Wednesday, November 8, 2017
Sharpless 119 (Sh2-119) in Cygnus
This is my second light for the Autumn season 2017. This is a detail of the large emission area just couple of degrees from the North America nebula. It's very overlooked due to its low surface brightness and a close proximity of brighter and more famous emission targets.
I have plans to shoot the whole nebula as a mosaic of six image panels, when ever the weather permits.
Sharpless 119 in Cygnus (Sh2-119)
Please, click for a full size image
Image is in mapped colours, from the emission of ionized elements, R=Sulphur, G=Hydrogen and B=Oxygen. The photo spans about a square degree of sky. (The full Moon spans about 0,5 degrees of sky.)
An experimental starless version
Image in visual spectrum
Please, click for a full size photo
A wider field image of the area, 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 the new photo. It spans about a square degree of sky. (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 2012.
An other wide field shot, Tokina AT 300mm f2.8 lens
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)
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, 21x 1200s, binned 2x2 = 7h
O-III and S-II channels are borrowed form my older wide field photos.
Friday, November 3, 2017
WR 134, Ring Nebula area as a mosaic image.
While shooting my first light photo for the Autumn season 2017, I shot some frames frames around it for a mosaic image.
A mosaic image of WR 134 area in Cygnus
Click for a large image.
The Wolf-Rayet shell, WR 134, can be seen as an oval shape at center up. There is a strong emission from ionized oxygen, O-III, it can be seen as blue color.
Image is in mapped colours, from the emission of ionized elements, R=Sulphur, G=Hydrogen and B=Oxygen.
A large six panel version of the mosaic image
Orientation in Cygnus
Click for a large image.
Info about this large mosaic image can be seen HERE
INFO
This image shows a ring-like nebula traced by the glow of ionized hydrogen and oxygen gas. Embedded in the region's interstellar clouds of gas and dust, the complex, glowing arcs are sections of bubbles or shells of material swept up by the wind from Wolf-Rayet star WR 134, brightest star near the center of the frame. Distance estimates put WR 134 about 6,000 light-years away, making the frame over 100 light-years across. Shedding their outer envelopes in powerful stellar winds, massive Wolf-Rayet stars have burned through their nuclear fuel at a prodigious rate and end this final phase of massive star evolution in a spectacular supernova explosion. The stellar winds and final supernovae enrich the interstellar material with heavy elements to be incorporated in future generations of stars. (Source, NASA APOD, https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap120621.html )
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
Astrodon filter, 3nm O-III
Astrodon filter, 3nm S-II
Exposure times
H-alpha, 51x 1200s, binned 2x2 = 17h
O-III, 9 x 1200s binned 4x4 = 8h
S-II, 9 x 1200s binned 4x4 = 8h
Total 33h
Thursday, November 2, 2017
First light for the Autumn season 2017, finally!
This Autumn season has been the most cloudy one, I have never publish my first light so late.
We have had only one clear night plus two nights with opening at clouds for few hours.
My first light for the Autumn season 2017 shows a rare and exotic target at Cygnus. It's a largely unknown Wolf-Rayet shell around the star WR 134.
I noticed this formation at first time in my large 18-panels mosaic of Cygnus. It's clearly visible, specially at Ionised oxygen channel (O-III)
A three frame mosaic of WR 134
Click for a large image.
The Wolf-Rayet shell can be seen as an oval shape at center up. There is a strong emission from ionized oxygen, O-III, it can be seen as blue color.
Image is in mapped colours, from the emission of ionized elements, R=Sulphur, G=Hydrogen and B=Oxygen.
WR 134
A starless version
Click for a large image.
The structure and shapes in ionized gas are easier to see in this experimental starless version.
(Note. the straight line at seven o'clock is not an artefact but a real shape.)Click for a large image.
Info about this large mosaic image can be seen HERE
INFO
This image covers a field of view about one square degree in the constellation Cygnus. It highlights the bright edge of a ring-like nebula traced by the glow of ionized hydrogen and oxygen gas. Embedded in the region's interstellar clouds of gas and dust, the complex, glowing arcs are sections of bubbles or shells of material swept up by the wind from Wolf-Rayet star WR 134, brightest star near the center of the frame. Distance estimates put WR 134 about 6,000 light-years away, making the frame over 100 light-years across. Shedding their outer envelopes in powerful stellar winds, massive Wolf-Rayet stars have burned through their nuclear fuel at a prodigious rate and end this final phase of massive star evolution in a spectacular supernova explosion. The stellar winds and final supernovae enrich the interstellar material with heavy elements to be incorporated in future generations of stars. (Source, NASA APOD, https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap120621.html )
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
Astrodon filter, 3nm O-III
Astrodon filter, 3nm S-II
Exposure times
H-alpha, 21x 1200s, binned 2x2 = 7h
O-III, 9 x 1200s binned 4x4 = 3h
S-II, 9 x 1200s binned 4x4 = 3h
Total 13h
Uncropped, calibrated and stretched single 20 min. H-alpha frame as it comes from the camera
Uncropped, calibrated and stretched single 20 min. O-III frame as it comes from the camera
Friday, March 3, 2017
The central Cygnus as a cinemascope format image set
I have worked with a cinemascope format movie from my photos for a movie theatre presentation. This is an extra wide ~21:9 format used in theatres. The actual film is not ready yet but I have some of my images converted to this ultra wide format. I think they will look great at a large movie screen! I'll publish some of individual panoramic format photos here,
Central Cygnus image set
Be sure to click for a full resolution image, ~2600 x 1200 pixels
Image details can be seen HERE
Image details can be seen HERE
Image details can be seen HERE
Previously published sets of my cinemascope format astro images
Thursday, February 9, 2017
B&W universe, part IV
As I'm using a cooled Gray scale astronomical CCD camera, I have a Black and White images from all of my photos. (For a color image, colors are made by shooting each color channel trough a filter, in my case mostly a narrow band filters.)
Nebulae of the Central Cygnus, a mosaic image project
Please, click for a large image
Eleven panels ( 2200 x 1000 pixels)
Five panels ( 2200 x 1000 pixels)
One panel
For technical details and a color versions, please, use a link under the images above.
Wednesday, February 8, 2017
B&W universe, part III
As I'm using a cooled Gray scale astronomical CCD camera, I have a Black and White images from all of my photos. (For a color image, colors are made by shooting each color channel trough a filter, in my case mostly a narrow band filters.)
I will publish few posts out of my B&W images. Sometimes I like them better as a color ones.
B&W universe part I can be found HERE and Part II from HERE
B&W universe part I can be found HERE and Part II from HERE
Dark filaments of the Pelican nebula
Please, click for a large image
A two panel mosaic
Please, click for a large image
For technical details and a color versions, please, use a link under the images above.
Monday, February 6, 2017
A new photo, Sharpless 188 (Sh2-188) in Cassiopeia
Kind of difficult target due to dim outer parts at left in my photo. I collected lights for this object couple of nights between. and 21. January 2017. This photo is also a good sample of my new imaging method VARES (Variable Resolution imaging). More info in technical details bellow.
Sharpless 188, a Planetary Nebula in Cassiopeia
Please, click for a large image
Image is in mapped colours, from the emission of ionized elements, R=Sulphur, G=Hydrogen and B=Oxygen.
Sh2-188 in visual colors
Please, click for a large image
Image is in Natural colour palette from the emission of ionized elements,
R=Hydrogen + Sulphur, G=Oxygen and B=Oxygen + ~10% Hydrogen.
Sh2-188, H-alpha emission alone
Please, click for a large image
INFO
Sh2-188 (Sharpless2 188) a planetary nebula that is moving through the Inter Stellar Medium. The nebula is considered to be one of the most extreme examples of planetary nebula and ISM interaction. The bright parts of the filamentary rim is the shock front with a faint tail of material stretching away at opposite direction. (Source, http://www.imagingdeepsky.com/Nebulae/SH188/Sh2-188.htm)
Technical details
NOTE!
A new immaging technique of mine was used for this photo. I call it VARES (Variable Resolution imaging). The data is collected by using different binning levels from 1x1 down to 6x6. High signal/noise elements, like brighter stars and more luminous parts of the nebula, are from less binned exposures. Low signal/noise elements, like very dim and featureless outer parts, are from more binned exposures, this time all the way down to bin 6x6. (Apogee Alta U16 has a 4096 x 4096 pixels CCD. At bin 6 x 6, the output image has still 682 x 682 pixels in it)
Total exposure time for H-alpha is 12h but if the effects of binning is calculated in, the signal is practically the same as from 140 hours of exposures, if all are binned 1x1!
With this method, I can have high resolution details and good S/N for dimmer, less detailed, parts of the nebula with minimal exposure time.
In near future, I will write a tutorial about the VARES method. It might take some time though.
Total exposure time for H-alpha is 12h but if the effects of binning is calculated in, the signal is practically the same as from 140 hours of exposures, if all are binned 1x1!
With this method, I can have high resolution details and good S/N for dimmer, less detailed, parts of the nebula with minimal exposure time.
In near future, I will write a tutorial about the VARES method. It might take some time though.
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
Astrodon filter, 3nm O-III
Astrodon filter, 3nm S-II
Exposure times
H-alpha, 6x 1200s, binned 1x1 = 2h
H-alpha, 21x 1200s, binned 2x2 = 7h
H-alpha, 9x 1200s, binned 6x6 = 3h
H-alpha, 21x 1200s, binned 2x2 = 7h
H-alpha, 9x 1200s, binned 6x6 = 3h
O-III, 3 x 1200s binned 6x6 = 1h
S-II, 3 x 1200s binned 6x6 = 1h
Total 14h
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