I’m still working on learning the PixInsight processing software, and I have discovered through the Adam Block videos the Generalized Hyperbolic Stretch process, and now I want to go re-process all the galaxies I’ve been working on.

Imaging galaxies and nebulae from my Bortle 8 skies takes hours of data collection and then more hours of computer crunching.  I have learned that it’s better to fix the physical alignment of the tracking mount rather than take shorter images to reduce the star trailing – the same amount of time in 30 second images vs 1 minutes takes, well, twice as long to process.  

Globular clusters, though, don’t need as much data.  So I don’t need to image as long and the processing is faster.

This is M4 and NGC6144, both globular clusters in our Milky Way.  Globular clusters contain hundreds of thousands to millions of stars that are gravitationally bound together.  What would it be like to live in one?  What would the sky look like?

In M4 you can see a “bar” of stars across the middle.  This is apparently a characteristic feature.  

I have imaged M4 before, but with simpler equipment, and without using stacking and other image processing techniques.  I think this version is a vast improvement. 

Camera geek info:

• Canon EOS 60D in manual mode, 1 minute exposure, ISO 800, custom white balance 3500K
• Williams Optics Zenith Star 73 III APO telescope
• Williams Optics Flat 73A
• SkyTech 2” LPRO-MAX CCD Filter
• iOptron CEM40
• Friendswood, Texas Bortle 7-8 suburban skies

Processing geek info:

• PixInsight
• 122 1 minute lights
• 38 1 minute darks
• 31 0.2 second flats
• 30 0.2 second flat darks

In our rare cloud-free skies this weekend, I also imaged M13, the Hercules Cluster.  

Camera geek info:

• Canon EOS 60D in manual mode, 1 minute exposure, ISO 800, custom white balance 3500K
• Williams Optics Zenith Star 73 III APO telescope
• Williams Optics Flat 73A
• SkyTech 2” LPRO-MAX CCD Filter
• iOptron CEM40
• Friendswood, Texas Bortle 7-8 suburban skies

Processing geek info:

• PixInsight
• 113 1 minute lights
• 40 1 minute darks
• 23 0.2 second flats
• 31 0.2 second flat darks

Do you have a favorite globular cluster?