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Sunday, February 23, 2020

Cederblad 214, the Cosmic Question mark in visual colors

I have published this target in mapped colors at 9.2. 2020, it can be seen here, https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2020/02/new-photo-of-cederblad-214-cosmic.html

This photo was taken with my "new" imaging system. I managed to mate an old Tokina AT-x 300mm f2.8 camera optics with the Apogee Alta U16 astro camera and filter wheel. Some angle grinder was needed to have enough back focus... More info here, https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2020/01/the-frankenstein-monster-my-current.html

This photo of Cosmic Question Mark has a great symbolic value for me. The cosmic curiosity is the very reason I'm doing this difficult, and sometimes frustrating, form of nature photographing. 


Cederblad 214 and Sharpless 170,  ? "
Please, click for a full size image

Photo is in natural colors combined from narrowband channels. An ionized hydrogen, H-alpha, is emitting deep red light and it's dominating the color scheme. Bluish hues are from an ionized oxygen, O-III.


A two panel mosaic panorama to SNR CTB1
Please, click for a full size image

This composition in mapped colors can be seen here, https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2020/02/panorama-mosaic-cederblad-214-sharpless.html


INFO


This cosmic question mark, in constellation Cepheus, contains following objects; At top, Cederblad 214(Ced 214) surrounded by NGC 7822, a dot like nebula at the bottom is known as Sharpless 170,(Sh2-170). Image spans over Five degrees vertically. Distance from my observatory, is ~2750 light years and it spans about 40 light years.


Orientation in the sky


Cederblad 214 can  be seen at upper left corner. Image shows its location related to constellation Cepheus.


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
Tokina AT-x f2.8 camera lens

Mount
10-micron 1000

Cameras and filters
Imaging camera Apogee Alta U16 and Apogee seven slot filter wheel
Guider camera, Lodestar x 2 and an old spotting scope of Meade LX200


Astrodon filters,
5nm H-alpha 3nm S-II and 3nm O-III

Total exposure time

H-alpha, 12 x 1200 s, binned 1x1 = 4 h
O-III, 1x 1200 s, binned 2x2 = 20 min.
S-II, 1 x 1200 s. binned 2x2 = 20 min.





Saturday, February 22, 2020

Simeis 147 (Sh2-240), a large supernova remnant in visual colors


Simeis 147 is a difficult target due to a low surface brightness and a very large angular diameter.
Yesterday I published a mapped color version of this supernova remnant. This time I have composed the narrowband channels to a visual palette. Ionized hydrogen, H-alpha emits deep red light. Since the hydrogen is the most common element in our universum, red is dominating the view. There are some very dim bluish hues from a light of an ionized oxygen, O-III.
I collected the data for this image between 27.12.2019 and 19.02.2020.


Simeis 147 (Sharpless 240)
Click for a large image it's worth it!

Note, the relative size of a full Moon is marked as a white circle at bottom left, this is a large object!
Red light from an ionized hydrogen is dominating the view.


An experimental starless version
Click for a large image


The starless version Complex filaments are easier to see in this experimental starless image.


INFO

Simeis 147 (sharpless 240), is a very faint and large supernova remnant in constellation Taurus at distance of ~3000 light years. It's constantly expanding at speed of 1000 km/second but due the size of it, we can't see any movement in it. This SN spans over 160 light years and the apparent scale in the sky is about three degrees (Moon has an apparent size of 30" = 0,5 degrees).  Explosion took place approximately 30.000 years ago  and left behind a  pulsar (Neutron star). The pulsar has recently identified.

How long it'll takes to this supernova remnant to expand 1% large when the diameter is 160 light years and it expands at speed of 1000km/second.

Answer is ~480 years.
 (1% of diameter 160/100= 16, as kilometers ~151.372.800.000.00, = Y, km,
1000km/second is ~315.360.000.00, = Z, kilometers/year.
So, X x Z = Y and  X=Z/Y,    X = 480 with given values)

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

Mount
10-micron 1000

Cameras and filters
Imaging camera Apogee Alta U16 and Apogee seven slot filter wheel
Guider camera, Lodestar x 2 and an old spotting scope of Meade LX200
Astrodon filters,
5nm H-alpha 3nm S-II and 3nm O-III

Total exposure time
H-alpha, 15 x 1200 s, binned 1x1 = 5 h
O-III, 24x 600 s, binned 2x2 = 4 h
S-II, 1 x 12 x 600 s. binned 2x2 = 2 h

Friday, February 21, 2020

Simeis 147 (Sh2-240), a large supernova remnant in Taurus

Simeis 147 is a difficult target due to a low surface brightness and a very large angular diameter.
I collected the data for this image between 27.12.2019 and 19.02.2020.

Simeis 147 (Sharpless 240)
Click for a large image

Note, the relative size of a full Moon is marked as a white circle at bottom left, this is a large object!
Image is in mapped colors, from the emission of ionized elements, R=Sulphur, G=Hydrogen and B=Oxygen. 

INFO


Simeis 147 (sharpless 240), is a very faint and large supernova remnant in constellation Taurus at distance of ~3000 light years. It's constantly expanding at speed of 1000 km/second but due the size of it, we can't see any movement in it. This SN spans over 160 light years and the apparent scale in the sky is about three degrees (Moon has an apparent size of 30" = 0,5 degrees).  Explosion took place approximately 30.000 years ago  and left behind a  pulsar (Neutron star). The pulsar has recently identified.

How long it'll takes to this supernova remnant to expand 1% large when the diameter is 160 light years and it expands at speed of 1000km/second.
Answer is ~480 years.
 (1% of diameter 160/100= 16, as kilometers ~151.372.800.000.00, = Y, km,
1000km/second is ~315.360.000.00, = Z, kilometers/year.
So, X x Z = Y and  X=Z/Y,    X = 480 with given values)


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

Mount
10-micron 1000

Cameras and filters
Imaging camera Apogee Alta U16 and Apogee seven slot filter wheel
Guider camera, Lodestar x 2 and an old spotting scope of Meade LX200
Astrodon filters,
5nm H-alpha 3nm S-II and 3nm O-III

Total exposure time
H-alpha, 15 x 1200 s, binned 1x1 = 5 h
O-III, 24x 600 s, binned 2x2 = 4 h
S-II, 1 x 12 x 600 s. binned 2x2 = 2 h




Sunday, February 16, 2020

Panorama mosaic, Cederblad 214, Sharpless 170 and supernova remnant CTB1

I published the Cosmic Question Mark, Cederblad 214 and Sharpless 170 at February 9,
his morning I published the photo of supernova remnant CTB1 (Abell 85). Photos are overlapping, so I was able to build a mosaic image out of them. image spans about ten degrees of sky vertically, that's as large as twenty full Moons side by side.! (The CTB1 at lower center has a same angular diameter as our Moon.)  Photo is taken with the Tokina AT-x 300mm f2.8 camera lens, Apogee Alta U16 astro camera and Astrodon narrowband filters. Info about my current setup here, https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2020/01/the-frankenstein-monster-my-current.html


A two frame mosaic panorama from constellation Cassiopeia
Click for a large image, it's worth it!

mage is in mapped colours, from the emission of ionized elements, R=Sulphur, G=Hydrogen and B=Oxygen.

Upper part of the mosaic image
Click for a large image


Image details here, https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2020/02/new-photo-of-cederblad-214-cosmic.html


Lower part of the mosaic image Click for a large image


Image details here, https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2020/02/ctb1-supernova-remnant-in-cassiopeia.html




Technical details
Click for a large image

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
Tokina AT-x f2.8 camera lens

Mount
10-micron 1000

Cameras and filters
Imaging camera Apogee Alta U16 and Apogee seven slot filter wheel
Guider camera, Lodestar x 2 and an old spotting scope of Meade LX200
Astrodon filters,
5nm H-alpha 3nm S-II and 3nm O-III

Total exposure time for both panels
H-alpha, 21 x 1200 s, binned 1x1 = 7 h
O-III, 2x 1200 s, binned 2x2 = 40 min.
S-II, 2 x 1200 s. binned 2x2 = 40 min.


An older longer focal length image of CTB1 from 2016
Please, click for a large image

More info about this photo here, https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2016/01/abell-85-ctb1-dim-galactic-supernova.html


An older longer focal length image of Cederblad 214 from 2016
Please, click for a large image

A detail shot from the bright central region of the image at the top.  This photo was taken with my new setup, Celestron Edge HD 1100 f7, Apogee Alta U16 astro camera and the Astrodon narrowband filters, Spring 2014. The original blog post from 2012, with technical details, can be seen HERE

CTB1, a supernova remnant in Cassiopeia

This has been a very cloudy imaging season up here 65N. Last Friday we had about five hours for clear weather before the clouds rolled in. I managed to get just enough exposures for this dim supernova remnant in Cassiopeia. I have shot this target before with much longer focal length instrument. It's nice to see CTB1 in large context when imaging with Tokina AT-x 300mm f2.8 camera lens. 


CTB1 (Abell 85)
Please, click for a large image, it's worth it.

Image is in mapped colours, from the emission of ionized elements, R=Sulphur, G=Hydrogen and B=Oxygen. 


A closer look
Please, click for a large image




An older longer focal length image back from 2016
Please, click for a large image

More info about this photo here, https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2016/01/abell-85-ctb1-dim-galactic-supernova.html




INFO

Abell 85 is a very faint supernova remnant in constellation Cassiopeia. It's difficult to image with any details due to extremely low surface brightness. Abell 85 has a largish diameter, about half a degree, it has a same apparent diameter as a full Moon. The physical diameter is about 98 light years across. This SNR locates about 9800 light years from the Earth. CTB1 was originally thought to be a planetary nebula and it was included the Abell catalog of planetary nebulae under a name Abell 85. It was confirmed to be a supernova remnant by Willis & Dickel at 1971.



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
Tokina AT-x f2.8 camera lens

Mount
10-micron 1000

Cameras and filters
Imaging camera Apogee Alta U16 and Apogee seven slot filter wheel
Guider camera, Lodestar x 2 and an old spotting scope of Meade LX200
Astrodon filters,
5nm H-alpha 3nm S-II and 3nm O-III

Total exposure time
H-alpha, 9 x 1200 s, binned 1x1 = 3 h
O-III, 1x 1200 s, binned 2x2 = 20 min.
S-II, 1 x 1200 s. binned 2x2 = 20 min.


A single calibrated and stretched 20 min. H-alpha frame as it comes from the camera (Downscaled)



Friday, February 14, 2020

Monday, February 10, 2020

Cederblad 214, the Cosmic Question mark, in visual colors

This photo was taken with my "new" imaging system. I managed to mate an old Tokina AT-x 300mm f2.8 camera optics with the Apogee Alta U16 astro camera and filter wheel. Some angle grinder was needed to have enough back focus... More info here, https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2020/01/the-frankenstein-monster-my-current.html

This photo of Cosmic Question Mark has a great symbolic value for me. The cosmic curiosity is the very reason I'm doing this difficult, and sometimes frustrating, form of nature photographing. 

? "
Cederblad 214 and Sharpless 170,  
Please, click for a full size image

Visual palette combined from emissions of ionized elements. Red = hydrogen + 33% sulfur, Green = oxygen and Blue = oxygen + 20% hydrogen to compensate missing h-beta emission.

INFO

This cosmic question mark, in constellation Cepheus, contains following objects; At top, Cederblad 214(Ced 214) surrounded by NGC 7822, a dot like nebula at the bottom is known as Sharpless 170,(Sh2-170). Image spans over Five degrees vertically. Distance from my observatory, is ~2750 light years and it spans about 40 light years.


Orientation in the sky

Cederblad 214 can  be seen at upper left corner. Image shows its location related to constellation Cepheus.


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
Tokina AT-x f2.8 camera lens

Mount
10-micron 1000

Cameras and filters
Imaging camera Apogee Alta U16 and Apogee seven slot filter wheel
Guider camera, Lodestar x 2 and an old spotting scope of Meade LX200


Astrodon filters,
5nm H-alpha 3nm S-II and 3nm O-III

Total exposure time

H-alpha, 12 x 1200 s, binned 1x1 = 4 h
O-III, 1x 1200 s, binned 2x2 = 20 min.
S-II, 1 x 1200 s. binned 2x2 = 20 min.




Sunday, February 9, 2020

New photo of Cederblad 214, the Cosmic Question mark

So far this has been the most cloudy winter up here for twenty years. I'm trying to use every single clear moment to have something to publish. beside the weather problems, the light pollution is increasing every moment due to LED-lightning. We have now more light pollution than ever and it's Broadband, multi spectral light. Old high pressure sodium and mercury lights are easy to filter out since the light from them is yellowish narrowband emission. LED light is impossible to filter out, it's like a Sunlight, very broad band from IR to UV and everything between. Imaging is getting more difficult and soon it'll be impossible from my current location.

This photo was taken with my "new" imaging system. I managed to mate an old Tokina AT-x 300mm f2.8 camera optics with the Apogee Alta U16 astro camera and filter wheel. Some angle grinder was needed to have enough back focus... More info here, https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2020/01/the-frankenstein-monster-my-current.html

This new photo of Cosmic Question Mark has a great symbolic value for me. The cosmic curiosity is the very reason I'm doing this difficult, and sometimes frustrating, form of nature photographing. 


Cederblad 214 and Sharpless 170,  ? "
Please, click for a full size image

Image is in mapped colours, from the emission of ionized elements, R=Sulphur, G=Hydrogen and B=Oxygen. 


Closeup from the center (An older, long focal length image)
Please, click for a full size image



A detail shot from the bright central region of the image at the top.  This photo was taken with my new setup, Celestron Edge HD 1100 f7, Apogee Alta U16 astro camera and the Astrodon narrowband filters, Spring 2014. The original blog post from 2012, with technical details, can be seen HERE


INFO


This cosmic question mark, in constellation Cepheus, contains following objects; At top, Cederblad 214(Ced 214) surrounded by NGC 7822, a dot like nebula at the bottom is known as Sharpless 170,(Sh2-170). Image spans over Five degrees vertically. Distance from my observatory, is ~2750 light years and it spans about 40 light years.


Orientation in the sky


Cederblad 214 can  be seen at upper left corner. Image shows its location related to constellation Cepheus.


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
Tokina AT-x f2.8 camera lens

Mount
10-micron 1000

Cameras and filters
Imaging camera Apogee Alta U16 and Apogee seven slot filter wheel
Guider camera, Lodestar x 2 and an old spotting scope of Meade LX200


Astrodon filters,
5nm H-alpha 3nm S-II and 3nm O-III

Total exposure time

H-alpha, 12 x 1200 s, binned 1x1 = 4 h
O-III, 1x 1200 s, binned 2x2 = 20 min.
S-II, 1 x 1200 s. binned 2x2 = 20 min.







Tuesday, February 4, 2020

Astro Anarchy gets published!



AAPOD2

My photo of IC 1396, the Elephant's Trunk Nebula get selected as an Amateur Astronomy Image of the Day, -AAPOD2

Please, click for a large image

Image info and technical details can be seen HERE