Saturday, April 4, 2020
Greyscale wonders
All the photos, I have published, are taken with a grayscale astronomical camera. Each color channel is shot separately and then combined to RGB color image. Since I'm doing only narrowband imaging due the extensive light pollution color channels are are emission line images. Most of the time I'm capturing three emission lines hydrogen, sulfur and oxygen. (H-alpha, S-II and O-III)
Usually most of the details are in hydrogen alpha emission line. Gray scale images can be really beautiful and many times I personally like them best. I will publish now some of my images from this winter season as a grayscale compositions.
Please, open the full size photo by clicking the image, it's really worth it!
Deep in the Heart Nebula
Heart Nebula in light of an ionized hydrogen, color image and technical details can be seen here, https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2020/01/deep-in-to-my-heart-ic-1805-in-mapped.html
Supernova remnant IC 443
Color image and technical details can be seen here, https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2020/03/supernova-remnant-ic-443-wide-field.html
IC 405 & 410
Color image and technical details can be seen here, https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2020/03/new-photo-deep-in-to-darkness.html
Supernova remnant IC 443
IC 405 & 410
Wednesday, April 1, 2020
Two ways to go in a same field of view, planetary nebula Sh2-216 & supernova remnant Sh2-221
I have reprocessed this photo from March 1 2020, now the composition is more dynamic and colors are more vivid. Original photo can be seen here, https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2020/03/two-ways-to-die-sh2-216-sh2-221.html
This must be one of the dimmest targets I have shot. The supernova remnant Simeis 147 is large and dim but this nebula pair in Auriga is much dimmer. There are very few images about this target around. Photo is taken with Tokina AT-x 300mm f2.8 camera lens and Apogee Alta U16 astro camera.
Supernova remnant and a planetary nebula in the same field of view
Click for a large photo, it's worth it!
Image spans about six degrees horizontally, at left lays the large and very dim planetary nebula Sharpless 216 (aka Simeis 288, Marsalkova 44, LBN 742, GN 04.41.3)
This planetary nebula is the closest known planetary nebula to Earth, about 390 light years, and also one of the oldest known. Due the old age, it's very diffused, dim and large, apparent diameter is about 1,6 degrees. (Full Moon is about 0,5 degrees wide)
At right side of the photo lays a dim nad diffused supernova remnant Sh2-221 (SNR G160.4+02.8, HB9) it locates in constellation Auriga, about one degree West from star Capella. (Doesn't show in my image) The distance from the Earth, 2600 light years, is determined recently at 2007. This object was recognized as a supernova remnant back at seventies.
H-alpha, 36 x 1200 s, binned 1x1 = 12 h
O-III, 33 x 1200 s, binned 2x2 = 11 h
S-II, 9 x 1200 s. binned 2x2 = 3 h
An experimental starless image
Click for a large photo
Mapped colors from the emission of ionized elements, R=Sulfur, G=Hydrogen and B=Oxygen.
Image spans about six degrees vertically!
Photo in visual spectrum
Click for a large photo
The red glow from an ionized hydrogen (H-alpha) is dominating the view, bluish hues are from an ionized oxygen (O-III)
H-alpha image
Click for a large photo
This grayscale image shows only the light emitted by an ionized hydrogen.
INFO
Sh2-216, the closest planetary nebula to earth ever discovered.
Image spans about six degrees horizontally, at left lays the large and very dim planetary nebula Sharpless 216 (aka Simeis 288, Marsalkova 44, LBN 742, GN 04.41.3)
This planetary nebula is the closest known planetary nebula to Earth, about 390 light years, and also one of the oldest known. Due the old age, it's very diffused, dim and large, apparent diameter is about 1,6 degrees. (Full Moon is about 0,5 degrees wide)
Supernova remnant Sh2-221
At right side of the photo lays a dim nad diffused supernova remnant Sh2-221 (SNR G160.4+02.8, HB9) it locates in constellation Auriga, about one degree West from star Capella. (Doesn't show in my image) The distance from the Earth, 2600 light years, is determined recently at 2007. This object was recognized as a supernova remnant back at seventies.
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
5nm H-alpha 3nm S-II and 3nm O-III
Total exposure time 26h
H-alpha, 36 x 1200 s, binned 1x1 = 12 h
O-III, 33 x 1200 s, binned 2x2 = 11 h
S-II, 9 x 1200 s. binned 2x2 = 3 h
Orientation in Auriga
An experimental starless image
Click for a large photo
Tuesday, March 31, 2020
From Cassiopeia to Cepheus
This spring season I have shot wider field images with 300 mm f2.8 camera optics. Here are couple of panoramic mosaic images made by overlapping photos.
I do many of my mosaic images by shooting individual artworks pre planned so, that after few years I have overlapping photos from most of the area. Then I do some additional shots to fill the gaps.
My workflow is so constant, that very little or none tweaking is needed when it's time to joint the pieces together.
From CTB1 to Cave nebula
Click for a large mage, it's worth it!
CTB1 supernova remnant at upper left, Cave Nebula at upper right. Image is in mapped colors from a light from the ionized elements, hydrogen = green, sulfur = red and oxygen = blue.
Link to CTB1 image, https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2020/02/ctb1-supernova-remnant-in-cassiopeia.html Link to Cave Nebula area photo, https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2020/03/from-bubble-to-cave-round-ii.html
Even wider view
Click for a large mage
From Cassiopeia to Cepheus
Unfinished mosaic with Cederblad 214 (The Cosmic Question Mark)
Click for a large mage
Image is in mapped colours, from the emission of ionized elements, R=Sulphur, G=Hydrogen and B=Oxygen.
Link to CTB1 image, https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2020/02/ctb1-supernova-remnant-in-cassiopeia.html Link to Cave Nebula area photo, https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2020/03/from-bubble-to-cave-round-ii.html
Even wider view
Click for a large mage
Unfinished mosaic with Cederblad 214 (The Cosmic Question Mark)
Click for a large mage
CTB1 (Abell 85)
Please, click for a large image, it's worth it.
An older longer focal length image back from 2016
Please, click for a large image
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
Mosaic in visual colors
Large mosaic photograph, shot between 2014 - 2020, 160h
Click for a large mage
INFO about this mosaic photo, https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2020/03/great-mosaic-of-cepheus.html
Monday, March 30, 2020
IC 63 and NGC 281
I shot data for this image few weeks ago at 7.3.2020. little over two hours for H-alpha light and only 20 min for both O-III and S-III. Beside that I took colors from my older longer focal length images of NGC 281 and IC 63. There is a reflection nebula component in IC 63 but in this narrowband image the blueish hueas are from an ionized oxygen, O-III.
IC 63 & NGC 281
Click for a large image
Image is an visual colors from light of an ionized elements, hydrogen, sulfur and oxygen.
Orientation in Cassiopeia
Click for a large image
Older longer focal length photos
IC 63
Click for a large image
Image details, https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2017/01/the-ghost-of-christmas-past-ic-63.html
NGC 281
Click for a large image
Image details, https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2014/11/ngc-281-siamese-fighting-fish.html
Orientation in Cassiopeia
Click for a large image
Older longer focal length photos
IC 63
Click for a large image
NGC 281
Click for a large image
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