| This image is compiled from 32 - 20 minutes
sub-exposures, 10 hours and 40 minutes. Taken over a two night
span, May 29 & 30, 2006, the temperatures were -15/-10°
C. This image was processed mainly using CCDStack, software by
Stan Moore and available at
www.CCDWare.com Image acquisition software was MaxImDl/CCD
version 4.53. The images were saved as IEEE fits files and brought into
CCDStack. CCDStack was then used to calibrate each image, reject blooms
on 6-7 stars, impute rejected pixels, normalized, registered, a STD
Sigma reject and then combined using median mean. The resulting image
was then saved in 32 bit fits as well as 16 bit fits. The 32 bit fits
was brought into CCDSharp for one iteration of sharpening and saved
again in 16 bit fits for final touches in Photoshop CS2. Several curves
adjustments were made as well as adjusting levels. A duplicate was made
of the layer and a high pass filter was applied. Layers flattened and
saved as 16 bit fits. Image was saved for the web as a jpg. I hope to
add color in the next few days but due to weather conditions predicted,
it may have to wait a while.
Color data added 6-17-2006. This took 3 nights
to gather due to moon rising and weather so only partial nights were
possible. A total of 480 minutes, each channel with 160 minutes taken
with 20 minute sub frames.
Equipment Used:
OGS 10" RC @ f/9
AP900GTO Mount
SBIG ST8XE CCD Camera
SBIG CFW8
SBIG AO7
Optec Pyxis Camera Rotator
Don Goldman's CRGB Filters
RoboFocus Secondary Focuser Equipped
Imaging Conditions:
Seeing: Good to Very Good over the 2
night period
Transparency: Good to Very Good
Wind: None
Temperatures: 64-71° F over the 2 night
period
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