Added more time for a total of nearly 4hrs of H-Alpha and RGB data. With a Meade LX200GPS 14" and Orion 102ED and Canon 350D modified. Don't know if it's any better or not. I have been playing around and staring at it for so long



I'm finished with this one for this season.

Nice one! That's a significant improvement on your earlier images - lots more structure in the bright / Trap area.

Phil.

Excellent shot Tom, there's oodes of detail in there.

I'm never quite sure what colour M42 is supposed to be - my camera always brings out the reds and blues giving it an overall purple cast however Hubble shots and the like bring out much more green than I get though whether this is because they've equalised the channels and I haven't I just don't know.

Well, good job you were late for the December astrophotography competition or I would have just had to close it down! Absolutely perfect Tom. Even the Trapezium detail is easily seen without an compromise in brightness overall in my opinion. I think it's one worth printing and framing A1 size.

Seanie.

Thanks for all the wonderful comments. I learned alot about astrophotography and processing on this image.
Was going to try the Horse Head tonight but cloulds keep rolling in and out. So instead am refining my polar alignment ( drift alignment ) using a program called WCS and a Meade LPI. Shooting for no drift in 10 - 15 mins.

Added 2 more hours of subs to Orion.
Orion XT-10 Losmandy G-11
Canon 350D modified
IDAS LPS-P2 filter
24 - 300sec lights @ 800 ISO
8 - 300 sec darks
The XT-10 added the spikes.
Combined with subs taken with Meade 14"
and Orion ED102 and Canon 350D