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Tuesday, December 31, 2013

All of my images from the Autumn season 2013



This season was kind of unlucky to me. I planned to shoot longer focal length images at this Autumn with my 12" Meade. Unfortunately there was serious technical problems with my gears and I was forced to move to a wide field instrumentation. All this took lots of time and top of that, the weather up here, 65N, wasn't very supportive.   My main work for the autumn season 2013was a rarely imaged supernova remnant in Cygnus known as G65.3+5.7SNR


A collection of my images from the Autumn season 2013 as a poster. 
Click for a large image



List of Autumn 2013 images in chronological order
With a link to an original blog post

  1. A closeup of the Butterfly Nebula, published at September 24.
  2. The Eastern Veil Nebula, NGC 6992, published at October 15.
  3. Sharpless 132, Sh2-132, published at October 18.
  4. Sharpless 106, Sh2-106, published at October 20.
  5. Veil nebula supernova remnant, published at December 10.
  6. Supernova remnant G65.3+5.7SNR, published at December 12.
  7. NGC 6823 and many other targets in a same field, published at December 16.
  8. Cepheus mosaic, four panels, published at December 18.
  9. Sharpless 129, Sh2-129, and the planetary nebula candidate, OU4 are part of the Cepheus mosaic.


Some new experimental work

I made a series of artworks out of my astronomical images by flipping and rotating the image. Every picture is made out of the single astronomical image of mine. The result shows the Nebula at many different orientation simultaneously. All my experiments can be found from my PORTFOLIO Do you recognized what has been the original astronomical object?

Vision  XII, from the series Visions of Space

This is one of my artworks based on an original astronomical photograph shot by me.
Image belongs to a large series of  images called  Visions of Space.
Note. Image is manipulated but all the elements in it are from a real astronomical object.


Some publications

I got my sixth NASA APOD (Astronomy Picture of the Day)

I have made several 3D-studies out of my astronomical images. Couple of my animations gets widely published, here are few samples:







Sunday, December 29, 2013

An experimental 3D-studie, IC 1396 and Sh2-129 in Cepheus




Images are for two different viewing methods, the first  is for the Parallel Vision method and the second one for the Cross Vision method. Viewing instructions can be seen HERE.

NOTE! This is a personal vision about forms and shapes, based on some known facts and an artistic impression.

3D-freeview stereopairs of IC 1396 and the Sharpless 129 with OU4


Parallel Vision




Cross Vision



Original 2D-image, used for the 3D-conversions above


A blog post about this Cepheus mosaic with more images and the technical details HERE


All of my 3D work

Please, have a look in my Portfolio HERE
3D-work will be found under a folder "Volumeric 3D Images"


Animations

If you have troubles to see any free view 3D format, there are several animated images to see HERE
Note. A heavy page, please be patient and let it to load, it'll be worth to wait!
Scroll down for the 3D-animations and click the "Older Posts", at the end of the page, to see more.


Saturday, December 28, 2013

3D-studies of the Veil Nebula supernova remnant



The weather doesn't support the imaging of the new material, so I made a collection of an experimental 3D-studies out of the Veil nebula SNR. Some of the images are new but couple of them are published earlier.

Images are for two different viewing methods, the first set of images is for the Parallel Vision method and the second set for the Cross Vision method. Viewing instructions can be seen HERE.

NOTE! This is a personal vision about forms and shapes, based on some known facts and an artistic impression.

3D Veil Nebula as a freeview stereo pairs
for the Parallel Vision viewing method

Wide field

Veil nebula wide field in natural colors for the Parallel Vision method. Click for a large image.
Original 2D-image can be seen in HERE

The Witch's Broom Nebula

Nebula in mapped colors for the Parallel Vision method. Click for a large image.
Original 2D-image can be seen in HERE

Eastern part of the Veil Nebula I

Nebula in mapped colors for the Parallel Vision method. Click for a large image.
Original 2D-image can be seen in HERE

Eastern part of the Veil Nebula II

Nebula in mapped colors for the Parallel Vision method. Click for a large image.
Original 2D-image can be seen in HERE

The Pickering's Triangle

Nebula in mapped colors for the Parallel Vision method. Click for a large image.
Original 2D-image can be seen in HERE



3D Veil Nebula as a freeview stereo pairs
for the Cross Vision viewing method


Veil nebula wide field in natural colors for the Cross Vision method. Click for a large image.
Original 2D-image can be seen in HERE

The Witch's Broom Nebula

Nebula in mapped colors for the Cross Vision method. Click for a large image.
Original 2D-image can be seen in HERE

Eastern part of the Veil Nebula I

Nebula in mapped colors for the CrossVision method. Click for a large image.
Original 2D-image can be seen in HERE

Eastern part of the Veil Nebula II

Nebula in mapped colors for the Cross Vision method. Click for a large image.
Original 2D-image can be seen in HERE


The Pickering's Triangle

Nebula in mapped colors for the Cross Vision method. Click for a large image.
Original 2D-image can be seen in HERE


An animated version

More 3D-experiments in my portfolio






Monday, December 23, 2013

Merry Christmas




Merry Christmas to all!


Christmas Tree Cluster and the Cone Nebula in constellation Monoceros, just East from the Orion.
More info in THIS blog post.





Wednesday, December 18, 2013

A start of the new project, Cepheus mosaic part1



I'm about to make a similar mosaic out of constellation Cepheus, than I made out of constellation Cygnus.
The first part is ready now. It's a four panel mosaic showing two main objects, IC 1396 and the Sharpless 129 (Sh2-129). I managed to get visible an extremely dim planetary nebula candidate, OU4, inside the Sharpless 129.

Cepheus Mosaic part 1, four panels
Note. A largish image, 3MB and 1700 x 1300 pixels

Mapped colors from the emission of ionized elements,
R=Sulfur, G=Hydrogen and B=Oxygen.
Buy a photographic print from HERE

At this first part of the Cepheus mosaic, there are four individual panels stitched together. At lower right corner, there  is the Sharpless object 129 (Sh2-129). The blueish area, inside Sh2-129, is a recently found plaentary nebula candidate, OU4. The famous astrophotographer, Nicolas Outters, has made this discovery, HERE is a paper about it. OU4 is an extremely dim formation. 11h of O-III light with very fast Canon 200mm EF f1.8 camera lens, was needed to have some hint about it. 

I will continue this project, as soon as weather allows. The final mosaic will be 10-14 panels larg

Mosaic in visual spectrum
Note. A largish image, 3MB and 1700x1300 pixels

Image is in Natural color palette from the emission of ionized elements, 
R=Hydrogen + Sulfur, G=Oxygen and B=Oxygen + Hydrogen.
 Buy a photographic print from HERE

A closeup of Sh2-129 and OU4

Image is in Natural color palette from the emission of ionized elements, 
R=Hydrogen + Sulfur, G=Oxygen and B=Oxygen + Hydrogen.
 Buy a photographic print from HERE


Technical details

Processing work flow:
Image acquisition, MaxiDL v5.07.
Stacked and calibrated in CCDStack2.
Deconvolution with a CCDStack2 Positive Constraint, 33 iterations, added at 50% weight
Levels, curves and color combine in PS CS3.

Optics, Canon EF 200mm camera lens at f1.8
Camera, QHY9
Guiding, Meade LX200 GPS 12" and a Lodestar guider
Image Scale, ~5 arcseconds/pixel
Exposures for H-alpha:
3x1200s for each panel,
Exposures for O-III:
33x1200s for Sh2-129 area
1x1200s/panel, for a star color.

The data from my older images are used for this mosaic
IC 1396, http://astroanarchy.blogspot.fi/2011/10/ic-1396-home-of-elephants-trunk-nebula.html
Sh2-129: http://astroanarchy.blogspot.fi/2011/06/panorama-mosaic-from-ic1396-to.html


Monday, December 16, 2013

NGC 6823 and many many stars



This wide field image shows many targets in very dense star field. From the Sharpless catalog, Sh2-90 and Sh2-88, from the NGC catalog, NGC 6820, 6823 and 6830 and many other named objects.

NGC 6823
In constellation Vulpecula, click for a large image

A bicolor image, H-a=RED, O-III=Green and Blue. This combination is very near to visual spectrum.
Note, the "noise" in the image is actually countless number of stars.
Click for a large image, 1200x1700 pixels and 3,3MB
You can buy a real high quality photographic print from HERE

A detail

This detail image is about 1:1 scale from the original photo.


Orientation




An animation, stars vs starless
Click for a large image

A starless image shows some details, otherwise get buried under a massive amount of stars.
There are some filament like structures visible at lower left and lower middle.


Technical details

Processing work flow:
Image acquisition, MaxiDL v5.07.
Stacked and calibrated in CCDStack2.
Deconvolution with a CCDStack2 Positive Constraint, 33 iterations, added at 33% weight
Levels, curves and color combine in PS CS3.

Optics, Canon EF 200mm camera lens at f1.8
Camera, QHY9
Guiding, Meade LX200 GPS 12" and a Lodestar guider
Image Scale, ~5 arcseconds/pixel
H-alpha, 12x1200s = 4h
O-III, 12x1200s = 4h
Total exposure time 8h


Hydrogen emission only (H-alpha)

You can buy a real high quality photographic print from HERE





Saturday, December 14, 2013

APOD by NASA, Astro Anarchy gets published



Astronomy Picture of the Day

My shot of the Bubble Nebula was selected as an APOD (Astronomy Picture of the Day) by NASA.
You can see the NASA page here: http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap131214.html

The Bubble Nebula
In constellation Cassiopeia 


Originla blog post about this image, with technical details, can be seen here:

You can buy a real high quality photographic print from HERE



This is my sixth APOD, older ones can be seen here:








Thursday, December 12, 2013

An other supernova remnant in Cygnus, G65.3+5.7 SNR



This is a rarely imaged target. I haven't been able to find an other color image of it, showing the whole supernova remnant. This is also one of the most difficult targets, I have ever shot. Due to very dense star field, large angular dimension and a very diffused structure this is even more difficult target, than a Simeis 147 supernova remnant in Taurus. Total exposure time of 32h was needed to have this kind of "thin" image.

G65.3+5.7 SNR has about the same angular dimensions, than brighter and more famous remnant in Cygnus, the Veil Nebula.  The angular dimensions are about 3x4 degrees.
NOTE, this image is updated at 20.01.2014. There is now a better H-a channel and the background is practically full of ionized Hydrogen, H-alpha.

G65.3+5.7 SNR
A supernova remnant in constellation Cygnus


A bicolor image of the supernova remnant. An ionized Hydrogen emission (H-alpha) can be seen as Red and an ionized Oxygen emission (O-III) as Blue. Buy a photographic print from HERE


A detail image of G65.3+5.7 SNR
So many stars...

1:1 closeup from the original full resolution frame, the background is practically full of stars.


Orientation




Technical details

Processing work flow:
Image acquisition, MaxiDL v5.07.
Stacked and calibrated in CCDStack2.
Deconvolution with a CCDStack2 Positive Constraint, 33 iterations, added at 33% weight
Levels, curves and color combine in PS CS3.

Optics, Canon EF 200mm camera lens at f1.8
Camera, QHY9
Guiding, Meade LX200 GPS 12" and a Lodestar guider
Image Scale, ~5 arcseconds/pixel
H-alpha, 51x1200s = 17h
O-III, 45x1200s = 15h
Total exposure time 32h

A single calibrated and stretched 20min O-III frame

Heavily stretched 1200s frame of the strongest channel, ionized Oxygen (O-III), doesn't show much.





Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Veil Nebula as an animation, stars vs starless



One of my experimental images. With suppressed stars, details of the supernova remnant pops up nicely.
Original blog post about the Veil Nebula can be seen HERE

The Veil Nebula 
A supernova remnant in constellation Cygnus









Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Veil Nebula unveiled



The exhibition is over, lots of visitors and many photographic prints has been sold.
Many thanks to all visitors and buyers!

I have some new material waiting for publishing, even though the weather has been really bad up here.
I had some technical problems with my longer focal length instrumentation and I had to move back to use my wide field tools. Veil Nebula in this post has been shot with the Canon EF 200mm f1.8 camera optics.
There is now 13h h-alpha light, collected from years 2008, 2012 and 2013.

Veil Nebula
Supernova remnant in constellation Cygnus

Image is in Natural color palette from the emission of ionized elements, 
R=Hydrogen + Sulfur, G=Oxygen and B=Oxygen + Hydrogen.
Click for a large image. Buy a photographic print from HERE

Info

Veil Nebula is a cloud of ionized gas and dust, leftovers from an exploded star. The star went off some 5000-8000 years ago at distance of about 1470 light years. This, relatively faint target, is difficult to image due to the large angular diameter, about three degrees, and a dense star field.
This is a second version of this object, older version can be seen Here

Veil Nebula in mapped colors

Mapped colors from the emission of ionized elements,
R=Sulfur, G=Hydrogen and B=Oxygen.
Buy a photographic print from HERE

A detail image, in original 1:1 resolution

Click to see in full scale. A detail image of the Veil Nebula to show a resolution. Not a bad one for a 200mm Camera lens. (Canon EF 200mm f1.8, full open)


An experimental starless image of the Veil Nebula SNR

The starless image is unveiling lots of details, otherwise hiding under a dense star field.
Buy a photographic print from HERE

A 3D-study of the Veil nebula SNR


This is a looped video, click to start and stop. Original movie is in HD1080p resolution.

Original blog post about the 3D-study and more animations behind this link:
http://astroanarchy.blogspot.fi/2013/02/the-veil-nebula-experimental-3d-study.html


Some older detail images from the Veil Nebula



Technical details:

Processing work flow:
Image acquisition, MaxiDL v5.07.
Stacked and calibrated in CCDStack2.
Deconvolution with a CCDStack2 Positive Constraint, 33 iterations, added at 50% weight
Levels, curves and color combine in PS CS3.

Optics, Canon EF 200mm camera lens at f1.8
Camera, QHY9
Guiding, Meade LX200 GPS 12" and a Lodestar guider
Image Scale, ~5 arcseconds/pixel
Exposures for H-alpha:
7x1200s, from 2008
13x1200 from 2012
19x1200 from this Autumn season 2013
Total 39x1200s = 13h
S-II and O-III information are from an older image