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Tuesday, March 10, 2020

The Grande Mosaic of Auriga in visual colors


At 2012 I published a large mosaic image out of constellation auriga. I have now shot new photos from the area and I was able to update my original panoramic photo mosaic.
I have already made a new mapped color version of it and it can be seen here, https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2020/03/the-grande-mosaic-of-auriga.html

I have now somehow better tools but also my skills has been improved. In this image there are active star forming regions and there are two supernova remnants visible in this panoramic image. I have also reprocessed the original photo for better colors and details.

Original mosaic has 12 panels, since my current imaging system has much large image sensor, I was able to cover several panels with just two photos. The photo has resolution of 15.000 x 9000 pixels.
Originally I used The Canon EF 200mm f1.8 camera lens and QHY9 astronomical camera with Baader narrowband filter set. new material is shot with Tokina AT-x 300mm f2.8 camera lens and Apogee Alta U16 astronomical camera with Astrodon 50mm square narrowband filter set.
The total exposure time before current additions was around 70h. With new photos, the exposure time is now 90h.

Panoramic Photo of the constellation Auriga in natural colors
Click for a large image, it's worth it! (2400 x 1300 pixels)

Note, the apparent size of the full Moon is marked as a white circle at lower left corner for the scale. 
Natural colors from the emission of ionized elements, R=hydrogen - sulfur, G=Oxygen and B=Oxygen.
Large image 2400 pixels wide and ~4MB. Original resolution was about 15000 x 9000 pixels.

There are some rarely imaged objects, like Sharpless supernova remnants Sh2 224, 225 and 240 (Simeis 147). At middle there are several open clusters and Sharpless objects. (Look for an attached map at end of this page.) Outer parts of IC 405 and 410 Nebula complex are seen too. There is an interesting looking loop of gas at the Left side of the central nebula complex.

H-alpha light only,  labeled





Photos used to upgrade the mosaic


Simeis 147, technical details
https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2020/02/simeis-147-sh2-240-large-supernova.html


IC 405 & IC 410, technical details
https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2020/03/new-photo-deep-in-to-darkness.html


A map


Image is implemented in a map from Cartes du Ciel

Sunday, March 8, 2020

The Grande Mosaic of Auriga


At 2012 I published a large mosaic image out of constellation auriga. I have now shot new photos from the area and I was able to update my original panoramic photo mosaic.

I have now somehow better tools but also my skills has been improved. In this image there are active star forming regions and there are two supernova remnants visible in this panoramic image. I have also reprocessed the original photo for better colors and details.

Original mosaic has 12 panels, since my current imaging system has much large image sensor, I was able to cover several panels with just two photos. The photo has resolution of 15.000 x 9000 pixels.
Originally I used The Canon EF 200mm f1.8 camera lens and QHY9 astronomical camera with Baader narrowband filter set. new material is shot with Tokina AT-x 300mm f2.8 camera lens and Apogee Alta U16 astronomical camera with Astrodon 50mm square narrowband filter set.
The total exposure time before current additions was around 70h. With new photos, the exposure time is now 90h.

Panoramic Photo of Auriga
Click for a large image, it's worth it! (2400 x 1300 pixels)

Note, the apparent size of the full Moon is marked as a white circle at lower left corner for the scale. 
Mapped colors from the emission of ionized elements, R=Sulfur, G=Hydrogen and B=Oxygen.
Large image 2400 pixels wide and ~4MB. Original resolution was about 15000 x 9000 pixels.

There are some rarely imaged objects, like Sharpless supernova remnants Sh2 224, 225 and 240 (Simeis 147). At middle there are several open clusters and Sharpless objects. (Look for an attached map at end of this page.) Outer parts of IC 405 and 410 Nebula complex are seen too. There is an interesting looking loop of gas at the Left side of the central nebula complex.

H-alpha light only,  labeled





Photos used to upgrade the mosaic


Simeis 147, technical details
https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2020/02/simeis-147-sh2-240-large-supernova.html


IC 405 & IC 410, technical details
https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2020/03/new-photo-deep-in-to-darkness.html


A map

Image is implemented in a map from Cartes du Ciel




Saturday, March 7, 2020

Simeis 147 (Sh2-240) with more light from oxygen, O-III


Simeis 147 is a difficult target due to a low surface brightness and a very large angular diameter.
I have published published a mapped color version of this supernova remnant. This time I have composed the narrowband channels to a visual palette. Ionized hydrogen, H-alpha emits deep red light. Since the hydrogen is the most common element in our universum, red is dominating the view.

I have collected now more exposures from light emitted by ionized oxygen, O-III. Now there are some blue hues from O-III light visible in the final image of supernova remnant Simeis 147.
previous version can be seen here, https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2020/02/simeis-147-sh2-240-large-supernova_22.html


Simeis 147 (Sharpless 240)
Click for a large image it's worth it!

Note, the relative size of a full Moon is marked as a white circle at bottom left, this is a large object!
Image is in natural color palette combined from narrowband channels, H-alpha, S-II and O-III. 
An ionized hydrogen and sulfur are both emitting red light, an ionized oxygen emits blue/turquoise light. Red light from an ionized hydrogen is dominating the view.


An experimental starless version

Click for a large image


The starless version Complex filaments are easier to see in this experimental starless image.



Simeis 147 (sharpless 240), is a very faint and large supernova remnant in constellation Taurus at distance of ~3000 light years. It's constantly expanding at speed of 1000 km/second but due the size of it, we can't see any movement in it. This SN spans over 160 light years and the apparent scale in the sky is about three degrees (Moon has an apparent size of 30" = 0,5 degrees).  Explosion took place approximately 30.000 years ago  and left behind a  pulsar (Neutron star). The pulsar has recently identified.

How long it'll takes to this supernova remnant to expand 1% large when the diameter is 160 light years and it expands at speed of 1000km/second.


Answer is ~480 years.
 (1% of diameter 160/100= 16, as kilometers ~151.372.800.000.00, = Y, km,
1000km/second is ~315.360.000.00, = Z, kilometers/year.
So, X x Z = Y and  X=Z/Y,    X = 480 with given values)

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

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

Total exposure time
H-alpha, 15 x 1200 s, binned 1x1 = 5 h
O-III, 48x 600 s, binned 2x2 = 8 h
S-II, 1 x 12 x 600 s. binned 2x2 = 2 h


Friday, March 6, 2020

The Birth of Venus


I posted yesterday a photo of IC 405 & IC 410 area in constellation Auriga. I noticed that it was partly overlapping with my latest supernova remnant photo, the Simeis 147.
I was able to make a mosaic image from those two photos. I selected this unorthodox composition to publish my photo since it has a deeper meaning to me.

This composition has a same spirit, than a famous Italian painting The Birth of Venus (Nascita di Venere) by Botticelli, made in mid 1480.
When we are looking the remains of the supernova, we are looking the birthplace of building blocks we are made of. All the heavier elements than hydrogen and helium are formed in supernova explosion, like iron, oxygen and carbon. That's the real birth place of Venus!


The Birth of Venus
Click for a large image

Image is in mapped colors, Simeis 147 supernova remnant at top, IC 410 and iC 405 at bottom left.




The Birth of Venus, a central part of the painting was my inspiration.
Note, only central part of the painting is shown here. The whole painting of  Botticelli can be seen here, 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Birth_of_Venus

The whole painting


Source, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Birth_of_Venus


Technical details for upper and lower mosaic panel.


Panel 1, Simeis 147, technical details
https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2020/02/simeis-147-sh2-240-large-supernova.html


Panel 2, IC 405 & IC 410, technical details
https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2020/03/new-photo-deep-in-to-darkness.html