Tuesday, March 31, 2015
Optikfestival in Skara, Sweden
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!
The owner, Christer Kjellner, has a personal interest to the subject and the sales team are experienced users of the products they are selling. That's not too common now a days! No matter if you are just entering in the subject or professional user they will find a solution for you, I'm sure.
I can highly recommend Astrosweden, if you'll have any needs for Astronomy, nature photographing, hunting scopes or microscopy.
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Ask for an offer or just have a look to the webshop: http://www.astrosweden.se/
Interior of the shop, they have a large stock of products on site.
Duel of the nature photographers
Tuesday, March 24, 2015
The blue dot and rings in Sh2-232
This is a followup to my previous blog post. When I was processing the data, I noticed a small nebula in center of the large complex of Sharpless 232. It seems to be the only O-III emission source in this large emission nebula. My O-III exposure was relatively short though, only 2h. The origin of this small ionization zone puzzles me. I made a small animation from integrated emission channels. No other processing, than calibration and simple un linear stretching has been done to the images.
EDIT
One mystery solved with a help from another astroguy. "Saloja" from a Finnish astro group used the Megastar database and found out, that this blue dot is a known planetary nebula, PN G173.5+03.2. Thank you Saloja!
Narrowband image of Sh2-232 in mapped colors
This animated GIF shows all three emission channels imaged for this photo, O-III, S-II and H-alpha.
The small nebula is visible in both, H-a and O-III, S-II doesn't show it. It could be nice to understand the mechanism behind this small object.
Is it part of the large nebula and what is the energy source for the ionization? It might even be a planetary nebula, part of the large Sh2-232 complex or a separate object front or behind it.
Has anyone else noticed this object? Let me know, if you have some info about it.
Is it part of the large nebula and what is the energy source for the ionization? It might even be a planetary nebula, part of the large Sh2-232 complex or a separate object front or behind it.
Has anyone else noticed this object? Let me know, if you have some info about it.
Another interesting feature of Sh2-232
A ring like formation
Monday, March 23, 2015
Sharpless 232 (Sh2-232) and companions in Auriga
This was one of the most difficult targets I have shot lately, very diffused and dim. Now when the season is about to end, up here 65N, we have had clear skies one after another and I have collected exposures to unveil this target. Total exposure time is now about 24h hours. Image is a two frame mosaic.
There seems to be some interesting looking structures in this emission nebula. One of them can be seen at bottom right, just under the larger nebula. It looks like some kind of circular formation with several dim concentric layers. An other one is a very small area emitting light from an ionized oxygen (O-III) at center of the Sh2-232 at right.
Sharpless objects 232, 231, 233 and 235
Image is a two frame mosaic, click for a large image
Image is in mapped colors from an emission of the ionized elements. Golden areas are from emission of sulfur and hydrogen. There is a very little an ionized oxygen, O-III, in there.
An experimental starless version
This starless image shows better the details of the actual nebula complex. (The blue dot is not a star)
A single frame closeup of Sharpless 232
Note the blue dot at middle of the photo, it's not a star but a small area of nebula emitting the O-III light.
A closeup of the blue dot at the middle
There is a small area of an ionized Oxygen (O-III) it can be seen as a blue dot at the center.
An animation
This animated GIF shows all three emission channels imaged for this photo, O-III, S-II and H-alpha.
The small nebula is visible in both, H-a and O-III, S-II doesn't show it. It could be nice to understand the mechanism behind this small object. Is it part of the large nebula and what is the energy source for the ionization? Has anyone else noticed this object? Let me know, if you have some info about it.
EDIT
INFO
Sharpless 232 (Sh2-232) large and very faint member of coplex of diffused nebulae in Auriga. One frame photo covers about a square degrees of sky. Panorama spans about 1,5 degrees horizontally. There are generally very little information about this group of nebulae.
Photo in visual colors
Click for a large image
The Sh2-232 in visual colors
Orientation in wide field mosaic of the Auriga
The are of interest is marked as a white rectangle. More info about this wide field photo can be found HERE
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 @ f7 with 0,7 focal reducer for Edge HD 1100 telescope
Cameras and filters
Imaging camera Apogee Alta U16 and Apogee seven slot filter wheel
Guider camera, Lodestar x2
Astrodon filter, 5nm H-alpha
Astrodon filter, 3nm O-III
Astrodon filter, 3nm S-II
Exposure times
H-alpha, 60 x 1200s = 20h
O-III, 6 x 1200s = 2h min.
S-II, 6x1200s = 2h min.
Total 24h
A single un cropped, calibrated and stretched 20 min. H-alpha frame as it comes from the camera
Another interesting feature of Sh2-232
A ring like formation
I have animated to this starless version of Sh2-232 photo, what I'm seeing in lower part of the nebula. There is a ring like formation and I'm seeing some hints of the concentric structure too.
Sunday, March 22, 2015
Messier 13, the Great Globular Cluster in Hercules
The season is about to end up here 65N for about six months. We have had clear skies for a couple of weeks now and I have lots of new material to publish in near future.
Messier 13 is a kind of fast project shot between dimmer targets. My location is not ideal for a broadband targets, like galaxies and clusters, due to massive light pollution. How ever, this is my try with a M13.
Messier 13
Click for a much large image
LRGB photo of the Great Globular Cluster in Hercules. Note. galaxy NGC 6207 at a lower left corner.
Click for a much large image
INFO
M13 locates in constellation Hercules at a distance of 25000 light years. The Great Globular Cluster in Hercules is one of the most brightest globular star clusters in northern sky. Stars are backed to a spherical formation with a diameter of about 150 light years.
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 @ f7 with 0,7 focal reducer for Edge HD 1100 telescope
Cameras and filters
Imaging camera Apogee Alta U16 and Apogee seven slot filter wheel
Guider camera, Lodestar x2
Custom Scientific LRGB 50mm Square Filters
Exposure times
Luminance, 14 x 600s = 2h 20min
Red, 6 x 200s binned 2x2 = 20 min.
Green, 6 x 200s binned 2x2= 20 min.
Blue, 6 x 200s binned 2x2 = 20 min
Total 3h 20min
Thursday, March 19, 2015
NGC 2174, the Monkey Head Nebula, project finalized
This photo shows more about this nebula, than I have used to see in any images taken with the same detail level. I haven't been aware of the curved dimmer areas at lower part of my photo.
NGC 2175
Click for a large image
are from emission of sulfur and hydrogen, bluish hues are from ionized oxygen.
A large version
Click for a 1800x1400 pixels, 1,3MB
Fancy a burger?
NGC 2174 in visual colors
INFO
NGC 2174, also known as a Monkey Head Nebula, locates at constellation Orion at distance of about 6400 light years. My photo shows about one square degrees of sky (The apparent size of the Moon is 0,5 degrees) The lower part of the photo shows a rarely imaged dimmer parts of the gas formation.
Image in H-alpha emission alone
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 @ f7 with 0,7 focal reducer for Edge HD 1100 telescope
Cameras and filters
Imaging camera Apogee Alta U16 and Apogee seven slot filter wheel
Guider camera, Lodestar x2
Astrodon filter, 5nm H-alpha
Astrodon filter, 3nm O-III
Astrodon filter, 3nm S-II
Exposure times
H-alpha, 16 x 1200s = 5h
O-III, 6 x 1200s = 2h min.
S-II, 6x1200s = 2h min.
Total 9h
A single un cropped, calibrated and stretched 20 min. H-alpha frame as it comes from the camera
Wednesday, March 11, 2015
A start of the new imaging project, NGC 2174, the "Monkey Head Nebula"
At March 9 I managed to exposure about four hours of H-alpha light for NGC 2147.
I'll shoot more exposures for this soon to have more signal and colors.
There seems to be some rarely imaged faint looped shapes at bottom of the object, I haven't seen them before.
NGC 2174, the Monkey Head Nebula in Orion
A starless version
An inverted image to show the bottom filaments better
Monday, March 9, 2015
The heart of the Heart nebula, melotte 15
A new photo from the night of 20. February and 6, March, Melotte 15 in the IC 1805, the Heart nebula.
Melotte 15
Click for a large image
Image is in mapped colors from an emission of the ionized elements. Golden areas
are from emission of sulfur and hydrogen, bluish hues are from ionized oxygen.
And even closer
INFO
An experimental starless image
Click for a large image
This experimental starless photo shows the object in light of an ionized hydrogen alone.
Image in visual colors
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.
Melotte 15
Click for a large image
are from emission of sulfur and hydrogen, bluish hues are from ionized oxygen.
A closeup
Click for a large image
A closer closeup
Click for a large image
And even closer
INFO
The open cluster centered in this image is known as Melotte 15 . Melotte 15 is embedded within a central portion of the much larger glowing nebula identified as IC 1805.
The interesting structure in the image is a giant area of ionized hydrogen, it's caused to glow by the intense ultraviolet radiation from the massive stars of the Melotte 15 star cluster.
Dust and gas clouds are twisted by the pressure of the intense radiation, the solar wind.
This formation is estimated to be 7,500 light years away from Earth, North is up.
An experimental starless image
Click for a large image
Image in visual colors
Orientation in an older wide field image of the area
The Heart and Soul nebulae, IC 1848 and 1805, in constellation Cassiopeia. Area of interest 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, 27 iterations, added at 50% weight
Color combine in PS CS3
Levels and curves in PS CS3.
Imaging optics
Celestron Edge HD 1100 @ f7 with 0,7 focal reducer for Edge HD 1100 telescope
Cameras and filters
Imaging camera Apogee Alta U16 and Apogee seven slot filter wheel
Guider camera, Lodestar x2
Astrodon filter, 5nm H-alpha
Exposure times
H-alpha, 12 x 1200s = 4h
O-III and S-II channels are from an older wide field photo of this area.
A single un cropped, calibrated and stretched 20 min. H-alpha frame as it comes from the camera
Sunday, March 8, 2015
IC 417, the "Spider Nebula"
My latest photo from March 6, IC 417, an emission nebula in Auriga.
IC 417
Click for a large photo
Image is in mapped colors from an emission of the ionized elements. Golden areas
are from emission of sulfur and hydrogen, bluish hues are from ionized oxygen.
A closeup
Click for a large photo
INFO
Image in visual spectrum
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.
An experimental starless image
There is an interesting looking round formation at one o'clock position upper right.
Looks like a crater in a gas. It doesn't seem to be a planetary nebula since there is no O-III emission visible.
Image in H-alpha light alone
IC 417
Click for a large photo
are from emission of sulfur and hydrogen, bluish hues are from ionized oxygen.
A closeup
Click for a large photo
INFO
The cosmic spyder, IC 417, locates in constellation Auriga at a distance of about 10 000 light years.
A cluster of young stars around IC 417 makes elements in the gas glow and the stellar wind shapes the gas in various forms.
Image in visual spectrum
An experimental starless image
Looks like a crater in a gas. It doesn't seem to be a planetary nebula since there is no O-III emission visible.
Image in H-alpha light alone
Orientation in an older wide field photo
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 @ f7 with 0,7 focal reducer for Edge HD 1100 telescope
Cameras and filters
Imaging camera Apogee Alta U16 and Apogee seven slot filter wheel
Guider camera, Lodestar x2
Astrodon filter, 5nm H-alpha
Astrodon filter, 3nm O-III
Astrodon filter, 3nm S-II
Exposure times
H-alpha, 12 x 1200s = 4h
O-III, 4 x 1200s = 1h 20 min.
S-II, 5x1200s = 1h 40 min.
Total 7h
A single un cropped, calibrated and stretched 20 min. H-alpha frame as it comes from the camera
Thursday, March 5, 2015
IC 410 "tadpoles", a detail form a large photo
I reprocessed the photo of IC 410, I think the colors turned out better this time and overall detail level is better.
Tadpoles
A detail from IC 410 emission nebula, click for a large image.
The whole photo of IC 410, with a technical details, can be found HERE
Monday, March 2, 2015
An anaglyph Red/Cyan 3D-slideshow of my photos
You'll need Red/Cyan Glasses to be able to see images as 3D.
If you have a Red and Blue filters, you can use them! Red goes to Left eye.
NOTE
All the original 2D-images are imaged by me.
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.
The Slideshow
Click to start
See the slideshow in full screen by clicking the symbol in lower right corner!
All the images in this slideshow can be found from my portfolio, in large scale.
All the images in this slideshow can be found from my portfolio, in large scale.
Please, click the "slideshow" button at upper Right corner to see images in full screen.
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)
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