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Sunday, September 6, 2015

"Howling Wolf" Nebula, vdB 149, vdB 150, LDN 1235 and PGG 67671



The second photo published from the Deep Sky West observatory. Lights are taken under a very dark skie. Unlike in my current light polluted location, it's now possible to image broadband targets, galaxies, reflection nebulae and dark nebulae! HERE is some more info about the Deep sky West Observatory.

I gave the nickname "Howling Wolf" after I saw the photo first time in my monitor. At the end of this blog post, there is an explanation for the nickname.


VdB 149 and companions in the constellation Cepheus
Click for a large image

Beautiful collection of dark and reflection nebulae in Cepheus including a galaxy. This is a broadband LRGB image in natural colors.


Full resolution details from the image above

LDN 1235



vdB 150



vdB 149



vdB 149 and some interesting shapes in the dust cloud
Click for a large photo



PGG 67671



An experimental starless version
Click for a large photo

A starless version to show better the actual dust cloud


Howling Wolf

This is how I see the photo in my head.


An animated GIF, stars vs starless
Click for a large image



Technical details

Processing workflow

Stacked and calibrated in CCDStack2.
Deconvolution with a CCDStack2 Positive Constraint, 27 iterations, added at 33% weight
Color combine in PS CS3
Levels and curves in PS CS3.

Imaging optics
 Takahashi FSQ-106EDXIII

Mount
 Astro-Physics Mach1AP GTO with GTOCP3

Cameras and filters
QSI683WSG

Astrodon Luminance Tru-Balance E-Series Gen
Astrodon Red Tru-Balance E-Series Gen 2
Astrodon Green Tru-Balance E-Series Gen 2
Astrodon Blue Tru-Balance E-Series Gen 2

Exposure times
Luminance, 32 x 900s = 8h
Red = 13 x 900s = 3.25h
Green = 12 x 900s = 3h
Blue = 5 x 900s = 1.25h
Total 15.5h





Friday, September 4, 2015

Half a million stars and Messier 7


This is a second image produced as a collaboration with me and Eric Recurt. The data is shot from his observatory at Tenerife. The Observatory locates at 2400 m altitude and at 28 degrees North. The site has excellent seeing conditions, 0.8 " on average and can be below 0.3 "  


Messier 7, "My God, it's full of stars!
Be sure to click for a full size image! (Quote, 2001: A Space Odyssey)

Image shows the dense starfiel of Milkyway. Bright star cluster at lower middle is called Messier 7.
Just right from the Messier 7 locates a dark nebula B 287. In this image is visible about 500.000 stars of our Milky Way. 
Click the photo to see all of them! (2100x2100 pixels)

A closeup of Messier 7
Click for a large image



Planetary nebula PN Hf2-1 
Click for a large image

Planetary Nebula PN Hf2-1 is a blue dot at middle of the image area.


INFO

Messier 7 (M7, NGC 6475) is an open cluster of stars in the constellation Scorpius. This is the southernmost object in Messier's catalog.  Distance from the Earth is about 900 light years and it has a radius of 25 light years. Estimated age is around 200 million years.

Technical details

Processing workflow

Deconvolution with a CCDStack2 Positive Constraint, 27 iterations, added at 33% weight
Color combine in PS CS3
Levels and curves in PS CS3.

Imaging optics
 340mm F3.3 astrograph

Mount
ASA DDM 85

Cameras and filters
FLI PL 16803

Exposure times
Luminance, 11 x 300s = 55min
Red = 6 x 180s = 18min
Green = 6 x 180s = 18min
Blue = 6 x 180s = 18min
Total 1h 49min




Rosette Nebula from a professional observatory in Tenerife



This is my second remote image this year but with different partner. I get contacted by Eric Recurt and we started a cooperation between us. The imaging season, up here 65N, hasn't started yet. This is a great way to produce high quality photos during my mandatory summer pause.

Observatory

The Observatory locates at 2400 m altitude and at 28 degrees North. The site has excellent seeing condition usually below 1" year , 0.8 " on average to be exact and can be below 0.3 "  

Instruments

The instrument is a 340mm F3.3 astrograph with FLi Pro 16803 + Centerline 10 position filter wheel on a DDM 85 mount .

The first published photo from Teneriffe, 
NGC 2244, the Rosette Nebula
Click for a large image

This is a broadband LRGB image of the Rosette Nebula from a remote observatory in Tenerife.


A closeup
Click for a large image



Technical details

Processing workflow

Deconvolution with a CCDStack2 Positive Constraint, 27 iterations, added at 33% weight
Color combine in PS CS3
Levels and curves in PS CS3.

Imaging optics
 340mm F3.3 astrograph

Mount
ASA DDM 85

Cameras and filters
FLI PL 16803

Exposure times
Luminance, 10 x 600s = 1h 40min
Red = 5 x 300s = 25min
Green = 5 x 300s = 25min
Blue = 5 x 300s = 25min
Total 2h 55min


An experimental starless version as an animation







Thursday, September 3, 2015

Something new! My first light from The Deep Sky West (DSW) remote observatory


The imaging season, up here 65N, hasn't start yet. I have had a wonderful opportunity to use couple of remote telescopes. One in Canary islands and the other in New Mexico. I'll publish more images from both telescopes soon.

The first photo published is from Deep Sky West observatory. It's taken under a very dark sky. Unlike in my current light polluted location, it's now possible to image broadband targets, like galaxies, reflection nebulae and dark nebulae! HERE is some more info about the Deep sky West Observatory


LDN 1250 & 1251
In constellation Cepheus, click for a large image

A natural color LRGB photo of  the dark nebula LDN 1250 in Cepheus


Closeups
Click for a large image





Galaxy behind the dust


Magnitude 16 galaxy at middle of the image is PGC 166755, size 1.3 x 0.6 arcmin.

An experimental starless photo of LDN 1250 & 1251 as an animation

The nebula stands out nicely without stars. There are couple of much more distant galaxies at the image. One at right most left and the other at upper left from middle.

INFO
Image contains objects LDN 1251, LBN 558, PGC 69472, PGC 166755
This low mass star forming region in Cepheus is an extended cloud of gas and dust.  There are two galaxies visible in the image. At most left middle lays magnitude 15.5 galaxy PGC 69472, angular dimensions are 
2.1 x 1.6 arcminutes. Galaxy PGC 166755 At middle left shines at magnitude 16 and has size of 1.3 x 0.6 arcminutes.


Technical details

Processing workflow

Stacked and calibrated in CCDStack2.
Deconvolution with a CCDStack2 Positive Constraint, 27 iterations, added at 33% weight
Color combine in PS CS3
Levels and curves in PS CS3.

Imaging optics
 Takahashi FSQ-106EDXIII

Mount
 Astro-Physics Mach1AP GTO with GTOCP3

Cameras and filters
QSI683WSG

Astrodon Luminance Tru-Balance E-Series Gen
Astrodon Red Tru-Balance E-Series Gen 2
Astrodon Green Tru-Balance E-Series Gen 2
Astrodon Blue Tru-Balance E-Series Gen 2

Exposure times
Luminance, 26 x 900s = 6.5h
Red = 14 x 900s = 3.5h
Green = 14 x 900s = 3.5h
Blue = 14 x 900s = 3.5h
Total 17h


A single calibrated and stretched 15 min. Luminance frame as it comes from the camera
Click for a large image