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Wednesday, October 3, 2018

First light for the Autumn season 2018, Filaments of the Western Cygnus



After a long mandatory Summer pause, due to high latitude, I managed to have my first light for this season! My first target locates in Western part of the Cygnus nebula complex. This area is not commonly imaged due to close proximity of more famous and brighter target in Cygnus.

As usually, this single image is a start of the longer imaging projet. My purpose is to make a four panel mosaic out of this area.


Filaments of the Western Cygnus
Please, click for a large image

Image is in mapped colours, from the emission of ionized elements, R=Sulphur, G=Hydrogen and B=Oxygen. The photo width is about one degree of sky. (The full Moon covers about 0,5 degrees of sky.)


Photo in visual palette
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.


Orientation in Cygnus

The area of interest is marked as a white rectangle 


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, 12 x 1200 s, binned 2x2 = 4 h
O-III, 9 x 1200 s, binned 4x4 = 3 h.
S-II, 9 x 1200 s. binned 4x4 = 3 h
Total 10 h.





Tuesday, February 6, 2018

Sharpless 157 in Cassiopeia, project continues



Few weeks ago I published a new photo of Sharpless 157, it can be seen HERE. We had one of
the rare clear nights at last Sunday night. I managed to get just enough exposures to add a second  frame to this two frame mosaic image of Sh2-157.


Sharpless 157 (Sh2-157)
Please, click for a large image

Image is in mapped colours, from the emission of ionized elements, R=Sulphur, G=Hydrogen and B=Oxygen. The photo width is about one degree of sky. (The full Moon covers about 0,5 degrees of sky.)


An experimental starless version
Please, click for a large image




A closeup
Please, click for a large image

Detail from  middle right


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 astrocamera and the Baader narrowband filter set, H-a, S-II and O-III


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





Sharpless 157, project continues



The weather conditions up here 65N has been worst in ten years astro photographyvise 













Wednesday, January 17, 2018

Sharpless 157 (Sh2-157) in visual colors


We have had only two clear nights, January 7. and 8., at this month. I shot exposures for this target at both nights.

I have publish a mapped color version out of Sharpless 157 at January 14. This new version shows the target in visual spectrum. Ionized hydrogen (H-alpha) and sulfur (S-II) are emitting red light, ionized oxygen (O-III) emits bluish light. This is a kind of difficult target due to large intensity variations and low surface brightness.


Sharpless 157 (Sh2-157)
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. A mapped color version can be seen HERE.


A closeup
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.

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.



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 astrocamera and the Baader narrowband filter set, H-a, S-II and O-III


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, 12 x 1200 s, binned 2x2 = 4 h
O-III, 10 x 1200 s, binned 4x4 = 3 h 20 min.
S-II, 9 x 1200 s. binned 4x4 = 3 h
Total 10 h 20 min


A single uncropped, calibrated and stretched 20 min. exposures, for H-alpha, S-II and O-III emissions, as they come out from the camera.

H-alpha



S-II




O-III



Sunday, January 14, 2018

Sharpless 157 between Cassiopeia and Cepheus



We have had only two clear nights, January 7. and 8., at this month. I shot exposures for this target at both nights. This is a kind of difficult target due to large intensity variations and low surface brightness.

Sharpless 157 (Sh2-157)
Please, click for a large image

Image is in mapped colours, from the emission of ionized elements, R=Sulphur, G=Hydrogen and B=Oxygen. The photo covers about one square degree of sky. (The full Moon covers about 0,5 degrees of sky.)



A closeup
Please, click for a large image

Detail from the upper left corner



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.

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.



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 astrocamera and the Baader narrowband filter set, H-a, S-II and O-III


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, 12 x 1200 s, binned 2x2 = 4 h
O-III, 10 x 1200 s, binned 4x4 = 3 h 20 min.
S-II, 9 x 1200 s. binned 4x4 = 3 h
Total 10 h 20 min


A single uncropped, calibrated and stretched 20 min. exposures, for H-alpha, S-II and O-III emissions, as they come out from the camera.

H-alpha




S-II




O-III






Saturday, January 13, 2018

IC1396, a detail image



We have had two clear nights in this month. Here is my "quickie" shot of IC1396 from night at January 07.

Just three hours of exposures with Apogee Alta U16 and Atrodon H-alpha filter 5nm. Colors are from my older wide field photo.


A detail of IC1396
please, click for a large image

Image is in mapped colours, from the emission of ionized elements, R=Sulphur, G=Hydrogen and B=Oxygen. The photo covers about one square degree of sky. (The full Moon covers about 0,5 degrees of sky.)


A wider view
please, click for a large image

Area of the new photo is marked as a white rectangle to this older wide field photo of IC1396.  Image is from year 2010 and it's taken with Canon EF 200 mm f1.8 camera optics, Baader narrowband filters and QHY9 astronomical camera. 


Even wider view
please, click for a large image

Area of the new photo is marked as a white rectangle to this older wide field photo of IC1396. This mosaic image of ten panels is back from year 2014 and it's taken with Canon EF 200 mm f1.8 camera optics, Baader narrowband filters and QHY9 astronomical camera. More info about this photo can be seen HERE


Couple of older shots from IC1396 details

Elephant's Trunk Nebula

Blog post with information can be seen HERE


Another detail of IC1396

Blog post with information can be seen HERE




Tuesday, January 2, 2018

Sharpless 119 in Cygnus in visual colors



This mosaic image shows the Sharpless 119 (Sh2-119) in a visual spectrum. My previous post about the same target shows it in mapped colors.



Sharpless 119 as a mosaic image of six panels
You really should click for a full size photo!

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.


Sharpless 119 as a two frame mosaic
Please, click for a full size photo

Published at December 13, 2017, more info HERE



The first frame I shot for the mosaic image
Please, click for a full size photo

Published at November 8, 2017, more info HERE


INFO

Sh2-119, Sharpless 119, is a large complex of emission nebulosity in Cygnus constellation, about 2 degrees east of the North American Nebula. It is located just around 68 Cygni, a quite bright star of magnitude 5. (The most bright star in the photo) This target is not very commonly photographed due to a close proximity of brighter and well known targets, like North America and Pelican Nebulae.



A wider field image of the area with the Canon 200mm f1.8 lens
Please, click for a full size image

Sharpless 119 can be seen at lower left corner. The white rectangle shows the location of  my new mosaic photo. Sh2-119 spans about three degrees of sky horizontally. (The full Moon spans about 0,5 degrees of sky.)
This photo was taken with the Canon EF 200mm f1.8 lens and the QHY9 astrocam, Baader narrowband filter set at winter season 2012.



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 filter, 5nm H-alpha

Exposure times

H-alpha, 60x 1200s, binned 2x2 = 20h
O-III and S-II channels are borrowed form my older wide field photos.