Sh2-129 "The Squid Nebula"

 Posted: Mar 22nd, 2026
Technical Info
Telescope/Lens: SharpStar 61EDPH III + 0.75x reducer
Camera: ToupTek ATR2600M
Mount: JUWEI 14
Guide Scope: Svbony sv 165 Mini 40mm
Guide Camera: ASI120mm
Software: Dss, Pixinsight, Photoshop
Accessories: StellaVita
Exposure:
138 x 300" ISO/Gain: 100 - Olll Scorpio astro 3nm
69 x 300" ISO/Gain: 100 - Ha Scorpio astro 3nm
Orange, Bortle 6 zone:
 Smolensk, Russia
17 h 15 m
359
Resolution: 3816x3402 px
Scale: 18583 KB
Iren
117
My largest project to date. I'm not happy with the result, but I can't bring myself to throw it away—after all, I spent more than one night capturing it. I had to discard a lot of frames... On top of that, I had to crop the image due to stacking artifacts. I plan to re-shoot it a bit later, add Oxygen, Sulfur, and a bit more Hydrogen, and do it without cropping. For now, let this version stay as a reminder of my "baptism by fire," so to speak. A challenging object.
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Comments

In which exact mode did the camera operate in StellaVita?
Why gain 100? That's the minimum, you could crank it up higher.
And what Stella offset did she set?
19 Aug, 2026 Reply
Iren Replied to Urmasx
You probably asked about that)... I don't even remember anymore, since I shot it a long time ago. I always shoot at gain 100. Why go higher?
19 Aug, 2026 Reply
Urmasx Replied to Iren
Higher gain will allow you to capture more, and the read noise is lower.
Recently, I experimented with another camera - the Touptek AE676C - and there, for deep sky, I liked the result with High Gain (2000) more than at 100 and 500.
My shooting isn't really a benchmark yet, though, since I was capturing during white nights, just to test the camera in action.
19 Aug, 2026 Reply

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