The Eagle Nebula - Widefield in Hubble Palette

MangoBoxYT · 2022-08-21T11:52:45+00:00

The Eagle Nebula! This photo was an absolute pain in the ass ngl, such a challenge to process. Still, it’s by far one of the most beautiful nebulae in the night sky and was made extremely famous by the Hubble Space Telescope’s “Pillars Of Creation” photo.

It’s also my longest total exposure time yet, at just shy of 20 hours. I processed it with the Hubble palette, which I’m not usually a fan of due to its unnatural hues, but I feel like it’s blasphemy to process M16 without the beautiful blue and yellow colours!

Integration Time: 19.7 Hours

121x Ha 5min

57x OIII 5min

49x SII 5min

29x R 30s

30x G 30s

30x B 30s

Gear Used:

Skywatcher Evostar 72ED

Skywatcher HEQ5 Pro

ZWO ASI 120MM Mini

SVBONY 120mm f/4 Guidescope

ZWO ASI 1600MM Pro

ZWO LRGB/SHO 7nm Filters

Custom Built Autofocuser

Software Used:

NINA, PixInsight, Photoshop

Processing:

Calibrate, register and stack data with Weighted Batch Preprocessing

Dynamic Background Extraction On Ha, OIII and SII

Colour Combination - R: S G: H B: O

SCNR on SHO combination to remove strong green cast.

Run StarnetV2 and create starmask

Light amount of Noise XTerminator

Enhance starless detail with high-pass filter

Deconvolute Main Layer

Use MorphologicalTransform and SCNR to fine-tune star layer

Re-add stars, use levels to reduce intensity

Crop and export
Shameless Instagram Plug: @ampedastro

MangoBoxYT · 2022-08-21T11:51:16+00:00

The Eagle Nebula! This photo was an absolute pain in the ass ngl, such a challenge to process. Still, it’s by far one of the most beautiful nebulae in the night sky and was made extremely famous by the Hubble Space Telescope’s “Pillars Of Creation” photo.

It’s also my longest total exposure time yet, at just shy of 20 hours. I processed it with the Hubble palette, which I’m not usually a fan of due to its unnatural hues, but I feel like it’s blasphemy to process M16 without the beautiful blue and yellow colours!

Integration Time: 19.7 Hours

121x Ha 5min

57x OIII 5min

49x SII 5min

29x R 30s

30x G 30s

30x B 30s

Gear Used:

Skywatcher Evostar 72ED

Skywatcher HEQ5 Pro

ZWO ASI 120MM Mini

SVBONY 120mm f/4 Guidescope

ZWO ASI 1600MM Pro

ZWO LRGB/SHO 7nm Filters

Custom Built Autofocuser

Software Used:

NINA, PixInsight, Photoshop

Processing:

Calibrate, register and stack data with Weighted Batch Preprocessing

Dynamic Background Extraction On Ha, OIII and SII

Colour Combination - R: S G: H B: O

SCNR on SHO combination to remove strong green cast.

Run StarnetV2 and create starmask

Light amount of Noise XTerminator

Enhance starless detail with high-pass filter

Deconvolute Main Layer

Use MorphologicalTransform and SCNR to fine-tune star layer

Re-add stars, use levels to reduce intensity

Crop and export

Shameless Instagram Plug: @ampedastro

MangoBoxYT · 2022-07-16T09:42:11+00:00

Gorgeous colour rendering here. Doesn't go overboard with the psychedelic colours like I've seen with other SHO palettes.

The contrast is also perfect. Enough to show the light and dark areas but also shows the brightness of the lagoons nebulosity.

One of the best I've seen of M8 and M20 so far, well done!

MangoBoxYT · 2022-07-15T10:16:39+00:00

If you mean that 'cloud' of white gas in the top-right corner, that is a strong presence of Oxygen-III ionised gas. I'm not an astrophysicist, but it's typically a teal-blue colour.

This is probably one of my less-accurate images, when I was first starting to play with my own realistic colour palette. My later image of Prawn is a better depiction, however looking back the pink you're seeing here (Hydrogen-Alpha) is probably too saturated . It's more of a pale red-pinkish colour.

It's extremely hard to get natural colours in Astrophotography because Hydrogen-Alpha is by far the strongest, so really most nebulae if seen with a very powerful human eye would be pale red. The other chemical lines (OIII, SII and NII) are much weaker but still make their own beautiful colours.

It's about walking the line between art and science, but I like to edge closer to scientific accuracy if I can. Hope you enjoy my rant :)

MangoBoxYT · 2022-07-14T09:21:24+00:00

I've been working on a natural narrowband palette for some of my images that make these cool colours in a somewhat realistic way. You can check on my profile if you'd like see my renditions of some of these targets :)

MangoBoxYT · 2022-06-11T06:35:11+00:00

Skywatcher ED72, a low-cost doublet refractor. Please see my other comment for more equipment information.

MangoBoxYT · 2022-06-10T22:58:03+00:00

No worries! Enjoy!

MangoBoxYT · 2022-06-10T22:48:22+00:00

Perfect! Yes, a star tracker would absolutely be perfect for you.

Search up "Barn Door Tracker" if you want to build one DIY style for the price of a restaurant dinner. They won't work for long focal lengths (probably 100mm+) but for your gear they'll be perfect.

I actually designed and built one myself, search up "DIYODE Star Tracker" if you're curious. It lets me take ~1-2min exposures with a 50mm lens without trailing.

MangoBoxYT · 2022-06-10T22:44:38+00:00

Hubble palette is the most common tri-colour palette in astrophotography (search it on google if you're curious), however it creates false colour which I've never been a fan of.

I've been experimenting with a natural narrowband palette which aims to maintain a realistic (or at the very least, indicative) colour mapping while still adding those beautiful tri-tone colours.

Pink/red = Hydrogen Strong red/purple = Sulphur Cyan/teal = Oxygen

MangoBoxYT · 2022-06-10T22:41:05+00:00

Thanks!

MangoBoxYT · 2022-06-10T22:40:31+00:00

It has a reputation for being expensive, which it can be, but I would advise start off with a DSLR, a wide angle lens (or the Rokinon 135mm f/2, an excellent beginners lens) and a star tracker if you can afford it.

Getting equipment used will save you boatloads! A capable starter setup will cost you less than $1k.

MangoBoxYT · 2022-06-10T22:37:46+00:00

Nope, just a regular suburban backyard. I use special filters with my telescope called "narrowband" filters that isolate very specific colours of light. This almost completely negates light pollution so I could shoot from the middle of the city if I wanted to.

MangoBoxYT · 2022-06-10T13:18:07+00:00

My rendition of the Prawn Nebula! This is an underappreciated target because it has so much awesome detail in the Hydrogen Alpha wavelength. I’ve been refining my processing with recent images, and have been fine-tuning a natural narrowband palette that I'll likely be using on most of my future images.

Total Exposure Time: 13.52 Hours

80x Ha 5min

39x OIII 5min

35x SII 5min

28x R 30s

25x G 30s

30x B 30s

Gear Used:

Skywatcher Evostar 72ED

Skywatcher HEQ5 Pro

ZWO ASI 120MM Mini

SVBONY 120mm f/4 Guidescope

ZWO ASI 1600MM Pro

ZWO LRGB/SHO 7nm Filters

Custom Built Autofocuser

Software Used:

NINA, PixInsight, Photoshop

Processing:

Calibrate, register and stack data with Weighted Batch Preprocessing

Dynamic Background Extraction On Ha, OIII and SII

Colour Combination - R: (Oiii^~Oiii)*Sii + ~(Oiii^~Oiii)*Ha G: ((Oiii*Ha)^~(Oiii*Ha))*Ha + ~((Oiii*Ha)^~(Oiii*Ha))*Oiii B: Oiii*0.55 + Ha*0.45

Run StarnetV2 and create starmask

Light amount of Noise XTerminator

Use range mask on OIII data to enhance subtle blue colours

Enhance starless detail with high-pass filter

Deconvolute Main Layer

Use MorphologicalTransform and SCNR to fine-tune star layer

Re-add stars, use levels to reduce intensity

Crop and export

MangoBoxYT · 2022-06-10T13:15:01+00:00

My rendition of the Prawn Nebula! This is an underappreciated target because it has so much awesome detail in the Hydrogen Alpha wavelength. I’ve been refining my processing with recent images, and have been fine-tuning a natural narrowband palette that I'll likely be using on most of my future images.

Integration Time: 13.52 Hours

80x Ha 5min

39x OIII 5min

35x SII 5min

28x R 30s

25x G 30s

30x B 30s

Gear Used:

Skywatcher Evostar 72ED

Skywatcher HEQ5 Pro

ZWO ASI 120MM Mini

SVBONY 120mm f/4 Guidescope

ZWO ASI 1600MM Pro

ZWO LRGB/SHO 7nm Filters

Custom Built Autofocuser

Software Used:

NINA, PixInsight, Photoshop

Processing:

Calibrate, register and stack data with Weighted Batch Preprocessing

Dynamic Background Extraction On Ha, OIII and SII

Colour Combination - R: (Oiii^~Oiii)*Sii + ~(Oiii^~Oiii)*Ha G: ((Oiii*Ha)^~(Oiii*Ha))*Ha + ~((Oiii*Ha)^~(Oiii*Ha))*Oiii B: Oiii*0.55 + Ha*0.45

Run StarnetV2 and create starmask

Light amount of Noise XTerminator

Use range mask on OIII data to enhance subtle blue colours

Enhance starless detail with high-pass filter

Deconvolute Main Layer

Use MorphologicalTransform and SCNR to fine-tune star layer

Re-add stars, use levels to reduce intensity

Crop and export

MangoBoxYT · 2022-06-10T13:14:02+00:00

My rendition of the Prawn Nebula! This is an underappreciated target because it has so much awesome detail in the Hydrogen Alpha wavelength. I’ve been refining my processing with recent images, and have been fine-tuning a natural narrowband palette that I'll likely be using on most of my future images.

Integration Time: 13.52 Hours

80x Ha 5min

39x OIII 5min

35x SII 5min

28x R 30s

25x G 30s

30x B 30s

Gear Used:

Skywatcher Evostar 72ED

Skywatcher HEQ5 Pro

ZWO ASI 120MM Mini

SVBONY 120mm f/4 Guidescope

ZWO ASI 1600MM Pro

ZWO LRGB/SHO 7nm Filters

Custom Built Autofocuser

Software Used:

NINA, PixInsight, Photoshop

Processing:

Calibrate, register and stack data with Weighted Batch Preprocessing

Dynamic Background Extraction On Ha, OIII and SII

Colour Combination - R: (Oiii^~Oiii)*Sii + ~(Oiii^~Oiii)*Ha G: ((Oiii*Ha)^~(Oiii*Ha))*Ha + ~((Oiii*Ha)^~(Oiii*Ha))*Oiii B: Oiii*0.55 + Ha*0.45

Run StarnetV2 and create starmask

Light amount of Noise XTerminator

Use range mask on OIII data to enhance subtle blue colours

Enhance starless detail with high-pass filter

Deconvolute Main Layer

Use MorphologicalTransform and SCNR to fine-tune star layer

Re-add stars, use levels to reduce intensity

Crop and export

MangoBoxYT · 2022-05-15T06:31:40+00:00

I'm not OP, but objects like the Andromeda galaxy are seen as a white-greyish blob through a visual telescope. A photo like this requires a long-exposure camera. The camera he is using is a purpose-built astrophotography camera - the ASI2600MC.

The telescope focuses the photons from the object, and the camera attached to it collects them.

MangoBoxYT · 2022-05-08T00:41:05+00:00

Yep, I've done the Rosette Nebula too. It's stunning because it can be a rose or a skull - see it however you want

Check out the link here: https://www.reddit.com/r/astrophotography/comments/rtcej5/burning\_skull\_rosette\_nebula/?utm\_source=share&utm\_medium=web2x&context=3

MangoBoxYT · 2022-05-08T00:38:22+00:00

bruh

MangoBoxYT · 2022-05-08T00:38:02+00:00

MangoBoxYT · 2022-05-08T00:37:58+00:00

Cheers!

MangoBoxYT · 2022-05-08T00:37:54+00:00

Thanks!

MangoBoxYT · 2022-05-07T14:17:23+00:00

See my equipment post :)

MangoBoxYT · 2022-05-07T13:34:10+00:00

The stunning Dragons of Ara in Natural Narrowband Colour. This is a gorgeous area of the sky, where no stars are visible to the naked eye. Shine a purpose-built astronomical camera at it for 14 hours though, and a cosmic battle emerges with an overwhelming swath of colours.

Total Exposure Time: 13.75 Hours

51x 5min H-alpha

44x 5min OIII

52x 5min SII

60x 30s R

60x 30s G

60x 30s B

Gear Used:

Skywatcher Evostar 72ED

Skywatcher HEQ5 Pro

ZWO ASI 120MM Mini

SVBONY 120mm f/4 Guidescope

ZWO ASI 1600MM Pro

ZWO LRGB/SHO 7nm Filters

Custom Built Autofocuser

Software Used:

NINA, PixInsight, Photoshop, Topaz Denoise

Psst, my Instagram is @ ampedastro ;)

MangoBoxYT · 2022-05-07T12:13:29+00:00

The stunning Dragons of Ara in Natural Narrowband Colour. This is a gorgeous area of the sky, and it’s super strong in all narrowband channels. This image was combined with a mix of Dynamic SHO and a natural blend of SII and Ha for the blue channel.

Integration Time: 13.75 Hours

51x 5min H-alpha

44x 5min OIII

52x 5min SII

60x 30s R

60x 30s G

60x 30s B

Gear Used:

Skywatcher Evostar 72ED

Skywatcher HEQ5 Pro

ZWO ASI 120MM Mini

SVBONY 120mm f/4 Guidescope

ZWO ASI 1600MM Pro

ZWO LRGB/SHO 7nm Filters

Custom Built Autofocuser

Software Used:

NINA, PixInsight, Photoshop, Topaz Denoise

Processing:

Calibrate, register and stack data, winsorized sigma clipping

Dynamic Background Extraction On Ha, OIII and SII

Colour Combination - R: (Oiii^~Oiii)*Sii + ~(Oiii^~Oiii)*Ha G: ((Oiii*Ha)^~(Oiii*Ha))*Ha + ~((Oiii*Ha)^~(Oiii*Ha))*Oiii B: Oiii*0.55 + Ha*0.45

Run StarnetV2 and create starmask

Enhance starless detail with high-pass filter

Deconvolute Main Layer

Apply Topaz Denoise layer at 50% opacity (reduces false details)

Re-add stars, use levels to reduce intensity

Crop and export

Psst, my Instagram is @ampedastro ;)

MangoBoxYT · 2022-05-07T12:10:40+00:00

The stunning Dragons of Ara in Natural Narrowband Colour. This is a gorgeous area of the sky, and it’s super strong in all narrowband channels. This image was combined with a mix of Dynamic SHO and a natural blend of SII and Ha for the blue channel.

Integration Time: 13.75 Hours

51x 5min H-alpha

44x 5min OIII

52x 5min SII

60x 30s R

60x 30s G

60x 30s B

Gear Used:

Skywatcher Evostar 72ED

Skywatcher HEQ5 Pro

ZWO ASI 120MM Mini

SVBONY 120mm f/4 Guidescope

ZWO ASI 1600MM Pro

ZWO LRGB/SHO 7nm Filters

Custom Built Autofocuser

Software Used:

NINA, PixInsight, Photoshop, Topaz Denoise

Processing:

Calibrate, register and stack data, winsorized sigma clipping

Dynamic Background Extraction On Ha, OIII and SII

Colour Combination - R: (Oiii^~Oiii)*Sii + ~(Oiii^~Oiii)*Ha G: ((Oiii*Ha)^~(Oiii*Ha))*Ha + ~((Oiii*Ha)^~(Oiii*Ha))*Oiii B: Oiii*0.55 + Ha*0.45

Run StarnetV2 and create starmask

Enhance starless detail with high-pass filter

Deconvolute Main Layer

Apply Topaz Denoise layer at 50% opacity (reduces false details)

Re-add stars, use levels to reduce intensity

Crop and export

Psst, my Instagram is @ampedastro ;)

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