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Showing posts sorted by relevance for query soul nebula. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query soul nebula. Sort by date Show all posts

Saturday, June 4, 2011

IC1848, the "Soul Nebula", apparent scale in the 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.



IC 1848 zoom in
In constellation Cassiopeia




Image is 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.


IC 1848, second zoom in


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. Star colors are mixed from the NB channels, Red=H-a, G=O-III and B= 85%O-III + 15%H-a.This composition is very close to a visual spectrum.


Images used in the series above from top to bottom



  1. 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!).
  2. A medium wide field image is shot with a Tokina AT-X 300mm f2.8 camera lens and a QHY9, a cooled astronomical camera. Baader narrowband filter set, total exposure time was ~5 hours .
  3. Last image was shot with a Meade LX200 GPS 12" telescope @ f0.5 and a QHY9, a cooled astronomical camera.Baader narrowband filter set, total exposure time was ~2,5 hours. 
Links to the original images, used in series, from top to bottom

Saturday, April 11, 2015

All my new astronomical photos from the Winter season 2014-15

My humble thanks to the supporters, they made my work possible at this Winter season!
First class products and service

This is a collection of my photos from the past Winter season. We are now out of astronomical darkness for about six months due to high latitude, 65N. As every time, it's hard to give up imaging the beauty of the deep sky.

The season was very cloudy too. We had over three months a solid cloud cover this winter and clear nights just now and then. The good side is, that I have been forced to develop new imaging and processing methods to be able to finalise maximum number of photos. The "Tone mapping" method and a new unpublished "VARES" (Variable Resolution imaging method) are very powerful tools for astrophotography. I'll publish the VARES.method in a year or so, after I have tested it well enough.

All of my photos are taken from a light polluted downtown.

A closeup from my last image of the season, IC 1805, the Heart nebula
Click for a large image, 1400 x 1900 and ~2MB
Melotte 15 is a small part of the large mosaic image


A poster format collection from all of my photos from Winter 2014-15
Be sure to click for a large image, 2500 x 4000 pixels and 8MB

Astro Anarchy Observatory Winter 2014-2015


Images in the poster above, from upper left to lower right


  1. NGC 2175, The Monkey Head Nebula, a blog post HERE
  2. NGC 1491, a blog post HERE
  3. Messier 13, a blog post HERE
  4. Messier 3, a blog post HERE
  5. IC 417,  a blog post HERE
  6. Pelican Nebula mosaic, a blog post HERE
  7. IC 443 SNR, a blog post HERE
  8. Cederblad 214, a blog post HERE
  9. Soul Nebula, IC 1848 mosaic, a blog post HERE
  10. IC 410, a blog post HERE
  11. The Propeller Nebula, a blog post HERE
  12. IC 1805, The Heart Nebula,  a blog post HERE
  13. The Great Wall of Cygnus, a blog post HERE
  14. NGC 1795, a blog post HERE
  15. The Tulip Nebula, Sh2-101, a blog post HERE  NASA APOD
  16. Sharpless 115 & Apell 71 PN, a blog post HERE
  17. Pickering's Triangle in O-III light only, a blog post HERE
  18. Sharpless 132, Sh2-132, a blog post HERE
  19. IC 405, the Flaming Star Nebula, a blog post HERE
  20. Abell 85 (CTB1) SNR, a blog post HERE
  21. Sharpless objects 232, 231, 233 and 235, a blog post HERE
  22. NGC 281, a blog post HERE


Some highlights of the season past


Supporters, my humble thanks to the supporters, they made my work possible once again!
This setup was possible due to great support!
The new imaging system. Some image quality analysis can be seen HERE

Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2014, Royal Observatory of Greenwich, third place.
Over 2500 images from 51 countries participated.

  • I also got one NASA APOD published (Astronomy Picture Of the Day) at November 15, the Tulip nebula.
NASA publication, Sh2-101, the Tulip Nebula


  • Suomen Kuvalehti wrote a large article at the last issue of the year 2014 about my photographing, eleven pages total. (SK 51-52 19.12.2014, pages 1 and 42-51)




California Nebula as an experimental 3D-model
In constellation Perseus


This is a looped video, click to start and stop. This is an experimental test with a 3D-conversion of my astronomical images. Only real elements from my original image are used, there is nothing added but the volumetric information!

I was invited as one of the speakers at the NEAIC conferenceNew York, Spring 2014. 

Two large public artworks from my photos get revealed at 2014. A very large, over 10 x 3m, photographic print on aluminium "Cirrus of Cygnus" and the "Path of Swans", 4 x 2m, on aluminium. Beside public works, many of my photos ended up to a private homes.
Path of Swans, 4x2m

Cirrus of Cygnus 10x3m, the large mosaic image is a very sharp even in this scale.

  • I participated to two art exhibitions with my astronomical photos, one in Helsinki and another here in Oulu. 
3D-exhibition in Helsinki, large anaglyph photos, paintings and a movie.

Sale exhibition in Oulu

One of the most interesting tasks at 2014 was a cooperation with the vocal ensemble Cappella pro Vocale. This cross art production was a mixture of an old vocal music and the astronomical images. The production  took place at the church of  St Thomas. My photos get  projected with three powerful projectors on walls and sealing and everything was matched with the music carefully.  
Projected images in church of St Thomas, image copyright Tuula Jurvelin

Image copyright Antti Nevalainen

Image copyright Jaakko Nurro

Image copyright Jaakko Nurro


  • Optikfestival in Skara, Sweden


Interior of the shop, they have a large stock of products on site.

I had a pleasure to be invited as one of the speakers in "Optikfestival Skara", Sweden. The happening was organized by a Astrosweden, a largest optics retailer in Sweden. They are specialized to Astronomy, nature photography, hunting and microscopy. I was really impressed by the passion and knowledge they have about the the optics! 

  • An exhibition in Galleria Kajaste, Oulu, Finland








Monday, January 28, 2013

A 3D-study of The Soul nebula detail



This is my new test with a 3d-conversion of my astronomical images. I have published some animated GIF files, this time I have done a short movie out of the model. Even though this is just a looped tip tilt movie, I'm abel to do any movements with this new kind of model. 

Only real elements from my image are used, there is nothing added but the volumetric information! 

A 3D study of IC 1848


Image is in mapped colors.
Pay attention to a transparent 3d-shapes, they usually are very difficult to animate.  

In YouTube you can see this image at a full screen and resolution:
(Click the gear symbol to select 720p )

Info about the technique used

My 3-D experiments are a mixture of science and an artistic impression. I collect distance and other information before I do my 3-D conversion. Usually there are known stars, coursing the ionization, so I can place them at right relative distance. If I know a distance to the nebula, I can fine tune distances of the stars so, that right amount of stars are front and behind of the object.

I use a “rule of thumb” method for stars: brighter is closer, but if a real distance is known, I'm using that. Many 3-D shapes can be figured out just by looking carefully the structures in nebula, such as dark nebulae must be at front of the emission nebulae in order to show up etc...

The general structure of many star forming regions is very same, there is a group of  young stars, as an open cluster inside of the nebula. The stellar wind from the stars is then blowing the gas away around the cluster and forming a kind of cavitation – or a hole — around it. The pillar-like formations in the nebula must point to a source of stellar wind, for the same reason.

How accurate the final model is, depends how much I have known and guessed right. The motivation to make those 3-D-studies is just to show, that objects in the images are not like paintings on the canvas but really three dimensional objects floating in the three dimensional space. This generally adds a new dimension to my hobby as an astronomical imager. (Pun intended)

Original 2D-image
Only elements form this image are used for the animation above


A blog post about this new image of mine can be seen here:




Saturday, January 31, 2015

Cederblad 214 as an experimental 3D stereo pair


Images are for two different viewing methods, the first set of images is for the Parallel Vision method and the second set for the Cross Vision method. Viewing instructions can be seen HERE.

NOTE! This is a personal vision about forms and shapes, based on some scientific facts, deduction and an artistic impression. A short explanation, about the method used for the 3D conversion of my astrophoto, at the end of this post.

3D Soul Nebula as a freeview stereo pair

For a parallel viewing method

Nebula for the Parallel Vision viewing method. Click for a large image.
Original 2D-image can be seen in HERE


For a cross vision viewing method

Nebula for the Cross Vision viewing method. Click for a large image.
Original 2D-image can be seen in HERE


More 3D-experiments in my portfolio, including  the



A method used for the 3D conversion, a short explanation

All pillar like formations are pointing to a source of ionization, the open cluster NGC 7822. There are some more dense areas in a gas, able to resist the radiation pressure from young star cluster. Those dense areas, 
at a tip of the pillars, are also potential places for the formations of the new stars.

HOW?

I have been asked many times, how my 3D-images are done, so here it goes!

All the original 2D-images are imaged by me, if not otherwise stated.
Due the huge distances, no real parallax can be imaged for a volumetric information.

I have developed a method to turn any 2D-astronomical image to a various 3D-formats. The result is always an approximation of the reality, based on some known scientific facts, deduction and an artistic impression.

What are the known facts?

By using a scientifically estimated distance of the object, I can organize right amount of stars front and behind the object. (as then we know the absolute position of the object at our Milky-way)
Stars are divided to groups by apparent brightness, that can be used as a draft distance indicator, brighter the closer.  There is usually a known star cluster or a star(s) coursing the ionization and they can be placed in right relative position to the nebula itself .

Generally emission nebulae are not lit by the starlight directly but radiation from stars ionizing gases in the nebula. Hence the nebula itself is emitting its own light, at wavelength typical to each element. Due to that, and the thickness of the nebula can be estimated by its brightness, thicker = brighter. Nebulae are also more or less transparent, so we can see "both sides" at the same time.

Many other relative distances can be figured out just carefully studying the image, like dark nebulae must be front of bright ones. The local stellar wind, radiation pressure, from the star cluster, shapes the nebula, For that reason, pillar like formations must point to a cluster. ( Look previous image, above this text.) Same radiation pressure usually forms kind of cavitation, at the nebulosa, around the star cluster, by blowing away all the gas around the source of stellar wind. The ionized oxygen, O-III, emits blueish light, it requires lots of energy to ionize. Due to that, the blue glowing area locates usually near the source of ionization, at the heart of the nebula. This and many other small indicators can be found by carefully studying the image itself.

Using the known data, I can build a kind of skeleton model of the nebula. Then the artistic part is mixed to a scientific part, rest is very much like a sculpting.

WHY?

Firstly, they are great fun to do. Secondly, just because I can.

Many times images of nebulae looks like paintings on the canvas. I like to show a real nature of those distant objects as a three dimensional shapes floating in a three dimensional volume. This is a great way to show, how I personally see astronomical targets as a 3D-forms inside my head.

3D-experiments seems to increase a public interest to a subject, as you might have noticed.
I have studied my astronomical images much deeper, than ever without 3D-modeling.


3D-studies has really added a new dimension to my work as an astronomical photographer. (pun intended)





Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Anaglyph 3D astro images and movies

I have just updated my Zenfolio "Volumetric 3D images" anaglyph folder. There is now direct links to an anaglyph 3D-movies in YouTube! You'll need Red/Cyan Eyeglasses to be able to see images right. NOTE! If you have Red & Green filters, you can use them instead! Red goes to Left eye. Please, click HERE to see an anglyph image folder in Zenfolio service. Edit. I add direct links to a 3D-anaglyph movies in this post for your convenience. Zenfolio 3D-folder has 3D-still images from all targets, if you like to see them too, click the link above. Sh2-240 3d-anaglyph movie California Nebula 3D-anaglyph movie Pelican Nebula 3D-anaglyph movie IC 410 Nebula 3D-anaglyph movie North AmericaNebula 3D-anaglyph movie Rosette Nebula 3D-anaglyph movie Tulip Nebula 3D-anaglyph movie Butterfly Nebula 3D-anaglyph movie Moon 3D-anaglyph movie IC 1396 Nebula 3D-anaglyph movie M27 Planetary Nebula 3D-anaglyph movie NGC 281 Nebula 3D-anaglyph movie Soul Nebula 3D-anaglyph movie ! If you have a slow connection speed, please, press pause and wait some time for video to load. Note! Movies are in 720i HD-format. Press the HD-symbol in lower Right corner in YouTube to see movie in HD.

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.
The open cluster  IC 1590 can be seen at middle of the image.

Buy a photographic print from HERE

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.






Thursday, November 12, 2009

IC1848, The Soul Nebula

After three weeks of clouds, last night was three hours opening in the cloud cover.
Since my Observatory locates very near from my home, I managed to shot two hours of H-alpha light.
Seeing and transparency were really bad.
I'll shoot other channels and more H-a for this when ever weather allows.
.
Processing work flow:
Image acquisition, MaxiDL v5.07.
Stacked and calibrated in CCDStack.
Deconvolution with a CCDSharp, 30 iterations.
Levels, curves in PS CS3.
-
Telescope, Meade LX200 GPS 12" @ f4.65
Camera, QHY9
Guiding, SXV-AO @ 9Hz
Exposures, 6x1200s with Baader 7nm H-alpha filter
-
Image is a small part of the Soul Nebula.
Field of view is marked in my older, wider field, image of Soul nebula.
Original wide field image, with details, can be foun HERE

Sunday, February 1, 2009

The heart & Soul Nebula as an Stereo Pair.



Ones again, I turned this image of "Heart & Soul" Nebula to a Stereo pair format by adding some volume. The result is more or less an educational guess about real 3D appearance of this formation. - Two versions, first for Parallel Vision , and the second for Cross Vision method.
I made this stereo pair to show the "real" nature of this target. The gas and stars are floating in three dimensional space forming three dimensional forms, rather than being a 2D painting on the canvas.
The "Soul" part of the Nebula (Left) seems to be closer to us
by some sources, some other sources states, that it has a same distance as
the "heart" (Right).
In this Stereo precentation the previous option is realized.
-
The original image and the imaging information can be found here:
-
Viewing instructions, please, look for the Right hand side menu.

Wednesday, December 31, 2014

The year 2014 of Astro Anarchy Observatory, happy new year 2015 to all!


The Great Wall of Cygnus 2014

Astro Anarchy Observatory, the year 2014

At the Spring season of 2014 my old Meade LX200 12" telescope gave up and died. I spent a whole summer season trying to find a way to finance a new setup.

I had lots of troubles, especially with the Meade company. First they contacted me and offered a brand new 14" LX850 for free. Then, after a couple of months, they cancelled everything without a reason. Meade really pissed me off big time, somebody might call it to a fraud! The false promises from Meade side cost me a lots of money, time and energy.

After all the troubles everything went well. I got great supporters from high end manufacturers and retailers. The new setup was up and running at mid October 2014.


All of my photos from the Autumn season 2014
Click for a much large image

All my photos from the Autumn season 2014 are taken with my new imaging setup. Celestron Edge HD 1100 with 0.7 reducer at 10-micron mount. Apogee Alta U16 camera with Astrodon filters and an active optics unit, SXV AO LF, from Starlight Xpress.
Photos from upper left to lower right, Soul Nebula, Tulip nebula, Cygnus Wall, Cederblad 214, Sharpless 132, NGC 281, Propeller Nebula, Sharpless 115 and the Pelican Nebula.

All of my photos from the Spring season 2014
Click for a large image

All images are taken with the Canon EF 200mm f1.8 lens, QHY9 astrocam and Baader narrowband filters by using a Meade LX200 GPS 12" as an imaging platform. After the last image of the Spring season, the ten panel mosaic of Cepheus at middle, the old Meade fried permanently.
Photos from upper left to bottom, Sharpless 221, G65.3+5.7 SNR, Cepheus mosaic and a mosaic image of Sharpless 221 SNR and 216 PL.


Some highlights of the year 2014 


  • Supporters, my humble thanks to the supporters, they made my work possible once again!

    All companies are offering the first class products and service!

This setup was possible due to great support!
The new imaging system. Some image quality analysis can be seen HERE


Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2014, Royal Observatory of Greenwich, third place.
Over 2500 images from 51 countries participated.


  • I also got one NASA APOD published (Astronomy Picture Of the Day) at November 15, the Tulip nebula.

NASA publication, Sh2-101, the Tulip Nebula





  • Suomen Kuvalehti wrote a large article at the last issue of the year 2014 about my photographing, eleven pages total. (SK 51-52 19.12.2014, pages 1 and 42-51)




California Nebula as an experimental 3D-model
In constellation Perseus


This is a looped video, click to start and stop. This is an experimental test with a 3D-conversion of my astronomical images. Only real elements from my original image are used, there is nothing added but the volumetric information!


  • I was invited as one of the speakers at the NEAIC conferenceNew York, Spring 2014. 


  • Two large public artworks from my photos get revealed at 2014. A very large, over 10 x 3m, photographic print on aluminium "Cirrus of Cygnus" and the "Path of Swans", 4 x 2m, on aluminium. Beside public works, many of my photos ended up to a private homes.
Path of Swans, 4x2m

Cirrus of Cygnus 10x3m, the large mosaic image is a very sharp even in this scale.


  • I participated to two art exhibitions with my astronomical photos, one in Helsinki and an other here in Oulu. 
3D-exhibition in Helsinki, large anaglyph photos, paintings and a movie.

Sale exhibition in Oulu


  • One of the most interesting tasks at 2014 was a cooperation with the vocal ensemble Cappella pro Vocale. This cross art production was a mixture of an old vocal music and the astronomical images. The production  took place at the church of  St Thomas. My photos get  projected with three powerful projectors on walls and sealing and everything was matched with the music carefully.  
Projected images in church of St Thomas, image copyright Tuula Jurvelin

Image copyright Antti Nevalainen

Image copyright Jaakko Nurro

Image copyright Jaakko Nurro