Monday, December 10, 2018
Astro Anarchy gets published, the cover picture of an Official Vatican Observatory calendar 2019
My photo of the Sharpless 115 (Sh2-115) and a planetary nebula Abell 71 get selected as a cover photo of an Official Vatican observatory Calendar for the year 2019.
A Square Degree of Birth and Death
This photo shows about one square degree of sky from the constellation Cygnus. In this photo, there are both, birth and the death.
The blueish area at middle up is a stellar nursery, new stars are born there as an ongoing process.
The blue dot at lower left is a planetary nebula Abell 71. The star has consumed all of its hydrogen resources and then blowed out its outer layers.
Sharpless 115 and Abell 71
Please, click for a large image
More info about this photo
https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2014/11/sharpless-115-and-planetary-nebula.html
Saturday, December 8, 2018
The Giant Cosmic Squid, Ou4, scale in the sky and a zoom in series
Zooming in to the Ou4, the Squid Nebula in Cepheus
Please, click for a large image
More info and images about Ou4, the Squid nebula
INFO CAN BE SEEN HERE
https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2018/12/the-giant-cosmic-squid-nebula-au4-new.html
Wednesday, December 5, 2018
Grande mosaic of Cygnus in visual colors, 18-panels, 150 hours and 22 x 14 degrees of sky
Yesterday I published a mapped color version of this nebula complex, here is the version in visual spectrum.
I have originally published this image back at December 9, 2011 After that I have shot many details out of this are of sky with much longer focal length instrument. Mainly with Celestron Edge 11" reflecting telescope. I have now updated this photo with a new image material and I thought, that it's a good time to republish this updated image again.
The Great mosaic image of constellation Cygnus has 18 individual panels stitched together seamlessly. Each panel has shot three times for a color image. First I shot the light from an ionized hydrogen (H-alpha), then light from an ionized sulfur (S-II) and last the light from an ionized oxygen (O-III). The final image has a resolution of 15.000 x 10.000 pixels. I shot all frames with the Canon EF 200mm f1.8 camera optics at full open, QHY9 astrocam and Baader narrowband filter set.
There are no noise reduction, star reduction or sharpening used for this mosaic. It's very well in focus due to temp compensating focuser I made for this lens. (At f1.8 the critical focus zone is about 7 metric microns.)
Grande mosaic of Cygnus in natural colors
Please, click for a large image, it's worth it! (3600 x 2300 pixels)
A full 1:1 scale details from the mosaic image above
Please, click for a large image, it's worth it! (2000 x 2000 pixels)
A full 1:1 scale detail from the upper left corner of the mosaic image, lots of stars up there!
A full 1:1 scale detail from the middle right of the Cygnus mosaic image.
Wonders of Swan
I have made a collection out of the photos I have shot from this area of the sky. I have used 517 hours of exposure time to capture details from Cygnus between 2009 and 2018. I used this material to update my mosaic image of the Cygnus constellation. Full listing and detailed information can be found from here: https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2018/11/treasures-of-swan.html
Orientation in the sky
Click for a large image
Tuesday, December 4, 2018
Grande mosaic of Cygnus, 18-panels, over 150 hours and 22 x 14 degrees of sky
I have originally published this image back at December 9, 2011 After that I have shot many details out of this are of sky with much longer focal length instrument. Mainly with Celestron Edge 11" reflecting telescope. I have now updated this photo with a new image material and I thought, that it's a good time to republish this updated image again.
The Great mosaic image of constellation Cygnus has 18 individual panels stitched together seamlessly. Each panel has shot three times for a color image. First I shot the light from an ionized hydrogen (H-alpha), then light from an ionized sulfur (S-II) and last the light from an ionized oxygen (O-III). The final image has a resolution of 15.000 x 10.000 pixels. I shot all frames with the Canon EF 200mm f1.8 camera optics at full open, QHY9 astrocam and Baader narrowband filter set.
There are no noise reduction, star reduction or sharpening used for this mosaic. It's very well in focus due to temp compensating focuser I made for this lens. (At f1.8 the critical focus zone is about 7 metric microns.)
Grande mosaic of Cygnus
Please, click for a large image, it's worth it! (3600 x 2300 pixels)
Image is in mapped colours, from the emission of ionized elements, R=Sulphur, G=Hydrogen and B=Oxygen.
Original 1:1 size detail from the mosaic image above
Please, click for a large image, it's worth it! (2700 x 1700 pixels)
Orientation in the sky
Click for a large image
Wonders of Swan
I have made a collection out of the photos I have shot from this area of the sky. I have used 517 hours of exposure time to capture details from Cygnus between 2009 and 2018. I used this material to update my mosaic image of the Cygnus constellation. Full listing and detailed information can be found from here: https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2018/11/treasures-of-swan.html
Klick for a very large image 5500 x 3300 pixels
Chinese Dragon Nebula
Click for a large image
I named it to the Chinese Dragon Nebula due to reason seen in the image above.
Image spans 22 degrees horizontally. (22 degrees = 44 full Moons side by side in the sky)
Monday, December 3, 2018
The Giant Cosmic Squid Nebula, Ou4, new compositions
I have published my photo of the Giant Squid Nebula. Au4, earlier at November 28. I made a new composition out of the same material, it's little more dynamic now, I think.
I started this imaging project at this autumn season and after a several months I got it ready!
This is a dimmest target I have shot so far! Total exposure time for the light from an ionized oxygen (O-III) alone was around 35h. Most of the data was shot at binned down to 4x4! For some details I shot about ten hours of 2x2 binned data. H-a is brighter but not bright either. There is about ten hours of H-alpha light exposed. There is very little light from an ionized sulfur, I shot bin 4x4 data about three hours for S-II. Total exposure time used is around 48h
The Celestron Edge 11" telescope with a 0.7 focal reducer has a perfect field of view for this object. This combo delivers a very high quality image from edge to edge. The Apogee U16 can be very challenging to have a good orthogonality and collimation due to very large CCD-shell.
Here is some optical analysis to see, https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2014/10/a-start-of-new-project-tulip-nebula.html
Ou4, the Giant Squid (Giant indeed, it's 50 light years across)
Please, click for a large image
Ou4 in light of an ionized oxygen alone, O-III
Please, click for a large image
Wider field of views, Ou4 inside the Sharpless 129
Please, click for a large image
An older photo of Sharpless 129 is combined with a new data. Image is in natural color palette.
This photo of Sharpless 129 was taken with Tokina AT-X 300mm f2.8 camera optics, QHY9 astrocam and the Baader narrowband filter set, H-alpha, S-II and O-III.
This photo of Sharpless 129 was taken with Tokina AT-X 300mm f2.8 camera optics, QHY9 astrocam and the Baader narrowband filter set, H-alpha, S-II and O-III.
Even wider field of view shows the IC 1396
Note, there is a white circle at lower right corner showing an apparent size of the full moon at same scale. (Moon has an angular diameter of 0,5 degrees.) Ou4 and companions are very large objects!
This is a four panel mosaic image of constellation kepheus, taken with Canon EF 200mm f1.8 camera optics, QHY9 astronomical camera and the Baader narrowband filter set, H-alpha, S-II and O-III.
Image is in mapped colours, from the emission of ionized elements, R=Sulphur, G=Hydrogen and B=Oxygen.
H-alpha, 30 x 1200 s, binned 2x2 = 10 h
O-III, 105 x 1200 s, binned 4x4 = 35 h.
S-II, 9 x 1200 s. binned 4x4 = 3 h
Total exposure time, 48h
This is a four panel mosaic image of constellation kepheus, taken with Canon EF 200mm f1.8 camera optics, QHY9 astronomical camera and the Baader narrowband filter set, H-alpha, S-II and O-III.
Ou4, the Giant Squid in mapped colors
Please, click for a large image
INFO
The giant Squid Nebula cataloged as Ou4. Nebula was discovered in 2011 by French astro-imager Nicolas Outters, the Squid Nebula's alluring bipolar shape is distinguished here by the telltale blue-green emission from doubly ionized oxygen atoms. The true distance and nature of the Squid Nebula have been difficult to determine. Still, a recent investigation suggests Ou4 really does lie within Sh2-129 some 2,300 light-years away. Consistent with that scenario, Ou4 would represent a spectacular outflow driven by HR8119, a triple system of hot, massive stars seen near the center of the nebula. The truly giant Squid Nebula would physically be nearly 50 light-years across.
Technical details
Processing workflow
Image acquisition, MaxiDL v5.07.
Stacked and calibrated in CCDStack2.
Deconvolution with a CCDStack2 Positive Constraint, 33 iterations, added at 50% weight
Color combine in PS CS3
Levels and curves in PS CS3.
Imaging optics
Celestron Edge HD 1100 @ f10 with 0,7 focal reducer for Edge HD 1100 telescope
Mount
10-micron 1000
Cameras and filters
Imaging camera Apogee Alta U16 and Apogee seven slot filter wheel
Guider camera, Lodestar x 2 and SXV-AOL
Astrodon filters,
5nm H-alpha 3nm S-II and 3nm O-III
5nm H-alpha 3nm S-II and 3nm O-III
Exposure times
H-alpha, 30 x 1200 s, binned 2x2 = 10 h
O-III, 105 x 1200 s, binned 4x4 = 35 h.
S-II, 9 x 1200 s. binned 4x4 = 3 h
Total exposure time, 48h
A single 20 min. calibrated and stretched 4x4 binned O-III exposure
Please, click for a large image
4x4 binned O-III frame is divided with a bias corrected master flat and subtracted with a master dark. Even after a heavy stretching, very little can be seen in this single 20 min. 4x4 binned light frame.
Saturday, December 1, 2018
16 panel mosaic image of North America & Pelican nebula in visual colors
I have publish this photo earlier as a mapped color version, it can be seen HERE
While shooting lights for my Giant Cosmic Squid project, I had to wait few hours every night to the Ou4 to be well placed in the sky. I spent those hours to shoot some frames for North America and Pelican Nebula area. I have shot many details from this area , while making my poster about Treasures of the Swan I noticed that there are many overlapping photos. I shot few missing parts and finally I was able to build a mosaic image from that material.
16-panels are now combined seamlessly to a very high resolution image. Each frame is shot three times, one exposure set for the light emitted by an ionized hydrogen (H-alpha), second set for the light emitted by an ionized sulfur (S-II) and third set for the ionized oxygen. (O-III) Total exposure time used for this image combo is just under 200h! The original resolution is around 16.000 x 16.000 pixels. Frames for this mosaic image are taken between 2014-2018 and I have published many of them them as an individual compositions.
The Grande Mosaic of the North America and Pelican Nebula
Please, click the image to see a large version, it's worth it! (2000x2000 pixels)
Image is in Natural color palette from the emission of ionized elements, R=Hydrogen + Sulphur, G=Oxygen and B=Oxygen + 10% Hydrogen to compensate the missing H-beta emission. All photos are shot with a Celestron EDGE 11" reflecting telescope, Apogee Alta U16,a cooled astrocam and the Astrodon narrowband filter set. Photos are shot between the years 2014 and 2018, total exposure time is around 200h.
Details from the image above
Please, click the image to see a large version
Nebula in light from an ionized hydrogen lone (H-alpha)
Please, click the image to see a large version
Orientation
Please, click the image to see a large version
Friday, November 30, 2018
Dark dust in Cygnus
Mosaic images needs usually a lots of work and time to be ready. Nothing can beats the resolution of a good mosaic image of the large cosmic object. Since it can take even years to have a finalized photo, I'm trying to shoot subframes of the mosaic image as an individual artworks. many of my mosaic images have been published first as a series of subimages, acting as an individual artworks
Here is one of those subimages, dark dust clouds of Cygnus. It's a part of large Cygnus nebula complex. More accurately, a part of dust ridge dividing North America and Pelican Nebulae.
Please, click for a large photo
Image is in Natural color palette from the emission of ionized elements, R=Hydrogen + Sulphur, G=Oxygen and B=Oxygen + 10% Hydrogen to compensate the missing H-beta emission.
Position in the large 16 panel mosaic image of NA and Pelican Nebula
Please, click for a large photo
Technical details
Processing workflow
Image acquisition, MaxiDL v5.07.
Stacked and calibrated in CCDStack2.
Deconvolution with a CCDStack2 Positive Constraint, 33 iterations, added at 50% weight
Color combine in PS CS3
Levels and curves in PS CS3.
Imaging optics
Celestron Edge HD 1100 @ f10 with 0,7 focal reducer for Edge HD 1100 telescope
Mount
10-micron 1000
Cameras and filters
Imaging camera Apogee Alta U16 and Apogee seven slot filter wheel
Guider camera, Lodestar x 2 and SXV-AOL
Astrodon filters,
5nm H-alpha 3nm S-II and 3nm O-III
5nm H-alpha 3nm S-II and 3nm O-III
Exposure times
Total exposure time for the whole 16 panel mosaic image is around 200 hours.
The Giant Cosmic Squid in Mapped colors
I started this imaging project at this autumn season and after a several months I got it ready!
I have published a natural color version few days ago, the result can be seen HERE.
This is a dimmest target I have shot so far! (At end of the post, there is a single 20 min subframe od O-II light.) Total exposure time for the light from an ionized oxygen (O-III) alone was around 35h. Most of the data was shot at binned down to 4x4! For some details I shot about ten hours of 2x2 binned data. H-a is brighter but not bright either. There is about ten hours of H-alpha light exposed. There is very little light from an ionized sulfur, I shot bin 4x4 data about three hours for S-II. Total exposure time used is around 48h
The Celestron Edge 11" telescope with a 0.7 focal reducer has a perfect field of view for this object. This combo delivers a very high quality image from edge to edge. The Apogee U16 can be very challenging to have a good orthogonality and collimation due to very large CCD-shell.
Here is some optical analysis to see, https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2014/10/a-start-of-new-project-tulip-nebula.html
Ou4, the Giant Squid (Giant indeed, it's 50 light years across)
Please, click for a large image
Ou4 in light of an ionized oxygen only
Please, click for a large image
Wider field of views, Ou4 inside the Sharpless 129
Please, click for a large image
The location in the sky as a relation to the IC 1396
INFO
The giant Squid Nebula cataloged as Ou4. Nebula was discovered in 2011 by French astro-imager Nicolas Outters, the Squid Nebula's alluring bipolar shape is distinguished here by the telltale blue-green emission from doubly ionized oxygen atoms. The true distance and nature of the Squid Nebula have been difficult to determine. Still, a recent investigation suggests Ou4 really does lie within Sh2-129 some 2,300 light-years away. Consistent with that scenario, Ou4 would represent a spectacular outflow driven by HR8119, a triple system of hot, massive stars seen near the center of the nebula. The truly giant Squid Nebula would physically be nearly 50 light-years across.
A single 20 min. calibrated and stretched 4x4 binned O-III exposure
Please, click for a large image
Image is divided with a bias corrected flat frame and subtracted with master dark. Even after a heavy nonlinear stretching, very little can be seen in this single 20 min. 4x4 binned light frame.
Animation
Please, click for a large image
This animated GIF shows the Giant Squid Nebula with all three channels, H-alpha, S-II and O-III versus just the light from an ionized oxygen, O-III
Animation
Please, click for a large image
Wednesday, November 28, 2018
A Giant Squid, Ou4, imaging project finalized
I started this imaging project at this autumn season and after a several months I got it ready!
This is a dimmest target I have shot so far! Total exposure time for the light from an ionized oxygen (O-III) alone was around 35h. Most of the data was shot at binned down to 4x4! For some details I shot about ten hours of 2x2 binned data. H-a is brighter but not bright either. There is about ten hours of H-alpha light exposed. There is very little light from an ionized sulfur, I shot bin 4x4 data about three hours for S-II. Total exposure time used is around 48h
The Celestron Edge 11" telescope with a 0.7 focal reducer has a perfect field of view for this object. This combo delivers a very high quality image from edge to edge. The Apogee U16 can be very challenging to have a good orthogonality and collimation due to very large CCD-shell.
Here is some optical analysis to see, https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2014/10/a-start-of-new-project-tulip-nebula.html
Ou4, the Giant Squid
Please, click for a large image
Ou4 in light of an ionized oxygen only
Please, click for a large image
35h of O-III exposures, the Apogee U16 astro camera and Astrodon 3nm O-III filter.
Telescope, Celestron Edge 11"
Wider field of view, Ou4 inside the Sharpless 129
Please, click for a large image
I have shot the Sharpless 129 nebula, surrounding the Ou4, back at 2013. I combined the new data with the old one and here is the results.
Animation
Animated frames, All channels, O-III only and O-III with no stars.
INFO
The giant Squid Nebula cataloged as Ou4. Nebula was discovered in 2011 by French astro-imager Nicolas Outters, the Squid Nebula's alluring bipolar shape is distinguished here by the telltale blue-green emission from doubly ionized oxygen atoms. The true distance and nature of the Squid Nebula have been difficult to determine. Still, a recent investigation suggests Ou4 really does lie within Sh2-129 some 2,300 light-years away. Consistent with that scenario, Ou4 would represent a spectacular outflow driven by HR8119, a triple system of hot, massive stars seen near the center of the nebula. The truly giant Squid Nebula would physically be nearly 50 light-years across.
A single 20 min. calibrated and stretched 4x4 binned O-III exposure
Please, click for a large image
Image is divided with a bias corrected flat frame and subtracted with master dark. Even after a heavy nonlinear stretching, very little can be seen in this single 20 min. 4x4 binned light frame.
Sunday, November 25, 2018
Clouds of Cygnus
I have been using my large 18-panels mosaic image of the Cygnus Nebula Complex as a map to a some rarely imaged dimmer nebulae in that area. The large mosaic photo was taken with a Canon EF 200mm@f1.8 camera lens. I have shot many interesting areas from that photo with much longer focal length instruments.
Last few years I have been using an excellent telescope for that task, Celestron Edge 11" reflecting telescope with 0.7 focal reducer. BTW, this is one of the very best focal reducers I have ever been using! Its build like a tank and optical quality is next to nothing. The reducer cost about as much as an good quality refracting telescope but it's worth of every penny. With this reducer my Apogee Alta U16 camera has a spatial resolution of about one arcsecond per pixel. That image scale is pretty much optimal for my imaging purposes.
This time I picked up an interesting looking object from Cygnus Nebula Complex. This emission nebula is a kind of dim target and I was able to dig out some extreme dim emission from the ionized oxygen too (O-III) I haven't seen any pictures focusing to this nameless target so far.
Clouds of CygnusPlease, click for a large photo
Visual colors
Please, click for a large photo
In light of an ionized hydrogen alone (H-alpha)
Orientation in large context
Click for a large image
Technical details
Processing workflow
Image acquisition, MaxiDL v5.07.
Stacked and calibrated in CCDStack2.
Deconvolution with a CCDStack2 Positive Constraint, 33 iterations, added at 50% weight
Color combine in PS CS3
Levels and curves in PS CS3.
Imaging optics
Celestron Edge HD 1100 @ f10 with 0,7 focal reducer for Edge HD 1100 telescope
Mount
10-micron 1000
Cameras and filters
Imaging camera Apogee Alta U16 and Apogee seven slot filter wheel
Guider camera, Lodestar x 2 and SXV-AOL
Astrodon filters,
5nm H-alpha 3nm S-II and 3nm O-III
5nm H-alpha 3nm S-II and 3nm O-III
Exposure times
H-alpha, 13 x 1200 s, binned 2x2 = 4 h
O-III, 6 x 1200 s, binned 4x4 = 2 h.
S-II, 3 x 1200 s. binned 4x4 = 1 h
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