Sunday, September 30, 2012
An electric Nike, IC 1340 in Eastern Veil Nebula
IC 1340, an electric Nike of Samothrace
This is a second version of this photograph. It looks like an electric version of the Nike statue!
Statue of the Nike
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winged_Victory_of_Samothrace
IC 1340
http://www.astroanarchy.blogspot.fi/2012/09/ic-1340-project-as-bi-color-from.html
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Two panel mosaic from the Butterfly to Crescent Nebula
Butterfly and Crescent Nebulae in constellation Cygnus
Image is in mapped colors, from the emission of ionized elements, R=Sulfur, G=Hydrogen and B=Oxygen.
The colorful "noise" at background is not a noise but countless number of stars!
This is a part of the much large, 18-panels, mosaic of constellation Cygnus, it can be seen HERE.
Image is shot at Autumn 2011, I'm publishing this here, since I have reprocessed the color data.
Image is shot with Canon EF 200mm f1.8 optics, full open, QHY9 cooled astronomical camera and the Baader narrowband filter set. (H-a. O-III and S-II) Esposure times, about two hours per channel, total six hours.
Shooting with f1.8 optics is kind of extreme, the critical focus zone is only 7 microns (7/1000mm).
Focusing and staying in focus is really difficult at that speed, one quarter of the degrees temperature drop is enough to destroy focus. I have build a temperature compensating automatic focusing system for camera lenses. ( http://astroanarchy.blogspot.fi/2008/09/new-equipmets-and-some-development-work.html )
A closeup image of the Crescent Nebula,
it can be seen at center of the image above
Image is in HST-palette, (HST=Hubble Space Telescope)
from the emission of ionized elements, R=Sulfur, G=Hydrogen and B=Oxygen.
Star colors are mixed from the NB channels, Red=H-a, G=O-III and B= 85%O-III + 15%H-a.
This image was selected as an APOD, Astronomy Image Of the Day, by the NASA.
Thursday, September 27, 2012
A scale study of the Veil Nebula supernova remnant
Many times, it's difficult to understand the image scale of astronomical images.
Therefore I have added a "Moon circle" in the images to show the angular scale in the sky. The full Moon has an angular size of ~30 arc minutes, that's equal to ~0,5 degrees.
A new scale study, the Veil Nebula
Note. The apparent size of the Moon is marked as a white circle for a scale.
Images used in this series:
Two images at top are shot with the Canon EF 200mm f1.8 camera lens and QHY9 astronomical camera with the narrowband filters:
Images at middle are shot with SkyWatcher 80 ED telescope at ~700mm focal length:
http://astroanarchy.blogspot.fi/2010/04/eastern-part-of-veil-nebula-as-stereo.html
Image at bottom is shot with Meade LX200 GPS 12" telescope at ~f5:
http://www.astroanarchy.blogspot.fi/2012/09/ic-1340-project-as-bi-color-from.html
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
IC 1340 project as a bi-color from hydrogen and oxygen
IC 1340, Part of the Eastern Veil Nebula in Cygnus
RA: 20h56m 45.8s DE:+31 degrees07' 17"
Colors are mixed R=H-a, G=O-III and B=O-III + 5%H-a
An experimental starless version to show the actual nebula better
An animation to show difference between H-alpha and O-III emissions
Hydrogen and the Oxygen are clearly separated
Orientation image
Area of interest is marked as a white rectangle in this older wide field image above.
Technical details:
Processing work flow:
Image acquisition, MaxiDL v5.07.
Stacked and calibrated in CCDStack2.
Levels, curves and color combine in PS CS3.
Optics, Meade LX200 GPS 12" @ f5
Camera, QHY9
Guiding, SXV-AO, an active optics unit, and Lodestar guide camera
Image Scale, ~0,8 arc-seconds/pixel
16 x 1200s exposures for H-alpha emission = 5h 20min.
12 x 1200s exposures for O-III, emission of ionized oxygen = 4h
IC 1340 in Eastern Veil Nebula. Image shows a starless version of pure ionized Oxygen, exp. time ~5h.
This is a second version of this photograph. It looks like an electric version of the Nike statue!
Ps.
I made an animation about different components in my image.
In this animation, allthe components in my image of IC 1340 are separated.
Looks odd but it's very useful while processing the image, since operations can be done to single element in image without interfering other image components.
NOTE. There is absolutely zero data lost in this technique due to my processing method.
I'm using a "difference mapping" between images and all the removed components gets placed back byte by byte in final image!
Monday, September 24, 2012
First project, IC 1340, of Autumn 2012 continues
The weather hasn't been on my side. At four nights, I have managed to collect about three two hours set of Hydrogen alpha light exposures. Now there is more details and less noise, than in previous two hours version.
I'll shoot other channels, ionized Oxygen and Sulfur, for the color image, as soon as the weather cooperates again.
IC 1340, Part of the Eastern Veil Nebula in Cygnus
RA: 20h56m 45.8s DE:+31 degrees07' 17"
A closeup
IC 1340 is part of the Veil Nebula, a supernova remnant in constellation Cygnus at distance of about 1470 light years. This is one of the more luminous areas in this SNR. Image is B&W, since it shows only a light emitted by ionized Hydrogen. The shock front formed by the material ejected from giant explosion, the super nova, can be seen in this image.
There is only two hours of exposures integrated in this image. I'll need least three more hours for H-alpha and about a same amount for O-III and S-II to make a color composition out of this target.
There is only two hours of exposures integrated in this image. I'll need least three more hours for H-alpha and about a same amount for O-III and S-II to make a color composition out of this target.
Orientation image
Area of interest is marked as a white rectangle in this older wide field image above.
Technical details:
Processing work flow:
Image acquisition, MaxiDL v5.07.
Stacked and calibrated in CCDStack2.
Levels and curves in PS CS3.
Optics, Meade LX200 GPS 12" @ f5
Camera, QHY9
Guiding, SXV-AO, an active optics unit, and Lodestar guide camera
Image Scale, ~0,8 arc-seconds/pixel
16 x 1200s exposures for H-alpha emission = 5h 20min.
Sunday, September 23, 2012
My equipment
I'm shooting my astronomical images from downtown Oulu. This is my collection of gears needed for my astroimaging. Canon EF 200mm camera lens can't be seen in images here.
This is a new combination from old gears. Now I'm able to shoot with two cameras at ones! QHY9 is used for longer focal length work with my old Meade LX200 GPS 12" telescope at about f5. QHY8, a cooled single shot color imager, is used with Tokina AT- X 300mm camera lens for wide field work.
Now I can have both, a closeup and a wide filed images, from same target at same time. I'll test, if color information from QHY8 camera can be used with images taken by QHY9 camera.
As you can see, I don't have any fancy gears for my work.
Not a pretty boy...
Lots of cords. They might look unorganized but I can sure you, there is a system.
Light path from the telescope to camera. There is an active optics unit at middle. (SXV-AO)
Counterweight, Meade fork mount and the dew heater control box at right.
The other side of the scope.
The ugly yellow fabric, at top, works as an insulation for the
heater stripe at front of the QHY8 camera. It's heated due the frost.
Images taken with Meade LX200 GPS 12" telescope
Friday, September 21, 2012
New exhibition of my astronomical images
Sorry, in Finnish only this time, since the exhibition happens in Liminka, Finland.
Näyttely Limingan Taidekoulun tiloissa 21.09 - 16.10. 2012
"DIMENSIOITA"
Kuvia taiteen pimeältä puolelta
J-P Metsävainion tähtikuvia
Monday, September 17, 2012
First light for the Autumn season 2012, IC 1340
Finally the sky stayed open for couple of hours and I was able to capture some new photons for this imaging season. After a six months mandatory Summer pause, (I'm shooting from the latitude 65N) it feels like doing this at the first time.
For last couple of years, I have shot with camera lenses, Tokina AT-X 300mm f2.8 and Canon EF 200mm f1.8.
This season will shoot with much longer focal length by using my old Meade LX200 GPS 12" telescope.
I'm using the SXV-AO active optics unit with it and I have forced the f-number down to ~5 from original f10. (Focal reduction is done by "miss using " the Celestron f6.3 reducer.)
I'm a happy camper now!
IC 1340, Part of the Eastern Veil Nebula in Cygnus
RA: 20h56m 45.8s DE:+31 degrees07' 17"
IC 1340 in H-alpha light from emission of ionized Hydrogen.
(I'll need least three more hours for H-alpha light)
IC 1340 is part of the Veil Nebula, a supernova remnant in constellation Cygnus at distance of about 1470 light years. This is one of the more luminous areas in this SNR. Image is B&W, since it shows only a light emitted by ionized Hydrogen. The shock front formed by the material ejected from giant explosion, the super nova, can be seen in this image.
There is only two hours of exposures integrated in this image. I'll need least three more hours for H-alpha and about a same amount for O-III and S-II to make a color composition out of this target.
There is only two hours of exposures integrated in this image. I'll need least three more hours for H-alpha and about a same amount for O-III and S-II to make a color composition out of this target.
Orientation image
Area of interest is marked as a white rectangle in this older wide field image above.
Technical details:
Processing work flow:
Image acquisition, MaxiDL v5.07.
Stacked and calibrated in CCDStack2.
Levels and curves in PS CS3.
Optics, Meade LX200 GPS 12" @ f5
Camera, QHY9
Guiding, SXV-AO, an active optics unit, and Lodestar guide camera
Image Scale, ~0,8 arc-seconds/pixel
Six 1200s exposures for H-alpha emission = 2h
(I'll need least three more hours for H-alpha light)
Thursday, September 6, 2012
A framed image 30x40cm (~12x16 Inch)
Tarjous
An offer
Kaikki kuvat arkistostani, kehystettynä, paspartuuri ja lasi, 190€, postikulut Suomeen sisältyvät hintaan!
Kuvan koko ~30x40cm + kehykset. Maksimi vedosmäärä 30 kpl. Kuvat on singeerattu ja numeroitu. Kuvan taakse tulee selostus kuvan sisällöstä.
Any image from my portfolio, framed, mats and glass, 190€ + P&P included in Finland!
Image size ~30x40cm + frames. Maximum print volume is 30. Images are signed and numbered.
Text about image content, behind frames, included.
Kuva-arkisto:
Image portfolio:
http://astroanarchy.zenfolio.com/p1072219942
Please, contact me directly to buy
Ota minuun yhteyttä ostaaksesi
e-mail: jp.metsavainio@gmail.com
A sample image with black wooden farmes, 190€
Varsinainen kuva 30x40cm + kehystyksen koko
Image itself 30x40cm + the size of framing
Kuvat vedostetaan valvonnassani 300g/neliö happovapaalle taidepaperille.
Kehystys kehystämössä, ei valmiskehyksiä.
Images are printed in acid free art quality 300g/m2 paper under my supervision.
Framing in frame shop, no ready made frames.
Sample 2, 30x40cm + frame size, 190 EUR
Sample 2, 30x40cm + frame size, 190 EUR
Sample 2, 30x40cm + frame size, 190 EUR
Sample 2, 30x40cm + frame size, 190 EUR
Sunday, September 2, 2012
New version, Cirrus of Cygnus
I made a new version out of this area in constellation Cygnus. This is one of my favorite images, there is something in this image but I can't really put my finger on it...
Cirrus of Cygnus
This is a small part of large image from this area. Original image and details can be seen here:
http://astroanarchy.blogspot.fi/2011/12/cygnus-mosaic-18-panels-and-22-x-14.html
NOTE. The "noise" in this image is not a noise but countless number of stars!
A closeup to show the resolution
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