Astro Anarchy

Monday, March 23, 2020

A two frame mosaic photo of Sharpless 205, NGC 1491 and Lynds Bright Nebula 696

I think think this will be my last new photo for the Spring season 2020! Nights are getting very short up here 65 North.

I haven't seen any color photos out of those two large nebulae in this image, SSh2-205 at left and Lynds Bright Nebula 696 at right edge of the photo. (NOTE, South is up.) The astronomer
Richard Perabo Wilds Helped me to recognize this object, many thanks for him!

Sharpless 205, NGC 1491 and Lynds Bright Nebula 696

You really should click the photo to see the large image!

Mapped colors from the emission of ionized elements, R=Sulfur, G=Hydrogen and B=Oxygen.

H-alpha channel alone

Click for a large image

This grayscale photo shows only the light emitted by an ionized hydrogen. (H-alpha)

I actually like grayscale photos very much, somehow they are much more delicate to the subject.

INFO

This must be one of the dimmest targets I have shot so far. There are very weak emission from the ionized oxygen and sulfur, so I was able to make a three band color composition.
There are lots of 20 min. sub-exposures, total exposure time for H-alpha emission is 25h, for O-III 9h and for S-II 9h. Total 43h from several nights between 28.02 and 21.03.
Total exposure time is 43 hours but the effective exposure time is much more 30 hours of of sub-exposures was taken as binned down to 2x2. It means that four pixels act like a one pixel, the resolution drops to 1/4 from original but the signal is four times stronger. When binned down 2x2 the signal in 30 hours of exposure has as strong signal as in 120 hours of exposures at binning level 1x1!

My imaging system works better than I thought when I build it. Old Tokina AT-x 300 mm f2.8 camera lens, Astrodon narrowband filter set (H-a 5nm, O-III 3nm & S-II 3nm) and Apogee Alta U16 astro camera with 9 microns pixel size and 4096 x 4096 pixel CCD array. This gives me spatial resolution of about six arc seconds / pixel. Undersampling is a great thing, if you want to capture some very dim nebulae in relatively short time!

I was using my VARES imaging method to this photo. (VAriable RESolution imaging) All the high signal/noise elements, like stars and brighter parts of the nebula are from binning level 1x1. Lower signal/noise elements, like dim background glow and dimmer parts of the nebula clouds, are from binning level 2x2. Lower binning modes, like 4x4 or 8x8, was not used this time. There star field is way too dense at 300mm focal length when shooting at 6 arch seconds / pixel.

Orientation

This really is a large target, it spans about eleven degrees horizontally.

Sharpless 205 & NGC 1491

Click for a large image (~1300 x 1300 pixels)

Mapped colors from the emission of ionized elements, R=Sulfur, G=Hydrogen and B=Oxygen.

A 1:1 closeup from upper right corner

Click for a large image

Full resolution detalji, NGC 1491 at middle up

An older long focal length image of NGC 1491

Click for a large image

Image from Spring 2015, more info here, https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2015/04/ngc-1491.html

NGC 1491 is a very dim target in Perseus. Original image from the Spring season 2015. Image is reprocessed, about twenty hours of new data added from the new wide field image. (Unpublished) Added data is very dim background glow from ionized hydrogen, sulfur and oxygen, it's pretty featureless so difference in resolution does no harm the image. The final photo is now deeper with better colors.

Lynds Bright Nebula 696
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

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 43 hours
(30 hours was shot binned down 2x2, that gives equal signal as 120 hours of 1x1 binned exposures!)

H-alpha, 15 x 1200 s, binned 1x1 = 13 h
H-alpha, 21 x 1200 s, binned 2x2 = 14 h
O-III, 9 x 1200 s, binned 2x2 = 8 h
S-II, 9 x 1200 s. binned 2x2 = 8 h

Tuesday, March 17, 2020

A rare image, Sharpless 205 and NGC 1491 in constellation Perseus

The imaging season is getting shorter up here 65N, in a few weeks we run out of an astronomical darkness for about six months.

Sharpless lays high at South East at around nine o'clock I can shoot it about five to six hours before my view gets blocked by a punch of antennas and the wall. I have about six degree field of view in my current imaging system, the Sh2-205 and NGC 1491 next to it fits very well in my field.

This is a very dim target, undersampled optical configuration, binning and a longish integration time helps to bring out details and faint surrounding nebulosity. I haven't seen many photos about this target around. Total exposure time 18 hours. (Note! 15 hours of it was shot binned down 2x2, that gives equal signal as 60 hours of 1x1 binned exposures!)

Sharpless 205 & NGC 1491

Click for a large image (~1300 x 1300 pixels)

Mapped colors from the emission of ionized elements, R=Sulfur, G=Hydrogen and B=Oxygen.

H-alpha channel alone, labeled

Click for a large image

Image in light emitted by an ionized hydrogen (H-alpha emission line)

A 1:1 closeup

Full resolution detalji, NGC 1491 at middle up

An older long focal length image of NGC 1491

Click for a large image

Image from Spring 2015, more info here, https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2015/04/ngc-1491.html

INFO

Sharpless 205 (Sh2-205) is a very dim emission nebula in constellation Perseus. The brighter peanut shaped area at the middle is known as Sharpless 205.

NGC 1491 is a little brighter emission nebula that lays at upper right corner of the image. It has a distance of about 11.000 light years from Earth. A strong stellar wind from a star BD +50 ° 886 is blowing the gas away. The radiation from the star makes the gas glow by ionizing elements in the nebula.

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 18 hours
(15 hours was shot binned down 2x2, that gives equal signal as 60 hours of 1x1 binned exposures!)

H-alpha, 15 x 1200 s, binned 1x1 = 5 h
H-alpha, 21 x 1200 s, binned 2x2 = 7 h
O-III, 9 x 1200 s, binned 2x2 = 3 h
S-II, 9 x 1200 s. binned 2x2 = 3 h

Saturday, March 14, 2020

From Bubble to Cave, round II

I have published a horizontal version of this image few days ago, it can be seen here, https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2020/03/from-bubble-to-cave-nebula-area.html
This vertical version works too, it's little longer, than horizontal one. This area is part of much larger mosaic image of Cepheus, it can be seen here, https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2020/03/great-mosaic-of-cepheus.html

From Bubble to Cave Nebula

Click for a large image,

Image is in mapped colors from a light from the ionized elements, hydrogen = green, sulfur = red and oxygen = blue.

Sharpless 157, a Zoom Out Series
Click for a large image, NOTE, 4500 x 1024 pixels!

I made a Zoom out serie about Sharpless 157. It's a complex region near the famous Bubble nebula and it's kind of large. There are not too many photos of it around. I have marked the apparent size of the full Moon in each image. The angular size of a Moon is about 0,5 degrees, that's 30 arc minutes.
This kind of image gives an idea, how complex and fractal the gas structures can be. there are endless amount of variations and new details at every zoom level and beyond.

Technical details

The vertical image is taken with Tokina AT-x camera optics, Apogee Alta U16 astrocamera and Astrodon narrowband filter set. Info about my imaging system can be seen here,

https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2020/01/the-frankenstein-monster-my-current.html
Some older parts of the photo are taken back in 2014 with QHY9 astrocam, Baader narrowband filters and Canon EF 200mm f1.8 camera lens.

Photo is taken from downtown Oulu, Finland. Due to an extensive light pollution I can do only narrowband imaging in my location.

Total exposure time is around 20 hours.

Wednesday, March 11, 2020

From the Bubble to Cave nebula area

Yesterday I published a panoramic photo of constellation Cepheus, there is new material in upper left corner area of the panorama. I made an individual composition out of this interesting area, dark clouds of gas and dust are shadowing light from energetic emission areas. Bubble Nebula can be seen as tiny pearl like formation at middle left. Near the Bubble lays much large Sharpless 157, thae bright area at lower left. Cave Nebula is located to upper right area of the photo.

From Bubble to Cave

Click for a large image

Image is in mapped colors from a light from the ionized elements, hydrogen = green, sulfur = red and oxygen = blue.

Orientation

The area of the new image above is marked as a white rectangle.
Large image and information about this Great Mosaic of Cepheus can be seen here,https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2020/03/great-mosaic-of-cepheus.html

Technical details

Image is taken with Tokina AT-x camera optics, Apogee Alta U16 astrocamera and Astrodon narrowband filter set. Info about my imaging system can be seen here,

Photo is taken from downtown Oulu, Finland. Due to an extensive light pollution I can do only narrowband imaging in my location.

Total exposure time is around 20 hours.

Tuesday, March 10, 2020

Great Mosaic of Cepheus

At 2014 I published a large mosaic image out of Constellation Cepheus. I have now shot new photos from the area and I was able to update my original panoramic photo mosaic.
This is the second updated mosaic image in a week, first one was the Grande Mosaic of Auriga, it can be seen here, https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2020/03/the-grande-mosaic-of-auriga.html

I have now somehow better tools but also my skills has been improved. I have also reprocessed the original photo for better colors and details.

Original mosaic had 10 panels, since my current imaging system has much large image sensor, I was able to cover several panels with just two photos. The mosaic photo has resolution of 13.000 x 7000 pixels and it has twelve panels.
Originally I used The Canon EF 200mm f1.8 camera lens and QHY9 astronomical camera with Baader narrowband filter set. new material is shot with Tokina AT-x 300mm f2.8 camera lens and Apogee Alta U16 astronomical camera with Astrodon 50mm square narrowband filter set.
The total exposure time before current additions was around 92h. With new photos, the exposure time is now over 160h. (Most time is spend for the planetary nebula OU4 at upper right corner. 48 hours.)

Panoramic Photo of Cepheus

Click for a large image, it's worth it! (2400 x 1300 pixels)

Mapped colors from the emission of ionized elements, R=Sulfur, G=Hydrogen and B=Oxygen.
Large image 2400 pixels wide and ~4MB. Original resolution was about 13000 x 7000 pixels.

A detalji from a full size image
Click to see a large image

Dense starfield from about center of the full size photo.

Labeled image

Some main objects are labeled here

Photos used to upgrade the mosaic

Sharpless 132

https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2019/02/sharpless-132-sh2-132.html

IC 1396

https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2020/01/ic-1396-wide-field-reprocessed.html

From the bubble to Cave Nebula

https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2020/01/second-light-for-my-wide-field-imaging.html

OU4

https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2018/12/the-giant-cosmic-squid-nebula-au4-new.html

Sharpless 157 (Sh2-157)

https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2018/02/sharpless-157-in-cassiopeia-project.html

Orientation

The Grande Mosaic of Auriga in visual colors

At 2012 I published a large mosaic image out of constellation auriga. I have now shot new photos from the area and I was able to update my original panoramic photo mosaic.
I have already made a new mapped color version of it and it can be seen here, https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2020/03/the-grande-mosaic-of-auriga.html

I have now somehow better tools but also my skills has been improved. In this image there are active star forming regions and there are two supernova remnants visible in this panoramic image. I have also reprocessed the original photo for better colors and details.

Original mosaic has 12 panels, since my current imaging system has much large image sensor, I was able to cover several panels with just two photos. The photo has resolution of 15.000 x 9000 pixels.
Originally I used The Canon EF 200mm f1.8 camera lens and QHY9 astronomical camera with Baader narrowband filter set. new material is shot with Tokina AT-x 300mm f2.8 camera lens and Apogee Alta U16 astronomical camera with Astrodon 50mm square narrowband filter set.
The total exposure time before current additions was around 70h. With new photos, the exposure time is now 90h.

Panoramic Photo of the constellation Auriga in natural colors

Click for a large image, it's worth it! (2400 x 1300 pixels)

Note, the apparent size of the full Moon is marked as a white circle at lower left corner for the scale.

Natural colors from the emission of ionized elements, R=hydrogen - sulfur, G=Oxygen and B=Oxygen.
Large image 2400 pixels wide and ~4MB. Original resolution was about 15000 x 9000 pixels.

There are some rarely imaged objects, like Sharpless supernova remnants Sh2 224, 225 and 240 (Simeis 147). At middle there are several open clusters and Sharpless objects. (Look for an attached map at end of this page.) Outer parts of IC 405 and 410 Nebula complex are seen too. There is an interesting looking loop of gas at the Left side of the central nebula complex.

H-alpha light only, labeled

Photos used to upgrade the mosaic

Simeis 147, technical details

https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2020/02/simeis-147-sh2-240-large-supernova.html

IC 405 & IC 410, technical details
https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2020/03/new-photo-deep-in-to-darkness.html

A map

Image is implemented in a map from Cartes du Ciel

Sunday, March 8, 2020

The Grande Mosaic of Auriga

At 2012 I published a large mosaic image out of constellation auriga. I have now shot new photos from the area and I was able to update my original panoramic photo mosaic.

I have now somehow better tools but also my skills has been improved. In this image there are active star forming regions and there are two supernova remnants visible in this panoramic image. I have also reprocessed the original photo for better colors and details.

Original mosaic has 12 panels, since my current imaging system has much large image sensor, I was able to cover several panels with just two photos. The photo has resolution of 15.000 x 9000 pixels.
Originally I used The Canon EF 200mm f1.8 camera lens and QHY9 astronomical camera with Baader narrowband filter set. new material is shot with Tokina AT-x 300mm f2.8 camera lens and Apogee Alta U16 astronomical camera with Astrodon 50mm square narrowband filter set.
The total exposure time before current additions was around 70h. With new photos, the exposure time is now 90h.

Panoramic Photo of Auriga

Click for a large image, it's worth it! (2400 x 1300 pixels)

Note, the apparent size of the full Moon is marked as a white circle at lower left corner for the scale.
Mapped colors from the emission of ionized elements, R=Sulfur, G=Hydrogen and B=Oxygen.
Large image 2400 pixels wide and ~4MB. Original resolution was about 15000 x 9000 pixels.

Photos used to upgrade the mosaic

Simeis 147, technical details

https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2020/02/simeis-147-sh2-240-large-supernova.html

IC 405 & IC 410, technical details
https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2020/03/new-photo-deep-in-to-darkness.html

A map

Image is implemented in a map from Cartes du Ciel

Saturday, March 7, 2020

Simeis 147 (Sh2-240) with more light from oxygen, O-III

Simeis 147 is a difficult target due to a low surface brightness and a very large angular diameter.
I have published 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.

I have collected now more exposures from light emitted by ionized oxygen, O-III. Now there are some blue hues from O-III light visible in the final image of supernova remnant Simeis 147.
previous version can be seen here, https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2020/02/simeis-147-sh2-240-large-supernova_22.html

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!
Image is in natural color palette combined from narrowband channels, H-alpha, S-II and O-III.
An ionized hydrogen and sulfur are both emitting red light, an ionized oxygen emits blue/turquoise light. 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.

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

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, 15 x 1200 s, binned 1x1 = 5 h

O-III, 48x 600 s, binned 2x2 = 8 h

S-II, 1 x 12 x 600 s. binned 2x2 = 2 h

Friday, March 6, 2020

The Birth of Venus

I posted yesterday a photo of IC 405 & IC 410 area in constellation Auriga. I noticed that it was partly overlapping with my latest supernova remnant photo, the Simeis 147.
I was able to make a mosaic image from those two photos. I selected this unorthodox composition to publish my photo since it has a deeper meaning to me.

This composition has a same spirit, than a famous Italian painting The Birth of Venus (Nascita di Venere) by Botticelli, made in mid 1480.
When we are looking the remains of the supernova, we are looking the birthplace of building blocks we are made of. All the heavier elements than hydrogen and helium are formed in supernova explosion, like iron, oxygen and carbon. That's the real birth place of Venus!

The Birth of Venus

Click for a large image

Image is in mapped colors, Simeis 147 supernova remnant at top, IC 410 and iC 405 at bottom left.

The Birth of Venus, a central part of the painting was my inspiration.
Note, only central part of the painting is shown here. The whole painting of Botticelli can be seen here, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Birth_of_Venus

The whole painting

Source, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Birth_of_Venus

Technical details for upper and lower mosaic panel.

Panel 1, Simeis 147, technical details

https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2020/02/simeis-147-sh2-240-large-supernova.html

Panel 2, IC 405 & IC 410, technical details
https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2020/03/new-photo-deep-in-to-darkness.html

Thursday, March 5, 2020

New photo "Deep In To Darkness"

We are soon running out of darkness up here 65 North. I had a one good night between Tuesday and Wednesday and I got five hours data collected for IC 410 and IC 405.

f2.8 300mm camera lens, Tokina AT-x, combined with a large 9 micron pixels in Apogee Alta U16 astro camera gives me spatial resolution of 6 arcseconds/pixel. It's little undersampled but works extremely well for my purposes to capture very dim nebula structures.

Deep In To Darkness, IC 405, IC 410 and companions

Click for a full resolution image, It's worth it!

Mapped colors from the emission of ionized elements, R=Sulfur, G=Hydrogen and B=Oxygen.

H-alpha channel alone, labeled

A closeup

Tokina lens draws beautifully, when focused and collimated well.

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, 3 x 1200 s, binned 2x2 = 1 h
S-II, 3 x 1200 s. binned 2x2 = 1 h

COPYRIGHT, PLEASE NOTE

Monday, March 23, 2020

A two frame mosaic photo of Sharpless 205, NGC 1491 and Lynds Bright Nebula 696

Tuesday, March 17, 2020

A rare image, Sharpless 205 and NGC 1491 in constellation Perseus

Saturday, March 14, 2020

From Bubble to Cave, round II

Wednesday, March 11, 2020

From the Bubble to Cave nebula area

Tuesday, March 10, 2020

Great Mosaic of Cepheus

The Grande Mosaic of Auriga in visual colors

Sunday, March 8, 2020

The Grande Mosaic of Auriga

Saturday, March 7, 2020

Simeis 147 (Sh2-240) with more light from oxygen, O-III

Friday, March 6, 2020

The Birth of Venus

Thursday, March 5, 2020

New photo "Deep In To Darkness"

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