencing La Niña since September last year so cloudy nights have been relentless, clear nights are few and far between.
I image from both ends of the spectrum, Big City with Bortle 8 heavy light polluted skies and Rural with Bortle 3 dark skies where this image was captured
Thanks again

The texturing in this image. Just breathtaking. Glorious.

It's a shame that a few thousand years from now, it won't look like that anymore.

ionia23 wrote: ↑Fri Jan 07, 2022 10:01 pm The texturing in this image. Just breathtaking. Glorious.

It's a shame that a few thousand years from now, it won't look like that anymore.

Thanks for your flattering comments

I think after a few thousand years we might get bored looking at this object, if Elon’s vision comes true we could be observing and imaging from Starships continually in transit between Earth and Mars ???? Who knows ????

Great detail. Amazing shot. I am interested in your Next dome rotation . I just finished building one on a remote site and always looking to improve things. Shutter gave me fits as well.

Here’s my Dome rotation control system details
Photos and Schematic drawing
Cheers
Martin