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Friday, November 16, 2018

Dark Clouds of Cygnus



My source of endless visual treasures is the constellation Cygnus. Supernova remnants, planetary nebulae, emission nebulae and complex dark nebula networks among the other beautiful objects and cosmic phenomena.  

I went through my photographic material, I have shot this area of sky for many years and some of my photos are overlapping. I was able to make some new compositions by stitching photos together seamlessly. 


Dark Clouds of Cygnus
Please, click for a large image

Mapped colours from the emission of ionized elements, R=Sulphur, G=Hydrogen and B=Oxygen.
There are material from four individual images combined to this composition. 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 2015 and 2017, total exposure time is around 20h.


Wilder View photo of the NA and Pelican nebula

Please, click for a  large image

The area of the panoramic image is marked as white rectangle. This older photo from 2012 is shot with a Tokina AT/X 300mm f2.8 camera lens, QHY9, a cooled astrocam and the Baader narrowband filter set.





Thursday, November 15, 2018

Pelican Nebula panorama



My source of endless visual treasures is the constellation Cygnus. Supernova remnants, planetary nebulae, emission nebulae and complex dark nebula networks among the other beautiful objects and cosmic phenomena.  I went through my photographic material from constellation Cygnus, I have shot this area of sky for many years and some of my photos are overlapping. I was able to make some panoramic mosaics out of this overlapping material.


Pelican and North America Nebula panorama
Please, click for a high resolution photo, 1052 x 2258 pixels!


Mapped colours from the emission of ionized elements, R=Sulphur, G=Hydrogen and B=Oxygen.
There are material from four individual images combined to this panoramic view. 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 2015 and 2017, total exposure time is around 30h.


Wilder View photo of the NA and Pelican nebula
Please, click for a  large image

The area of the panoramic image is marked as white rectangle. This older photo from 2012 is shot with a Tokina AT/X 300mm f2.8 camera lens, QHY9, a cooled astrocam and the Baader narrowband filter set.







Monday, November 5, 2018

Sharpless 157 in Cassiopeia


I originally shot data for this Sharpless catalog object as Spring season 2018. I noticed that, I haven't publish a visual spectrum image out of it yet. So here we go, Sh2-157 in visual spectrum from narrowband channels.The mixture I'm using gives a very realistic color scheme. 

Red color is mixed by emission of an ionized hydrogen and Sulfur, 80% of H-alpha and 20% of S-II.
Green color is from the emission of an ionized oxygen, 100% of O-III
Blue color is mixed from the emission of an ionized oxygen and hydrogen, 85% of O-III and 15% of H-alpha. (The emission of an ionized hydrogen is added to compensate other wise missing H-beta emission.)

A mapped color version can be seen here:


A two frame mosaic of the Sharpless 157 (Sh2-157)
Please, click for a large image


Natural color scheme from the emission of an ionized elements, H-a, S-II and O-III
The photo width is about one degree of sky. (The full Moon covers about 0,5 degrees of the sky.)


An experimental starless version
Please, click for a large image


Details of the actual nebula stands out better in this experimental starless version.



close up
Please, click for a large image




INFO

Sharpless 157

The night sky between the constellations Cassiopeia and Cepheus is rich with nebulae and star clusters. The nebulae visible in this image include Sharpless 157 and Lynd’s Bright Nebula 537. The star clusters include Markarian 50 and NGC 7510. The planetary Nebula PLN 110-0.1 (WeSb) can be seen at lower left.

Sharpless 157 is sometimes referred to as the Lobster Claw Nebula for obvious reasons. The bright spot at upper left quarter of this photo is Lynd’s Bright Nebula (LBN) 537. Also designated at Sh 2 – 157a, it is a ring nebula around the Wolf-Rayet star WR 157.

At the lower right quarter of the image lays open star cluster NGC 7510.


With labels
Please, click for a large image




An older wide field photo of the area
Please, click for a large image


The area of a new photo is marked as a white rectangle. The Bubble nebula can be seen as a bluish pearl, just half a degree North West from the Sharpless 157. 
This photo is shot at 2007 with a QHY 8, a cooled astro camera and the Baader narrowband filter set, H-a, S-II and O-III. Tokina AT-X 300mm camera lens @ f2.8


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
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

Exposure times

H-alpha, 24 x 1200 s, binned 2x2 = 8 h
O-III, 10 x 1200 s, binned 4x4 = 3 h 20 min.
S-II, 9 x 1200 s. binned 4x4 = 3 h
Total 14 h 20 min

A single uncropped, calibrated and stretched 20 min. exposures as they come out from the camera.

H-alpha




S-II




O-III





LBN 239 and 243 in visual spectrum


Two of my latest photos are overlapping, so I was able to stitch them together to this two panel mosaic image.  This time in visual colors combined from narrowband channels, H-alpha, S-II and O-III. Mapped color version can be seen in my previous post HERE

LBN 239 and 243 in Constellation Cygnus
Please, click for a large image

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.


Image info and the technical data

Exposure times, equipments, filters and processing information for the both frames in this two panel mosaic image can be found behind the links.

Upper part of the photo above:
https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2018/10/this-new-photos-shows-lbn-251-and.html

Bottom half:
https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2018/11/lbn-243.html


Sunday, November 4, 2018

LBN 239 and 243


Two of my latest photos are overlapping, so I was able to stitch them together to this two panel mosaic image. 


LBN 239 and 243 in Constellation Cygnus
Please, click for a large image

This two panel mosaic image is in mapped colours, from the emission of ionized elements, R=Sulphur, G=Hydrogen and B=Oxygen. 



Photos used for this mosaic image


Bow Tie of LBN 251, LBN 239 and the IC 1311
Click for a large photo


More info and technical detais, https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2018/10/this-new-photos-shows-lbn-251-and.html

LBN 243
Click for a large image



More info and technical detais, https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2018/11/lbn-243.html





Saturday, November 3, 2018

Just for a fun


Natural phenomenons has a tendency to have the same patterns.


Brain vessels VS Supernova remnant
Please, click for a large image

At left, a MRA-image of the human brain vessel system. At right, a supernova remnant Simeis 147 in constellation Taurus.

The MRA photo of brain vessels is form here:
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-018-07182-7

My photo of Simeis 147 supernova remnant can be seen here:
https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2013/09/a-supernova-remnant-simeis-147.html



LBN 243



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, the emission nebula LBN 243. It's a kind of dim target and I was able to dig out some extreme dim emission of ionized oxygen too (O-III) I haven't seen any pictures focusing to this target so far.


LBN 243
Click for a large image

Image is in mapped colours, from the emission of ionized elements, R=Sulphur, G=Hydrogen and B=Oxygen. The signal for ionized oxygen, O-III, was very weak.




An experimental starless version
Click for a large image

It's much easier to see the shapes and details in actual nebula, when the stars are removed.


Orientation in large context
Click for a large image

The area of interest is marked as a white rectangle.


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

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


APOD by NASA, Astro Anarchy gets published


Astronomy Picture of the Day

My shot of the Cygnus Shell, supernova remnant W63, was selected today as an APOD (Astronomy Picture of the Day) by NASA. You can see the NASA page here: https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap181102.html


Cygnus Shell, W63
Please, click for a large photo it's worth it!


Image is in mapped colours, from the emission of ionized elements, R=Sulphur, G=Hydrogen and B=Oxygen. This mosaic image of twelve individual panels covers about four degrees of sky vertically.
Original blogpost with the technical details can be found from here:
https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2018/10/a-very-rare-photo-cygnus-shell.html


Thursday, November 1, 2018

The sky on fire, filaments of the Western cygnus

I have shot the constellation Cygnus for many years with different instruments. Due to that, I'm able to build mosaic by using some overlapping images.

This is a two frame mosaic from the Western part of the Cygnus nebula complex. Blueish hues are emission from the Cygnus Shell, a supernova remnant W63

This two panel mosaic image has a total exposure time of about 28 hours.
Each panel is shot with Celestron Edge 11" reflecting telescope (with a 0.7 focal reducer), Apogee Alta U16 cooled astrocamera and Astrodon narrowband filter set (5nm H-alpha, 3nm S-II and 3nm O-III)

The Sky on Fire
Please, click for a large image

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.




Photo in mapped colors
Please, click for a large image

Image is in mapped colours, from the emission of ionized elements, R=Sulphur, G=Hydrogen and B=Oxygen. This mosaic image of two individual panels covers about one and half degrees of sky vertically.



H-alpha emission alone
Please, click for a large image




Wednesday, October 31, 2018

Filaments of Cygnus




I have shot the constellation Cygnus for many years with different instruments. Due to that, I'm able to build mosaic images from my overlapping material. This time I made a four panel mosaic showing remains of  the two exploded stars in Western Cygnus.

Bluish hues at left part of the panoramic image are from supernova remnant W63. At most right lays the planetary nebula PM 1-320.

This four panel panoramic mosaic has a total exposure time of about 35 hours.
Each panel is shot with Celestron Edge 11" reflecting telescope (with a 0.7 focal reducer), Apogee Alta U16 cooled astrocamera and Astrodon narrowband filter set (5nm H-alpha, 3nm S-II and 3nm O-III)

Filaments of cygnus
Please, click for a large image

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.



H-alpha alone
Please, click for a large image

This photo shows the light from an ionized hydrogen (H-alpha emission) alone 



Filaments of Cygnus in mapped colors
Please, click for a large image

Image is in mapped colours, from the emission of ionized elements, R=Sulphur, G=Hydrogen and B=Oxygen. This mosaic image of four individual panels covers about four degrees of sky vertically.






Monday, October 29, 2018

Clouds of Swan



A new photo from last night. Detail shot from the central area of the Cygnus nebula complex.


Clouds of Swan
Please, click for a large image

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


An experimental starless version
Please, click for a large image

The details of gas formation are standing out better in this starless version.


A two panel mosaic
Please, click for a large image

My older photo of central Cygnus was overlapping with the new image, so I was able to build a two frame panoramic mosaic.


Orientation in Cygnus Nebula complex
Please, click for a large image

The area of two panel mosaic is marked as a white rectangle.

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

Exposure times for both panels together

H-alpha, 9 x 1200 s, binned 2x2 = 3 h
O-III, 3 x 1200 s, binned 4x4 = 1 h.
S-II, 3 x 1200 s. binned 4x4 = 1 h


Thursday, October 25, 2018

This new photos shows the LBN 251 and companions in Cygnus


My latest photo show a busy area in Cygnus, there are not too many photos out of this area alone.
My large mosaic image of cygnus shows this object group as pow tie shaped formation.



Bow Tie of LBN 251, LBN 239 and the IC 1311
Click for a large photo

This two panel mosaic image is in mapped colours, from the emission of ionized elements, R=Sulphur, G=Hydrogen and B=Oxygen. 


H-alpha emission only
Click for a large photo

This grayscale photo shows just the emission of an ionized hydrogen, H-alpha,


Closeup of LBN 239
Click for a large photo

The dense star group at bottom left is the open cluster IC 1311


Orientation in the large context
Click for a large photo

The area of interest is marked as a white rectangle 


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

Exposure times for both panels together

H-alpha, 18 x 1200 s, binned 2x2 = 6 h
O-III, 9 x 1200 s, binned 4x4 = 3 h.
S-II, 9 x 1200 s. binned 4x4 = 3 h
Total 12 h.


Tuesday, October 23, 2018

A very rare photo, Cygnus Shell, supernova remnant G82.2 + 5.3 W63 in visual spectrum


I have now finalized my imaging project with this not so well known, supernova remnant, W63, in Western part of the constellation Cygnus.

This time I made a version in visual colors from narrowband channels. 
Red light from an ionized hydrogen, H-alpha, is dominating the scene. The actual supernova remnant glows in blueish light  emitted by an ionized oxygen, O-III. The mapped color version can be seen in my previous blog post.

The final photo is a twelve panel mosaic with a total exposure time of over 100h. Image is shot with a Celestron Edge 1100 (with a 0.7 focal reducer), Apogee Alta U16 and AstroDon narrowband filters (5nm H-alpha 3nm S-II and 3nm O-III)

Individual panels are shot between years 2015 and 2018. O-III and some missed data are shot at this ongoing Autumn season.


Cygnus Shell, W63, in visual spectrum
Please, click for a large photo it's worth it!

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.
A mapped color version can be seen HERE


Jus the light from an ionized oxygen, O-III

Four panel mosaic of W63 supernova remnant in O-III light alone


Orientation in a large context
Please, click for a large photo it's worth it!

A large 18-panel mosaic image of the Cygnus Nebula Complex shows 22 x 14 degrees of sky.
The W63 supernova remnant can be seen as a blueish ring at upper middle. More info about this grande mosaic image can be found from HERE


INFO
W63 (G82.2+5,3) is a large supernova remnant that can be observed in the north region of Cygnus at distance of about 5200 light years. 
It spans around 100 arcminutes and its filaments are expanding at speed ranging from 35 to 70 km/s. In 2004 the existence in this supernova remnant of an X-ray pulsar with 36 second period was reported.