And another processing finally got a better balance of stars and comet detail. The star cluster M5 shows up better, too. Kicking myself for not getting it framed better.
I have now managed better processing of the data from this night and managed to bring out more detail in the head and tail, and to show the anti-tail better. I think I could get better stars and I wonder if there is not the usual green in this comet, but I need a break for now. (There was a lot of moonlight and it might have swamped what comet color there was.) I also rotated the frame for slightly better orientation. I should have rotated the astro camera more – the comet should be pointing to more like 4:30 to 5:00.
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Description
Shot with my astro rig (refractor telescope, astro camera, tracking) the 15th, the last night I was able to get the anti-tail. (Skies have not been favorable, with thin high clouds and ambient moonlight.) This is poorly processed but I’m putting it out anyway – I have other nights to work on. The astronauts camera was also in the wrong orientation – should have been about 90 deg CCW. M5 is in the LR corner – by the time I realized it was in the frame it was too late to recompose. There was only less than an hour total to shoot before it set into the trees. If I livelong enough I might learn enough.
Specific Feedback
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Technical Details
Astro rig with about an hour of 30-sec exposures, processed in PixInsight.
Critique Template
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Diane, Awesome capture of the comet and the tail. I really cannon “pick” this apart as it is far better than mine! I’ve been viewing several other photographers across Social Media and some of theirs are stellar!
I do like the perspective and POV of this image. I Love your comment about “Living long enough to learn enough” - I am stoked about being able to capture this specific comet and know for sure, I won’t abe around in 80,000 years - LOL
I used my Celestron NexStar Evolution 8" scope and set up my Canon EOS T6 with extension tubes and 6.3 mm flattener to capture it as well as just my regular set up on two different nights. Still Processing as well.
Looking forward to seeing some more of your post-process outcomes
Thanks, @Todd_Grivetti – let us enjoy what you get! And clue us in on any processing secrets – I haven’t used PI enough and I’m struggling with it – and with the confusion of information on comet processing.
I’m wrestling with processing several nights! Every time I start on the path of one of the comet processing tutorials I hit a different roadblock, after hours of work. They aren’t so much tutorials as spontaneous look-what-I-did happenings with unusual data – maybe more suited to TikTok?
That’s wonderful Diane! The level that you all are working at with these surprisingly complicated subjects is just amazing to me. I love the “dart,” and the background sky sets it off perfectly.
Thanks, @John_Williams and @Youssef_Ismail! This one is in the queue for re-processing. The data isn’t the best with a lot of moonlight and only about an hour of acquisition time, but I hope I can get better stars and maybe even more detail in the tail. The tail will involve mastering a new process (or several) in PI.