A DSLR, A TELESCOPE, AND 1 HOUR

This imaging session I go over some of the settings I used to attain data on the Tadpole Nebula IC410. I also illustrate what is capable with an Ha modded DSLR and light pollution filter like the Skytech CLS filter with only about an hour of data.
My Link Tree - linktr.ee/avastronomy​​​​​
Links to my other videos that explain layer masks, camera settings, Collimation and image processing in more detail.
• How to process Astroph...
HLVG - www.deepskycolors.com/archive...
Gradient Xterminator - www.rc-astro.com/resources/Gr...
OPT telescopes and Agena Astro have a tremendous inventory of astrophotography gear and great service. You can check them out here through my affiliate links. This is the setup I currently use.
Agena Astro - bit.ly/3D3U8id
ASI AIR PLUS - bit.ly/46BTfej
IOPTRON GEM 28 MOUNT - bit.ly/3O2QpGX
WILLIAM OPTICS Z61 - bit.ly/44v5Hv7
IOPTRON IGUIDER - bit.ly/44AXRzv
ASI 294MM CAMERA KIT - bit.ly/46Clqd3
Links to helpful astrophotography items that can be purchased directly through Agena Astro.
TELESCOPES
Redcat71 APO telescope - bit.ly/3D6cT4s
Sky Watcher 8" Dobsonian reflector telescope - bit.ly/3XGYwNy
ASTRONOMY CAMERAS
QHY 600M - bit.ly/3rbHgno
ZWO ASI533MC Pro OSC camera - bit.ly/3XPlzpx
ZWO ASI2600MC pro camera - bit.ly/3pDJFHg
MOUNTS
ZWO AM5 Mount - bit.ly/44eHUzn
Sky Watcher Star Adventurer 2i Pro pack - bit.ly/44gXXMV
Sky Watcher EQ6 R pro mount - bit.ly/3riYbVc
Sky Watcher EQ8 (for heavier payloads) mount - bit.ly/3D3UFkd
Celestron CGXL mount - bit.ly/3O2u6lQ
FILTERS
Optolong Luminance Pro (broadband light pollution filter) - bit.ly/46FIdEJ
Optolong L-extreme(vary tight/narrow dual band light pollution filter) - bit.ly/3NLwrjJ
Optolong L Ultimate - bit.ly/3NIHABV

[@DrNat1]

To me, this sitting and letting the really expensive equipment you use takes the fun out of my obsession, quality pics and clear skies to you sir 👍🏼

[@AVAstronomy]

Clear Skies!

[@GrowingAnswers]

I have been using a simple technique to fix noise on low data or undithered images lately. Basically you select a color point on the picture that has a lot of noise and then do a fill on that selection with the selected average color. Around 10-20% opacity with certain blend mode (user decided) usually hides noise well and does not make anything look abnormal. It basically effectively adds the missing data in a sense by blending the blotchy data with itself. That's sort of what some noise reduction tools do anyway. I use it sparingly and I don't feel its faking anything because nothing is added except a faint uniform overlay. It's kind of like when stretching an image too far and then doing one less stretch to hide the noise except when doing a fill it's still stretched. That's not really needed for a cooled camera though. Mainly Dslr images.

[@AVAstronomy]

Sounds like a nice technique. I'll have to give that a go sometime

[@AstroPixUK]

Excellent once again Aaron.

[@AVAstronomy]

Thank you James!

[@AstroPixUK]

A.V.Astronomy Trying to get to grips with my ioptron Sky Guider. Managed 2 min subs last night. Balancing is tricky to say the least.

[@dankahraman354]

It is amazing what image processing can do even though visually or the raw data looks abyssmal.

[@AVAstronomy]

yes, there's is so much good data muddled by noise and light pollution. It's amazing what we can pull out with processing software

[@johnnyredfireastroimaging5266]

Really awesome processing. I have found the magic # of frames is between 16-20. That way the sigma clipping turns on. I don’t really do more than 20 frames if I can help it. It doesn’t seem to help significantly >25 frames

[@AVAstronomy]

Thank you Johnny! Yes, if your signal to noise ratio is really good you can definitely get away with around 20 sub frames and have an excellent image. I have found for my area I get decent results at that number but noticeably cleaner and a stronger SNR when I do 50 to 60 subframes.

[@Handles-R-Lame]

Well ill be damn.. that first sub looked better than most of my finished and edited photos!! Bravo! Looks like I may just have to mod the T7i, ive been putting it off because its a great all around dslr; not just for AP. But man, the way the HA comes through and contrasts with the nebula, shoot I just might..

[@AVAstronomy]

The Ha mod is definitely worth it. It really increases the Ha a great deal. Also, you can still use it for daylight photography all you have to do is a custom white balance with a grey card and your good to go. You’ll want to do that evens when you use filters too.

[@Handles-R-Lame]

@@AVAstronomygreat advice like always! But a couple questions though.. 1. Have you noticed any extra noise/hot pixels since the modification? -I believe it might but it also depends on ur camera settings as well as weather conditions; full moon, temperature of camera, CA from seeing etc. 2. Could one do the modification themselves or seek professional assistance? -Ive heard mixed views on this, some saying its easy as long as you take ur time and know what is what. And lastly, 3. Will my lunar photos be affected at all by the mod? -Because my lil t7i can take some darn good moon pictures, even with it being a crop sensor lol. Sorry for the questions man, but when it comes to photography you seem to know more then most on youtube.. happy new year to you brotha! Clear skies from CA! ⭐✌😎🔭🌙

[@AVAstronomy]

@@Handles-R-Lame 1) I only notice a small increase in noise during the warmer months doing long exposures. As far as normal every day use and when it's cold out the camera functions just as it normally would. I can't speak for every Canon camera but that's how mine behaves 2)yes, if you are technically inclined there are videos out there on how to do it yourself. I'd only do it if you feel confident enough in doing something like that 3)I don't see any reason why your lunar photos will be affected by the mod. I haven't noticed any change. Lastly, if you are leary of doing the mod, you could always leave your current camera stock and get a modded camera on ebay or astromart. They are relatively cheap and can be about the same price as the mod service.

[@boodlewoodle]

ah those clouds moving in arrrgh but still a great image from the few subs very inspired by your work clear skies

[@AVAstronomy]

Thank you! I just posted the final image moments ago on Twitter amd Instagram. Came out great with the extra data. Thanks for watching and clear skies!

[@JonnyBravo0311]

Calibration frames are done for a reason. Random noise is certainly something that can be managed from dithering; however, you certainly aren't going to be able to subtract out any imperfections like dust motes or vignetting without taking flats. Because you want those flats to only correct for the vignetting, dust motes, etc you need to subtract out the sensor noise - either by using a bias for very short exposure flats - or by using dark flats. Finally, if you are relatively new to the hobby and don't have the gear to dither (which requires computer controlled mounts, guide cameras, guide scopes, etc) you absolutely should be taking all the calibration frames. As I wrote in the first sentence, calibration frames are done for a reason, and the math proves their value. I can 100% guarantee that if you stack only light frames and compare that to a stack of properly calibrated lights (darks, flats, biases) the properly calibrated stack will win every time.

[@AVAstronomy]

Im gonna have to respectfully disagree with you Johnny.what I’m saying is that there is enough tools in post processing to correct for vignettes, dust motes, uneven lighting, gradients etc. I plan on doing a video on this in the near future but I can tell you from personal experience that with today’s cooled cameras and advanced processing software like photoshop and other programs it’s not necessary if you use a cooled camera and dither properly. I’ll do the test and when the video comes out you be the judge. I’m not alone on this. Check out some of Tony Hallas’ work. He actually does only like 15-20 sub frames on most targets and only dithers. His results are amazing and surprisingly noise free as well as free from the other imperfections you mentioned. Just some food for thought...

[@JonnyBravo0311]

@@AVAstronomy instead of doing the calibration frames, you're relying on software tools to try and mitigate what the calibration frames already do in pre-processing. A set of stacked uncalibrated images is going to display vignetting, dust bunnies, contour gradients, fixed pattern noise, etc. Meanwhile, a stack of properly calibrated images displays none of that. Why wouldn't you want to start with cleaner data? I agree with you that there are fantastic processing tools out there. Gradient Xterminator and Topaz Denoise AI come to mind for you PS users. Definitely looking forward to that upcoming video. Clear skies!

[@AVAstronomy]

@@JonnyBravo0311 I guess it all comes down to time. If you do all the darks(especially darks), flats, and bias necessary for proper calibration that’s a substantial amount of time invested. My thought is why spend that many more hours on calibration frames if the trade off is only a few extra minutes in post processing. I might be the minority on this and in the end I may still be but I think it’s worth exploring and I hope to have that video done in the near future. Thanks you for watching and the support! Clear skies and God bless!

[@pemongillo]

I asked you this question in an older video. It concerns the arc sin stretches you have loaded into your curves adjustments in photoshop. Did you develop these yourself or did you acquire them from elsewhere? Would love to have these. Thanks and keep up the good work.

[@AVAstronomy]

These are not my own stretches. They were developed by Mark Shelley and he posted them free on cloudy nights forums. Here’s the link www.cloudynights.com/topic/595610-photoshop-color-preserving-arcsinh-stretch/

[@pemongillo]

Thank you Sir :-)

[@knightclan4]

I'm gonna be searching the pawn shops for a used DSLR Any recommendations? Fairly low budget

[@AVAstronomy]

I’m partial to canon myself, but really any Nikon or Sony DSLR will serve you well as a starter camera for astrophotography

[@knightclan4]

@@AVAstronomy Thanks for the reply I will go for it. Looking forward to catching the Astro disease y'all seem addicted to.

[@bharathraj5768]

Is this live?

[@mikebenengtouncry3613]

Nah premiere

[@enriqueboeneker]

Hey, Aaron!

[@AVAstronomy]

Hey Enrique!!

[@enriqueboeneker]

Thanks for sharing your histo! It confirms what I’ve learned from you on a previous video.

[@AVAstronomy]

@@enriqueboeneker you're welcome bud. Thanks for watching!