Orion's Sword

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M42 & Sh2-279 (Orion’s Sword)

Constellation: Orion

Coordinates: RA: 05h 35m 02.4s Dec: -05° 14’ 38.8”

Dates Acquired: Feb. 2 & Feb. 3 2024

Moon Illumination (average): 50%

Bortle Class: 6

Latitude: +43°

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Equipment Info:

Telescope: William Optics Grand Tourismo 71 with 6AIII Flattener/Reducer

Focal Length: 335.2mm

f/4.2

Main Camera: ZWO 533MM-Pro

Guide Camera: ZWO 290MM-mini

Mount: Sky Watcher EQ6Ri-Pro

Filters: Astrodon 31mm (LRGB)

Integration:

Lum - 81 x 60s

Red - 41x 60s

Green - 33 x 60s

Blue - 22 x 60s

Calibrated with flats & dark flats

Total Light Integration: 2h 57m

Processing Techniques - PixInsight Workflow:

1. WBPP & GraXpert - LRGB

2. RGB - RGBCombination, SPCC, Extract Lum

3. L - HDRComposition (L & Extracted RBG Lum) to form HDR-L, BlurXTerminator

4. GeneralizedHyperbolicStretch on HDR-L and RBG

5. StarXTerminator on HDR-L & RGB

   • LocalHistogramEqualization with RangeSelection masking on HDR-L-Starless

   • SCNR-Green , CorrectMagentaStars, Curves on RGB-Stars

   • Curves on RGB-Starless

   • PixelMath to recombine stars & starless:

     RGBK = combine(stars, starless, op_screen())

6. Apply HDR-L to RGB via LRBGCombination

7. Crurves on HDR-LRGB

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