Showing posts with label Black and White images (Hydrogen-alpha). Show all posts
Showing posts with label Black and White images (Hydrogen-alpha). Show all posts
Monday, May 6, 2013
New collection of my B&W images
I have a gray scale version from all of my astronomical images. The camera used, QHY9, is a cooled astronomical camera and it has a gray scale CCD-sensor. Color images are made by shooting the same target at least three times, with different filters. Three images are then combined to a RGB-color image.
Due to that, I have a gray scale version from every target. Usually the light emitted by ionized Hydrogen, H-alpha, has most details and I made a collection out of them.
A high resolution, gray scale, image collection in my portfolio, please have a look:
(Second folder from top left)
The Elephant's Trunk Nebula in IC 1396, more info and a color version in this blog post.
You can buy a photographic print from any image at first two folders in my portfolio, http://astroanarchy.zenfolio.com/
All prints will be real photographic prints on photo paper. For the most exclusive result, metallic paper can be used.
Metallic prints give a distinctive look to most color shots, black & white and sepia images are particularly effective. With its glossy finish and metallic appearance, it represents another dimension for creating images with exceptional interest and depth. Metallic paper adds stunning visual impact and a contemporary flair to photos.
If you don't want to use the web shop or want images be framed, signed and numbered, please contact directly to me by email: astroanarchy (at) gmail.com
If you don't want to use the web shop or want images be framed, signed and numbered, please contact directly to me by email: astroanarchy (at) gmail.com
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
An emission nebula NGC 1491
A start of the new imaging project.
I'll shoot other two emission channels, needed for a color image, as soon as the weather allows.
NGC 1491
in constellation Perseus
NGC 1491 in H-alpha emission light
INFO
A closeup
A detail from the center of the image above
A popular shape in our local universe
While processing the image, I noticed a familiar shape in the center portion of the image.
It seems to repeat itself in various targets. My guess is, that it's coursed by the solar wind from the open cluster usually locates in center of the emission nebula of this type.
A collection of targets with same type of shapes as can be seen in center of the this new image.
The top most two images are from NGC 1491.
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 5Hz
Image Scale, ~0,8 arc-seconds/pixel
21 x 1200s exposures for the H-alpha, emission of ionized Hydrogen = 7h
An experimental starless image
A starless image to show only the actual nebula
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Melotte 15 in IC 1805
A new imaging project from the last night, Merlotte 15, the heart of the Heart nebula.
Image shows now just the emission of Hydrogen, H-alpha. I'll shoot other emission channels for the color image soon. 20 x 1200s frames, =6h 40min.
The heart of the Heart
Melotte 15 (Mel 15)
6h 40min. H-alpha light, image spans about 30 arch minutes vertically. (the angular size of the moon is ~30 arch miutes = 0,5 degrees)
The open cluster centered in this image is known as Melotte 15 . Melotte 15 is embedded within a central portion of the much larger glowing nebula identified as IC 1805.
The interesting structure in the center of the image is a giant area of hydrogen gas that is caused to glow by the intense ultraviolet radiation from the massive stars of the Melotte 15 star cluster.
Dust and gas clouds are twisted by the pressure of the intense radiation, the solar wind.
This formation is estimated to be 7,500 light years away from Earth, North is up.
A starless version
This experimental image shows the actual nebula without stars.
A closeup
Orientation image
The area of interest is marked in this older wide field HST-palette image.
A study about the scale in the sky
Click for a large image
An apparent size of the Moon is marked in the images as a scale.
Monday, November 26, 2012
IC 5146
This is a start of the imaging project. I shot 9 x 1200 s. (3h) H-alpha light for this emission nebula. IC 5146 , the Cocoon Nebula, is a star formation area and locates in constellation Cygnus at distance of about 4000 light years. There is a reflection component but due to narrowband technique used, it's not visible in this Hydrogen emission image. I'll shoot other cahnnels, S-II and O-III, for this later.
IC 5146, the Cocoon Nebula
In constellation Cygnus
Image shows the emission of ionized Hydrogen
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 8Hz
Image Scale, ~0,8 arc-seconds/pixel
9 x 1200s exposures for the H-alpha, emission of ionized Hydrogen = 3h
Sunday, October 21, 2012
New imaging project, the "Pickering's Triangle"
Last night was clear! I managed to get ~5h H-alpha exposures for the "Pickering's Triangle" in the Veil Nebula supernova remnant.
This is a dim target, I'll need additional exposures for this. Together, with S-II and O-III exposures, about 15 more hours is needed for a good signal to noise.
"Pickering's Triangle"
A detail from the Veil Nebula supernova remnant
H-alpha, 15x1200s =5h
A closeup
Orientation in the Veil Nebula
Area of interest is marked as a white rectangle
Technical details:
Processing work flow:
Image acquisition, MaxiDL v5.07.
Stacked and calibrated in CCDStack2.
Levels and curvesin 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
165 x 1200s exposures for H-alpha emission = 5h
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.
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)
Sunday, January 29, 2012
What?
"?"
A gray scale image of the Hydrogen alpha emission line. Click for a large image!
For a long time we have had clear weather, freezing too. I have spent couple of night shooting some new material. 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 about three and half degrees vertically.
Total exposure time is about 7h with an ultra fast Canon EF 200mm f1.8 optics and the QHY9 astronomical camera. I'll shoot other channels, emission of Oxygen and Sulfur, later, for a color image.
Technical details:
Processing work flow:
Image acquisition, MaxiDL v5.07.
Stacked and calibrated in CCDStack2.
Levels, curves, color and mosaic 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, ~4,5 arcseconds/pixel
Exposures, Baader 7nm H-a, 13x1200s + 10x900s
Calibration with Darks, Flats and Bias frames.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Cygnus Mosaic is getting large, 18 panels now
22 x14 degrees of sky from the constellation Cygnus
The "Chinese Dragon Nebula"
The "Chinese Dragon Nebula"
H-alpha emission, 18 panels, mosaic image of Nebulae in Cygnus
Download link for the 2600x3950 pixels image HERE. (Note, about 7,3 meg)
The noise in a background, is not a noise but countless number of stars!
The noise in a background, is not a noise but countless number of stars!
I was busy last night
I started to image about Four a clock! Up here, it's dark enough for astronomical imaging at that time.
My previous project, an eight panel mosaic of Cygnus Nebulae, is starting to grow! I was not planning to shoot so large mosaic but since the first one turned to be so good and funny to do, lots of work though, I decided to go on. The Canon EF 200mm f1.8 lens is very fast optically, so the needed exposure time per panel is reasonable. I shot all 12 new panels between Four and Two a clock , Ten hours straight, no pauses.
I will shoot other channels, S-II & O-III, little by little. If weather cooperate, I might have this ready before Christmas. This is the largest mosaic, I have done so far.
The "Chinese Dragon Nebula"
Do you see a Chinese Dragon in upper image?
Some technical information about the image
- Original size for the 18 panels mosaic 14.000 x 9000 pixels
- Resolution 5,5 arch seconds / pixel
- Image center, RA 20h 27s, Dec 43d 30m 45s
- Area of this image is about 22 x14 degrees of sky.Full Moon has an angular diameter of 0,5 degrees, it fits to the area of this image about 1230 times!Start of the Cygnus project
I started the Cygnus mosaic project by shooting a three panel mosaic from the "Cirrus area"Blog post can be seen here: http://www.astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2011/11/cirrus-of-cygnus-project-finalized.html
Image in mapped colors, H-a = Green, S-II = Red and O-III = BlueThe second phase was an eight panel mosaic. The blog post can be seen from here:
Eight panel mosaic. This image gives an idea, how the large mosaic will look in colors.
Relative sizes of mosaics.
Technical details for the 18 panel mosaic
I have used a very fast camera optics, Canon EF 200mm f1.8, full open to collect all the data in this mosaic. Due that, total exposure time is relatively short, ~12h, there are some very dim formations clearly visible.
Processing work flow:
Image acquisition, MaxiDL v5.07.
Stacked and calibrated in CCDStack2.
Levels, curves and mosaic combine in PS CS3.
Optics, Canon EF 200mm camera lens at f1.8
Camera, QHY9
Image Scale, ~5,5 arcseconds/pixel
Guiding, Meade LX200 GPS 12" and a Lodestar guider
Filter, Baader 7nm H-alpha
Panel 1
H-a, 3x900s Binned 1x1
Panel 2
H-a, 5x900s Binned 1x1
Panel 3
H-a, 3x900s Binned 1x1
Panel 4
H-a, 4x900s Binned 1x1
Panel 5
H-a, 5x900s Binned 1x1
Panel 6
H-a, 8x900s Binned 1x1
Panel 7
H-a, 6x900s Binned 1x1
Panel 8
H-a, 4x900s Binned 1x1
Panel 9
H-a, 4x900s Binned 1x1
Panel 10
H-a, 3x900s Binned 1x1
Panel 11
H-a, 3x900s Binned 1x1
Panel 12
H-a, 3x900s Binned 1x1
Panel 13
H-a, 3x900s Binned 1x1
Panel 14
H-a, 3x900s Binned 1x1
Panel 15
H-a, 3x900s Binned 1x1
Panel 16
H-a, 3x900s Binned 1x1
Panel 17
H-a, 3x900s Binned 1x1
Panel 18
H-a, 3x900s Binned 1x1
Total exposure time for all panels ~12h
Top of light exposures, there are calibration files shot.
21 Flat frames
99 Bias frames
19 Dark frames
NOTE.
No star or noise reduction, nor sharpening, are used.
NOTE.
No star or noise reduction, nor sharpening, are used.
Friday, November 18, 2011
Butterfly to Crescent, a new Cygnus project started
A two panel mosaic from the Hydrogen alpha emission.
NOTE. the "Noise" in the background is not a noise but a countless amount of stars!
NOTE. the "Noise" in the background is not a noise but a countless amount of stars!
Last night I was able to shoot two panels in H-a for a new imaging project from Cygnus. At upper left the Butterfly nebula and in middle, the Crescent Nebula.
Clouds rolled in before I was able to shoot any other channels, so colors will follow later.
Canon EF 200 mm at f1.8 is an extreme fast lens to collect photons, only one hour of ten minute subs per panel was needed for good signal to noise.
A closeup to show the resolution.
A gray scale two panel mosaic with my previous project.
I just noticed, that this new panorama and my previous project, Cirrus of Cygnus, are overlapping!
I hadn't purpose to build a large mosaic but since they are overlapping, in some parts, I will make one.
QHY9 camera is a very good match with wider field camera lenses due the smallish, 5,4 microns, pixel size.
Nowadays I', processing all under sampled images, like one above, up-scaled 200% to maintain the smallest possible details. It needs a lots of memory and the processing gpower though! A single, up-scaled gray scale FIT-format, image will take about 500 meg to handle (32bit floating point), usually there are more than a dozen of them...
A gray scale two panel mosaic with my previous project.
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 40% weight
Levels, curves and color combine in PS CS3.
Optics, Canon EF 200mm camera lens at f1.8
Camera, QHY9
Image Scale, ~5 arcseconds/pixel
Guiding, Meade LX200 GPS 12" and a Lodestar guider
Filter, Baader 7nm H-alpha
Exposures for two panels,
Panel 1, 6x600s Binned 1x1
Panel 2, 6x600s Binned 1x1
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Cirrus of Cygnus, start of the new project
A Hydrogen alpha filtered monochrome image of thin, cirrus like, filaments from an edge of large emission area in constellation Cygnus.
I have started a new imaging project. This time I will shoot a three panel panoramic mosaic since I like to show a whole network of thin filaments at edge of Cygnus emission nebula. This image spans about 12 degrees horizontally... that's 24 full Moons side by side. I will shoot all three emission channels for this, when ever my local weather let me do so...
The "Propeller Nebula" can be seen at bottom center Left. HERE is an image of it from this Autumn and colors of it will give a hint, how this new image going to look when ready.
The "Propeller Nebula" can be seen at bottom center Left. HERE is an image of it from this Autumn and colors of it will give a hint, how this new image going to look when ready.
An experimental starless version
Same image with suppressed stars to show the actual nebula complex better.
It's funny to see, how much more details can be seen in nebula by this way, even though stars in original image are absolute pinpoints.
A starless closeup reveals some details
Very odd looking loops in filaments... One at lower Left looks like a lasso.
It's funny to see, how much more details can be seen in nebula by this way, even though stars in original image are absolute pinpoints.
A starless closeup reveals some details
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
Filter, Baader 7nm H-alpha
Exposures for three panels, from Left to Right
Panel 1, 8x900s Binned 1x1
Panel 2, 4x900s Binned 1x1
Panel 3, 5x 900s Binned 1x1
Friday, October 14, 2011
Dark dust of Cygnus in H-alpha light, a new project
I will shoot other two emission lines as soon as the weather permits.
This area is just below the "North America and Pelican Nebulae". The bright area at upper middle Right, is known as IC 5068. I selected this as a target, since there is a beautiful dark dust line blocking light at front of the ionization zone.
Area of interest can be seen in this image as a gray scale rectangle.
This has been a very frustrating Autumn...
First my observatory PC died. After installing a new computer and all the software, my camera stopped to work. (I'm shooting now with an older model, fixed by soldering and duct tape)
Two days ago, the filter wheel started to act like a lottery machine, now I have to rotate it manually.
Top of that, last night my trusted temperature compensating focuser, TCF-s, refused to work at all.
After five hours of trying to fix it, I did focus manually as well as I could. (At f2.8, the critical focus zone is 17 microns... that's 17/1000mm) Lots of work is done and money spend, just for couple of images. Sometimes I feel, best solution is quit and sell my gears, who ever going to buy this expensive pile of junk. Maybe I feel better tomorrow, after some sleep...
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 in final image.
Levels, curves and color combine in PS CS3.
Optics, Tokina AT-X 300mm camera lens at f2.8
Camera, QHY9
Guiding, Lodestar and Meade LX200 GPS 12"
Image Scale, 3,5 arcseconds/pixel
Exposures H-alpha 19x1200s, binned 1x1
Total exposure time so far 6h 20min.
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Uh, this is too hard....
I have tried several times but either weather or technique has failed. First my observatory control laptop fried and it took a long time to re install everything.
Now my camera has fried too, just 30 minutes ago. I'll have to send it back to the China but there is a national holiday going on about two first weeks of the October...
I managed to get just a single 20min. exposure before something really bad happened to my cooled astronomical camera. There is a bad tilt in optical axes and other flaws too, I don't count this as a first light.
Single 20 min. exposure of the "Propeller Nebula" in constellation Cygnus.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Start of the two new projects, Barnard 30 & PuWe1 PN
Barnard 30, a dark nebula in Sh2-264, in Orion
Ra 05h 31m 42s Dec +12° 12′ 39"
A gray scale image of H-alpha emission. I'll shoot more H-a and rest of the emission lines,
needed for a color image, later.
Barnard 30 is a dark nebula at Orion's head, due the proximity of eye catchers of Orion Nebula and low surface brightness, this target is rarely imaged.
B30 is part of the very large Sharpless object in Orion's head, Sh2-264. This large nebula spans 8 degrees of sky, that's 16 full Moons side by side, whole upper part of this image is covered with Sh2-264. Above image is about three degrees wide.
B30 lies about 1300 light years from Earth, above the triangular group of stars marking the head of constellation Orion.
Latest data from a Spitzer Space Telescope indicates, that this area is a star-birth region with many low mass stars and brown dwarfs.
This image will need much more exposures, at the moment it's too dim and noisy. It'll take some time, since nights are getting shorter and I can shoot this one only two hours, before it's too low.
Processing work flow:
Image acquisition, MaxiDL v5.07.
Stacked and calibrated in CCDStack.
Levels, curves and color combine in PS CS3.
Equipments:
Tokina AT-X 300mm f2.8 @ f2.8
Platform and guiding, Meade LX200 GPS 12" @ f5
Camera, QHY9
Guider, Lodestar
Image Scale, 3,79 arc seconds/pixel
Exposures:
Baader H-alpha 7nm 8x1200s, binned 1x1
PuWe1, a Planetary Nebula in Lynx
Ra 06h 19m 34s Dec +55° 36′ 42"
A gray scale image of H-alpha emission. I'll shoot more H-a and rest of the emission lines,
needed for a color image, later.
Note.
I don't usually publish an image so unfinished but this time I'll like to show a new finding, least it's new to me.
I have never seen an outer halo at any image of PuWe1, there is not too many of them though.
It seems to span about 100 arc minutes, the actual circular body of nebula is about 20 arc minutes wide.
It looks like, that there is a dim brightening at right hand side of the outer halo.
I'll shoot much more lights for this later, then I can confirm, if the halo seen here is 100% real.
PuWe1, (Purgathofer-Weinberger 1, PNG 158.9 + 17.8, PK 158+17.1) is a large circular Planetary Nebula in the constellation of Lynx. It has an apparent diameter of 20' (Outer halo seems to be about 100' wide, if it's rely there) Nebula is very very faint and will need many hours more exposures for better contrast and colors.
Processing work flow:
Image acquisition, MaxiDL v5.07.
Stacked and calibrated in CCDStack.
Levels, curves and color combine in PS CS3.
Equipments:
Tokina AT-X 300mm f2.8 @ f2.8
Platform and guiding, Meade LX200 GPS 12" @ f5
Camera, QHY9
Guider, Lodestar
Image Scale, 3,79 arc seconds/pixel
Exposures so far:
Baader H-alpha 7nm 9x1200s, binned 1x1
More to come...
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