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Saturday, November 3, 2018

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