Astrophotography Image Processing Walkthrough In SIRIL, GIMP, and Deep Sky Stacker

I'm going to image and process The Heart Nebula (with a bit of Soul), also designated as IC 1805 and Sharpless 2-190. This stunning nebula is best viewed and captured in a wider field of view. I'm using my NIKKOR 300F ED lens with an ASI294MC Pro camera, all running on a Celestron SLT mount with an Equatorial Wedge. With this setup, I'm able to still clearly see the knot of stars and nebula known as IC 1805 at the center of the heart, as well as the entirety of the heart extending out to catch the edge of the Soul nebula.
I decided to make this how to video showing my current image processing workflow as I have had a number of questions on the whole process from stacking to final image. The only parts I have cut out of this video were the processing wait times, which, in total, would have added another 30 minutes to this video.


Thanks for watching, and clear skies!

#HeartAndSoul #IC1805 #Bortle8 #NexStarSLT


Equipment used in this video:
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ZWO ASI294MC Pro
UPPDMAT (Custom Made)
SVBony SV220 Dual Band HA/OIII Filter
NIKKOR 300F ED Lens (Wide Angle)
SV305 Guide Camera
SV165 40mm Guide Scope
Celestron NexStar SLT Mount
ZWO to Nikon Adapter With Filter Tray


Telescope Control And Image Capture Software:
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PHD2
Astro Photography Tool / APT


Post-Processing Software:
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DeepSkyStacker
Siril
GIMP