Showing posts sorted by date for query QHY8. Sort by relevance Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by date for query QHY8. Sort by relevance Show all posts
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
NGC 281, the Pac-Man Nebula
A new image from the last week, NGC 281, I spend four nights imaging but the bad seeing and some thin upper clouds ruined majority of my frames. I managed to get enough exposures for two images, the Soul Nebula detail and this shot of Pac-Man Nebula.
NGC 281, in Cassiopeia
Ra 00h 52m 59.3s Dec +56° 37′ 19″
Image is in mapped colors from the emission of ionized elements, R=Sulfur, G=Hydrogen and B=Oxygen.
Star colors are shot with a QHY8 color camera, Tokina 300mm f2.8 optics and the Baader UHCs filter.
Image is taken at 21. Jan. and there are 23x20min H-alpha light collected for it, color data is borrowed from my older image of the NGC 281. This is the third time for my tandem camera system, Star and natural color of the nebula are shot at the same time, as the closeup image, with the QHY8 color camera and the Baader UHCs-filter. This filter delivers real colors for the stars, even though it's kind of narrowband filter.
INFO
NGC 281 is an H II region in the constellation of Cassiopeia. It includes the open cluster IC 1590 and several Bok globules (dark doo-dads at center of the Blue area). NGC 281 is also known as the Pac-Man Nebula for its resemblance to the video game character from early 80's.
NGC281 spans over 80 light years at its estimated distance of 9500 light years.
An experimental 3D study of NGC 281
This is a link to a 3D-movie, please, have a look:
NGC 281 in visual colors
Image is in visual spectrum and dominated by the red light emitted by ionized Hydrogen, H-alpha. Blueish hues are from ionized Oxygen, O-III. Colors are shot simultaneously with H-a emission by using QHY8 color camera, Tokina AT-X 300mm f2.8 camera lens and Baader UHCs-filter.
Buy a photographic print from HERE
A study about the shapes
Lines in the image are showing, how the pillar-like formations are all pointing to the source of solar wind and ionization, the open cluster IC 1590, inside the Pack_man Nebula.
There are some denser material at tip of the pillar like formations and it's able to resist the radiation pressure from the open cluster IC 1590, at the middle of the nebula. Typically those tips are future homes for newly born stars, as well as dark globules seen in the image. The same open cluster is coursing the ionization in Pac-Man Nebula by its radiation. each ionized element in the nebula emits light at the typical wave length.
Technical details:
Processing work flow:
Image acquisition, MaxiDL v5.07.
Stacked and calibrated in CCDStack2.
Levels, curves and color combine in PS CS3.
Optics, Meade LX200 GPS 12" @ f5
Camera, QHY9
Guiding, SXV-AO, an active optics unit, and Lodestar guide camera 12Hz
Image Scale, ~0,8 arc-seconds/pixel
24 x 1200s exposures for the H-alpha, emission of ionized Hydrogen = 8h
Optics and exposures used for colors
Tokina AT-X 300mm at f2.8
QHY8, a cooled single shot color camera
Baader UHC-s filter
Baader IR-cut filter
16x900s = 4h
Color channels for a mapped-palette image, O-III and S-II, are from an older image of mine.
A single unprocessed 1200 second frame of H-a emission
A single 20 min. frame, just calibrated and stretched. Imaged with the QHY9 camera, Baader 7nm H-alpha filter and Meade LX200 12" telescope.
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Soul Nebula detail, IC 1848
I was able to shoot through four nights at last week. Unfortunately three of those night was ruined by a bad seeing, FWHM around 7, and nearly invisible thin clouds ate out the weaker signals. However, I had enough good data for couple of new images, here is the first one, IC 1848.
A closeup of IC 1848, the "Soul Nebula"
Ra 02h 51m 36.24s Dec +60° 26′ 53.9"
Image is in mapped colors from the emission of ionized elements, R=Sulfur, G=Hydrogen and B=Oxygen.
Star colors are shot with a QHY8 color camera, Tokina 300mm f2.8 optics and the Baader UHCs filter.
The open cluster IC 1848 can be seen at upper right edge of the image. (Two bright stars surrounded by a group of dimmer stars.)
The open cluster IC 1848 can be seen at upper right edge of the image. (Two bright stars surrounded by a group of dimmer stars.)
There are 14x20min H-alpha light collected for this image, color data is borrowed from my older wide field image of the Soul Nebula. This is the second time for my tandem camera system, Star colors are shot at the same time, as the closeup image, with the QHY8 color camera and the Baader UHCs-filter. This filter delivers real colors for the stars, even though it's kind of narrowband filter.
INFO
Soul Nebula, (Sh2-199, LBN 667) is an emission nebula in constellation Cassiopeia. IC 1848 is a cluster inside Soul Nebula. Distance is about 7.500 light years. This complex is a Eastern neighbor of IC 1805, the "Heart Nebula" and they are often mentioned together as Heart and Soul.
A study about the apparent scale
IC 1848 in visual colors
Image is in visual spectrum and dominated by the red light emitted by ionized Hydrogen, H-alpha. Blueish hues are from ionized Oxygen, O-III. Colors are shot simultaneously with H-a emission by using QHY8 color camera, Tokina AT-X 300mm f2.8 camera lens and Baader UHCs-filter.
Orientation and colors
The area of interest is marked with a white rectangle. Mapped colors, in up most image, are from this one.
This UHCs filtered image was shot simultaneously with H-a emission by using QHY8 color camera, Tokina AT-X 300mm f2.8 camera lens and Baader UHCs-filter.
Colors in visual color image, second from the top, are taken from this image, as well as the star colors in both versions.
Technical details:
Processing work flow:
Image acquisition, MaxiDL v5.07.
Stacked and calibrated in CCDStack2.
Levels, curves and color combine in PS CS3.
Optics, Meade LX200 GPS 12" @ f5
Camera, QHY9
Guiding, SXV-AO, an active optics unit, and Lodestar guide camera 12Hz
Image Scale, ~0,8 arc-seconds/pixel
15 x 1200s exposures for the H-alpha, emission of ionized Hydrogen = 5h
Optics and exposures used for colors
Optics and exposures used for colors
Tokina AT-X 300mm at f2.8
QHY8, a cooled single shot color camera
Baader UHC-s filter
Baader IR-cut filter
16x900s = 4h
16x900s = 4h
Color channels for a mapped-palette image, O-III and S-II, are from an older wide field image.
A single calibrated 1200 second frame of H-a emission
A single 20 min. frame, just calibrated and stretched. Imaged with the QHY9 camera, Baader 7nm H-alpha filter and Meade LX200 12" telescope.
Saturday, January 12, 2013
A heavenly velvet, IC 405
A new image from the night of 10.01.
IC 405, the Flaming Star Nebula
In constellation Auriga
This is a first time when I used two optics and the cameras at the same time.
H-a is shot with my old Meade LX200 12", Baader H-alpha filter and a cooled gray scale astrocamera, QHY9.
Colors are shot at the same time by using a Tokina AT-X 300mm camera lens, Baader UHC-s filter and the cooled single shot color astrocam, QHY8. Tokina system was at back of the Meade telescope.
Image with Tokina AT-X 300mm camera lens, Baader UHC-s filter and QHY8 cooled color camera.
This image was shot at the same time as narrower field H-alpha shot with Meade LX200 12" and QHY9 astro camera.
INFO
IC 405 locates in constellation Auriga and it's an emission/reflection nebula. Reflection component can't be seen in my image, since I'm shooting only narrowband data and reflection part is broadband target.
Distance from Oulu, Finland, is about 1500 light years. Nebula is about 5 light years across.
IC 405, mapped colors in HST-palette
Click for a large image.
Orientation
In a wider field image
The area of interest is marked with a white rectangle.
Wide field images of the area
A twelve panel mosaic of the constellation Auriga in HST-mapped colors.
Note. a largish image, 2.75MB and 2000x1100 pixels.
A blog post about this image, with technical details, can be seen here: http://astroanarchy.blogspot.fi/2012/03/auriga-panorama-gets-bigger-12-panels.html
A central portion of the mosaic above.
Technical details:
Processing work flow:
Image acquisition, MaxiDL v5.07.
Stacked and calibrated in CCDStack2.
Levels, curves and color combine in PS CS3.
Optics, Meade LX200 GPS 12" @ f5
Camera, QHY9
Guiding, SXV-AO, an active optics unit, and Lodestar guide camera 5Hz
Image Scale, ~0,8 arc-seconds/pixel
12 x 1200s exposures for the H-alpha, emission of ionized Hydrogen = 4h
Optics and exposures used for colors
Tokina AT-X 300mm at f2.8
QHY8, a cooled single shot color camera
Baader UHC-s filter
36x300s = 3h
Optics and exposures used for colors
Tokina AT-X 300mm at f2.8
QHY8, a cooled single shot color camera
Baader UHC-s filter
36x300s = 3h
Color channels for HST-palette image, O-III and S-II, are from an older wide field image.
Sunday, September 23, 2012
My equipment
I'm shooting my astronomical images from downtown Oulu. This is my collection of gears needed for my astroimaging. Canon EF 200mm camera lens can't be seen in images here.
This is a new combination from old gears. Now I'm able to shoot with two cameras at ones! QHY9 is used for longer focal length work with my old Meade LX200 GPS 12" telescope at about f5. QHY8, a cooled single shot color imager, is used with Tokina AT- X 300mm camera lens for wide field work.
Now I can have both, a closeup and a wide filed images, from same target at same time. I'll test, if color information from QHY8 camera can be used with images taken by QHY9 camera.
As you can see, I don't have any fancy gears for my work.
Not a pretty boy...
Lots of cords. They might look unorganized but I can sure you, there is a system.
Light path from the telescope to camera. There is an active optics unit at middle. (SXV-AO)
Counterweight, Meade fork mount and the dew heater control box at right.
The other side of the scope.
The ugly yellow fabric, at top, works as an insulation for the
heater stripe at front of the QHY8 camera. It's heated due the frost.
Images taken with Meade LX200 GPS 12" telescope
Friday, February 17, 2012
A panorama mosaic, from IC 1396 to Sh2-129, finalized
A two frame mosaic, from IC 1396 to the Sh2-129
In constellation Cepheus
Note. The dark vertical patch, at middle of the image, is not a seam but a dark nebula. Seam between image halves is located right from the dark nebula and can not be seen.
EDIT.
Image is updated 21.02., I found more material for outer parts. Now the composition is more "spacey".
EDIT.
Image is updated 21.02., I found more material for outer parts. Now the composition is more "spacey".
Last Autumn I shot six hours for new H-alpha light for both objects, IC 1396 & Sharpless 129.
I combined this new data, shot for the mosaic, to all my older material from years 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012. The final composition has a total exposure time of about 40h for all channels.
Data is shot with various optics, Canon EF 200mm f1.8, Tokina AT-X 300mm f2.8 and LX200 GPS 12" f5. QHY9 and QHY8 cameras are used with a Baader narrowband filter set, Ha, O-III and S-II.
Image spans about ten degrees horizontally. (Twenty full Moons side by side)
I was about to made more dynamic composition out of this. The weather up here didn't support the shooting of the required four mosaic frames. Now the composition is more "informative", than beautiful...
I was about to made more dynamic composition out of this. The weather up here didn't support the shooting of the required four mosaic frames. Now the composition is more "informative", than beautiful...
Natural color composition from the emission of ionized elements, R=80%Hydrogen+20%Sulfur, G=100%Oxygen and B=85%Oxygen+15%Hydrogen to compensate otherwise missing H-beta emission. This composition is very close to a visual spectrum.
Ps.
A study about the scale in a sky
Note. Size of the full Moon is marked as a scale.
(Moon has an apparent diameter of 30', that's 0,5 degrees.)
Monday, October 17, 2011
IC 1396, the home of the "Elephant's trunk Nebula"
IC 1396
In constellation Cepheus
HST-palette, from the emission of ionized elements,
R=Sulfur, G=Hydrogen and B=Oxygen.
At the same night, 16. October, I shot my previous target, I had some time left before dawn.
I shot few frames, 6x1200s, of H-alpha for IC 1396. Last time I shot this target, I was using a HY8 single shot color astronomical camera. As it's a color camera, bayer matrix cuts down the effective resolution about 1/4 of the native resolution of CCD. I wanted to test, how visible this difference is.
Older image of IC 1396 can be seen HERE. The difference in resolution is impressive, stars are much tighter now. i did use O-III and S-II channels from this older image to build color compositions. (Resolution of those channels doesn't have any effect to my final image, since I'm using my "Tone Mapping" technique.
IC 1396 spans hundreds of light years at distance of about 3000 light years in constellation Cepheus. The famous formation of glowing gases, the "Elephant's Trunk Nebula" can be seen at six a clock position.
This is an active star formation region and it has several massive young stars inside of it, coursing the ionization of elements in this emission nebula.
I have made a study about the apparent size in a sky:
R=Hydrogen + Sulfur, G=Oxygen and B=Oxygen + Hydrogen.
Older, longer focal length, closeup image of the "Elephant's trunk Nebula"
http://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2011/01/elephants-trunk-nebula-inside-ic-1396.html
Technical details:
Processing work flow:
Image acquisition, MaxiDL v5.07.
Stacked and calibrated in CCDStack2.
Levels, curves and color combine in PS CS3.
Optics, Tokina AT-X 300mm camera lens at f2.8
Camera, QHY9 , a cooled astronomical camera
Guiding, Meade LX200 GPS and the Lodestar guider
Image Scale, ~3,5 arcseconds/pixel
Exposures H-alpha 6x1200s, binned 1x1
(S-II and O-III are borrowed from an older image)
O-III 8x1200s, binned 2x2, QHY8
S-II 3x1200s, binned 2x2, QHY8
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Butterfly Nebula, apparent scale in the sky, a horizontal edition
I have shot many targets with several focal lengths.
Due that, I will publish some images as an image sets, with different field of view and detail levels.
The fractal nature of our universe stands out nicely by this way and it will make the orientation more easy.
Many times, it's difficult to understand the image scale of astronomical images.
Due that, I will add a Moon circle in some of the images to show the angular scale in a sky.
The full Moon has an angular size of ~30 arc minutes, that's equal to ~0,5 degrees.
The "Butterfly Nebula"
In constellation Cygnus
NOTE. The size of the full Moon (0,5 degrees) is marked as a gray circle in all of the images.
Images are in HST-palette, (HST=Hubble Space Telescope) from the emission of ionized elements, R=Sulfur, G=Hydrogen and B=Oxygen. Star colors are mixed from the NB channels, Red=H-a, G=O-III and B= 85%O-III + 15%H-a.
Natural color composition from the emission of ionized elements, R=80%Hydrogen+20%Sulfur, G=100%Oxygen and B=85%Oxygen+15%Hydrogen to compensate otherwise missing H-beta emission. This composition is very close to a visual spectrum.
NOTE. The size of the full Moon (0,5 degrees) is marked as a scale.
A vertical version of the series above:
Images used in the series above
First image is a three panel mosaic of the "Cygnus Trio"
Second one is two panels from a mosaic.
Third is a one panel
fourth is a zoomed crob from the above image.
The mosaic wide field was shot with a Tokina AT-X 300mm f2.8 camera lens with a QHY8 astro camera and a Baader narrowband filter set
All images in this page have been part of an older mosaic, the "Cygnus Trio"
It was my very first APOD (Astronomy Picture Of Day) published by NASA.
http://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2008/11/apod.html
It was my very first APOD (Astronomy Picture Of Day) published by NASA.
http://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2008/11/apod.html
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
The "Pelican Nebula", apparent scale in a sky, second edition
I have shot many targets with several focal lengths.
Due that, I will publish some of my material as an image sets, with different field of view and detail levels.
The fractal nature of our universe stands out nicely by this way and it will make the orientation more easy.
Many times, it's difficult to understand the image scale of astronomical images.
Due that, I will add a Moon circle in some of the images to show the angular scale in a sky.
The full Moon has an angular size of ~30 arc minutes, that's equal to ~0,5 degrees.
Pelican Nebula
In constellation Cygnus
Click for a large images
HST-palette, (HST= Hubble Space Telescope)
from the emission of ionized elements, R=Sulfur, G=Hydrogen and B=Oxygen.NOTE. The size of the full Moon (0,5 degrees) is marked as a scale.
The Pelican Nebula (also known as IC5070 and IC5067) is an Hydrogen emission region associated with the North America Nebula in the constellation Cygnus. The nebula resembles a pelican in shape, hence the name. The Pelican Nebula is , close to Deneb, and divided from its brighter, larger neighbor, the North America Nebula, by a molecular cloud filled with dark dust. Distance is about 1800 light years
The Pelican Nebula (also known as IC5070 and IC5067) is an Hydrogen emission region associated with the North America Nebula in the constellation Cygnus. The nebula resembles a pelican in shape, hence the name. The Pelican Nebula is , close to Deneb, and divided from its brighter, larger neighbor, the North America Nebula, by a molecular cloud filled with dark dust. Distance is about 1800 light years
Natural color composition from the emission of ionized elements, R=80%Hydrogen+20%Sulfur, G=100%Oxygen and B=85%Oxygen+15%Hydrogen to compensate otherwise missing H-beta emission. This composition is very close to a visual spectrum.
NOTE. The size of the full Moon (0,5 degrees) is marked as a scale.
Two images are used for the series, first is a wide field shot with a Tokina AT-X 300mm f2.8 camera lens.
Second image, at the bottom, is shot with a Meade LX200 GPS 12" reduced under 2000mm.
Baader narrowband filter set was used with both images, wide field was shot with a QHY8 and closeup with QHY9 cooled astronomical cameras.
Original images with technical details
Thursday, August 4, 2011
NGC7000, the "North America Nebula", a super zoom in and the scale in a sky
I have shot many targets with several focal lengths.
Due that, I will publish some of my material as an image sets, with different field of view and detail levels.
The fractal nature of our universe stands out nicely by this way and it will make the orientation more easy.
Many times, it's difficult to understand the image scale of astronomical images.
Due that, I will add a Moon circle in some of the images to show the angular scale in a sky.
The full Moon has an angular size of ~30 arc minutes, that's equal to ~0,5 degrees.
NGC 7000, the "North America Nebula", new version
In constellation Cygnus
Click for the large image.
NGC 7000 in HST-palette from the emission of ionized elements, R=Sulfur, G=Hydrogen and B=Oxygen.
NOTE. The size of the full Moon (0,5 degrees) is marked as a gray circle in all of the images.
Natural color composition from the emission of ionized elements, R=80%Hydrogen+20%Sulfur, G=100%Oxygen and B=85%Oxygen+15%Hydrogen to compensate otherwise missing H-beta emission. This composition is very close to a visual spectrum.
NOTE. The size of the full Moon (0,5 degrees) is marked as a scale.
This is a second, more monitor friendly, version of the NGC7000 scale study.
Older, vertical, version can be found here:
1. Wide field shot:
The "Heart Nebula", IC 1805, reprocessed
Since my processing technique gets better and the time of year doesn't give any support, I have reprocessed some older images. There is now star colors added and other processing is tweaked too.
Wide field shot of IC1805 with the "Soull Nebula", IC1848
HST-palette, (HST=Hubble Space Telescope)
from the emission of ionized elements, R=Sulfur, G=Hydrogen and B=Oxygen.
Natural color composition from the emission of ionized elements, R=80%Hydrogen+20%Sulfur, G=100%Oxygen and B=85%Oxygen+15%Hydrogen to compensate otherwise missing H-beta emission. This composition is very close to a visual spectrum.
IC 1805, Sharpless 190 (Sh2-190) in Cassiopeia
Ra 02h 32m 36s Dec +61° 29′ 2″
HST-palette, (HST=Hubble Space Telescope)
from the emission of ionized elements, R=Sulfur, G=Hydrogen and B=Oxygen.
The "Heart Nebula", IC1805 locates about 7500 light years away in constellation Cassiopeia. This is an emission nebula showing glow of ionized elements in a gas cloud and some darker dust lanes.
In a very center of the nebula, lays Melotte 15, it contains few very bright stars, nearly 50 times mass of our Sun, and many dim ones. The solar wind, a radiation pressure, from massive stars makes the gas twist to a various shapes.
Natural color composition from the emission of ionized elements, R=80%Hydrogen+20%Sulfur, G=100%Oxygen and B=85%Oxygen+15%Hydrogen to compensate otherwise missing H-beta emission. This composition is very close to a visual spectrum.
The "Heart of the Heart, Melotte 15
HST-palette, (HST=Hubble Space Telescope)
from the emission of ionized elements, R=Sulfur, G=Hydrogen and B=Oxygen.
Natural color composition from the emission of ionized elements, R=80%Hydrogen+20%Sulfur, G=100%Oxygen and B=85%Oxygen+15%Hydrogen to compensate otherwise missing H-beta emission. This composition is very close to a visual spectrum.
The scale in a sky, a zoom in series
NOTE. The size of the full Moon (0,5 degrees) is marked as a gray circle in all of the images.
Images used in the series above from top to bottom
A wide field image from 2008. with a Canon FD 200mm f2.8 camera lens and a QHY8, a cooled astronomical camera with a H-alpha and UHC-s filters. Total exposure time ~2,5h
A wide field image of the area, covering about 5 degrees, ~300', of the sky. (Ten full Moons side by side)
IC 1805, the "Heart Nebula", locates at upper Right and IC 1848 can be seen at lower Left. Image is shot with a Canon EF 200mm f1.8 camera lens and a QHY9, a cooled astronomical camera.
Baader narrowband filter set, total exposure time was ~1,5 hours (A very fast lens was used!).
A medium wide field shot with a Sky Watcher 80ED f7.5 telescope and QHY8 astronomical camera + UHC-s filter. Total exposure time ~3,5h
Last image was shot with a Meade LX200 GPS 12" telescope @ f6,5 and a QHY8, a cooled astronomical camera with a H-alpha and UHC-s filters. Total exposure time ~7h.
Technical details
and here:
I have used some material from my wider field images for colors and some dimmer details.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
IC 405, apparent scale in a sky in two palettes, redone
I have shot many targets with several focal lengths.
Due that, I will publish some of my material as an image sets, with different field of view and detail levels.
The fractal nature of our universe stands out nicely by this way and it will make the orientation more easy.
Many times, it's difficult to understand the image scale of astronomical images.
Due that, I will add a Moon circle in some of the images to show the angular scale in a sky.
The full Moon has an angular size of ~30 arc minutes, that's equal to ~0,5 degrees.
IC405, the "Flaming Star Nebula"
An emission Nebula in constellation Auriga
Images are in HST-palette from the emission of ionized elements, R=Sulfur, G=Hydrogen and B=Oxygen.
NOTE. The size of the full Moon (0,5 degrees) is marked as scale.
Images are in Natural color palette from the emission of ionized elements, R=Hydrogen + Sulfur, G=Oxygen and B=Oxygen + Hydrogen.
NOTE. The size of the full Moon (0,5 degrees) is marked as scale.
Three images are used for the both series.
First is a wide field shot with a Canon FD 200mm f2.8 camera lens.
Second image, is imaged with a Tokina AT-X 300mm f2.8.
Third image is done with a Meade LX200 GPS 12" reduced little under 2000mm.
Baader narrowband filter set was used with all images, wide field images was shot with a QHY8 and closeup with QHY9, both are cooled astronomical cameras.
Original images with technical details
1. First wide field shot:
2. Second wide field shot:
3. A closeup of IC 405:
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