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defnotsandis OP t1_j93tuqo wrote

Came out much nicer than my previous attempt even though I used the exact same setup and took it from a more light-polluted location. Still lots to improve.

Equipment

  • Camera: ZWO ASI533MC Pro (unity gain, -10°C)
  • Telescope: William Optics Redcat 51 APO 250mm f/4.9
  • Mount: Sky-Watcher AZ-GTi w/ EQ wedge
  • Guide scope: ZWO Mini Guide Scope
  • Guide camera: ZWO ASI120MM-Mini
  • Control: ASIAIR Pro

Acquisition

  • 24 January 2023
  • Taken from Funchal, Madeira, Portugal (Bortle 7)
  • Lights: 104 x 180s
  • Darks, Flats

Processing

  • PixInsight

    • WBPP
    • DynamicBackgroundExtraction
    • SpectrophotometricColorCalibration
    • BlurXTerminator
    • HistogramTransformation
    • CurvesTransformation on saturation
    • StarXTerminator
    • Star reduction using Bill Blanshan's script
    • PixelMath to combine starless and stars
    • SCNR
    • NoiseXTerminator

  • Pixelmator Pro

    • Adjust highlights, shadows and black point
    • Crop

Astrobin - https://www.astrobin.com/users/notsandis/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/notsandis/

30

CdrCosmonaut t1_j94ndei wrote

I've never seen it look so... skull like before.

27

Egobot t1_j94rmil wrote

Yea I see a face and it's tripping me out.

5

imapassenger1 t1_j941m0f wrote

Very nice. Also known as the Seven Sisters but normally you can only see six. I think there's a star in your photo which could be the seventh.
Do people call this the little saucepan/pot/dipper? Here in the Southern Hemisphere (Australia) many people call Orion "the pot" because it's upside down here. So this constellation can be called the little pot. You have the Big Dipper of course, which we can't see.

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rubicube1 t1_j94c19c wrote

There's actually nine named ones. In addition to the sisters, their parents Atlas and Pleione are actually two of the brightest seven. Asterope and Celaeno are the eighth and ninth brightest stars

11

Smugg-Fruit t1_j961s44 wrote

Alcyone is the brightest of the 9.

Atlas and Pleione are the two stars close to one another on the bottom

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bodizzlyfoshizzly t1_j94vdov wrote

There's a face at the top like a blue wispy gizmo.

7

Mathoosala t1_j95wort wrote

Got home the other night, it was particularly clear outside, daughter walks to the front door and I look up and stare at the sky for a moment. Look around for a minute then I said "oh hey look Pleiades". She said "Dad, Pleiades open the door".

4

patrick_ritchey t1_j95p8vd wrote

Holy shit! My whole life I thought that this is the small wagon/bear! TIL thanks

2

Sandstorm52 t1_j95zq2i wrote

God this is so ridiculously vast and beautiful. I want to cry.

2