Ngc6164

[topheart]

HI All,
I have finally had a pocket of time to process some data!!
Man, my processing is even rustier than before! :screwy:

https://savannahskies.smugmug.com/Nebula/i-9KsRH39/A

0.5M Classical Cassegrain on a PME2 mount. STX16803 with AOX guiding at around 6 to 8 Hz.

HaO3LRGB image.

Data obtained through May and June 2017.
Just looking at the folder of calibrated images I see there was 66 hours of data all up.

Regards,
Tim

[multiweb]

Sub zero cool! :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

[phomer]

A very interesting object.

[Joshua Bunn]

Very smooth Tim, nice colours.

[alocky]

That’s a gorgeous image Tim, I don’t think I’ve ever seen so much detail in the outer shell before. In fact I’m not sure I’ve seen that outer shell before!
Cheers
Andrew.

[Andy01]

Great detail in the nebula itself, but after 66 hrs I would expect that the outer shell would be much better defined and brighter?

Lovely star colours too :thumbsup:

[JA]

Excellent image quality Tim:thumbsup:

Best
JA

[gregbradley]

A phenomenal image Tim. If boosting the shockwave meant losing some of that gorgeous detail in the neb itself then I think its a good tradeoff to keep the detail.

Greg.

[Atmos]

I think I finally understand where I have been going wrong.... I only put a tenth of the integration into targets :lol:

Wonderfully deep image Tim, shows regions and depth that most others don't quite reach :thumbsup:

[topheart]

Yes!! You guys have picked what has been driving me crazy with this image!! I do see a much denser outer shroud in the NB data that is toned down in the final image here---I am still playing with the data to try and show the star colours and the detail in the central nebula as well as the brighter outer shell....I will hopefully have a second version to post if I don't get put into a straight jacket first...

Thanks to everyone who has commented!
Cheers,
Tim

[RickS]

Great detail in the central shell, Tim, and a stunning image.



How much time did you spend on the Oiii, Tim?

Cheers,
Rick.

[topheart]

Hi Rick,
With the O3 there is about 10 hours of data.
I have uploaded a thumbnail of the mean O3.


https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap140522.html This is a great rendition showing the outer halo well.....
Cheers,
Tim

[RickS]

Thanks, Tim. The APOD is a combination of Martin Pugh's data and mine. I collected over 36 hours of Oiii. That outer shell is a dim sucker!

Cheers,
Rick.

[Geoff45]

The detail within the nebula is gobsmacking.

[Placidus]

Yes, what Geoff said: Gobsmacking.

[Stevec35]

Incredible - the central part is the most detailed I've ever seen for this object.

Cheers

Steve

[topheart]

Thank you all very much.
I will keep trying to balance the core with the outer shell some more.
Cheers,
Tim

[LewisM]

Holy Smokes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!

[Peter Ward]

Big scope: tick
great skies: tick
superb camera: tick
adaptive optics: tick
expertly processed: tick

Not surprising this a one heck of an image. Well done! :thumbsup::thumbsup:

[topheart]

Thanks very much Lewis and Peter.
Cheers,
Tim

[Placidus]

Tim, I notice you are using adaptive optics on a 20 inch scope. We would love to piggy-back on your expertise.

What AOX are you using? Is it a thing that you buy and put in the image train, or is it that the STX16803 can self-guide at that speed? What difference do you get in FWHM? How often do you get a guide star that gives you 8 frames a second? Is it different for the Milky Way versus somewhere around Cetus for example?

Best,
Mike

[topheart]

Hi All,
I have been working on getting more of the outer halo in to the image without losing the core detail.....I posted a version 2... a repro for comparison....how much power we have with processing to do good ...or bad.....!

Maybe this is bad.....
https://savannahskies.smugmug.com/Nebula/i-fBwH2Kw/A


Let me know...thanks!



Hi Mike,
Yes with my 0.39arcsec/pixel image scale, I have found the Adaptive Optics guiding helps my system significantly, especially as I still have a bit of residual hysteresis in the Dec axis on the PME2, that I have not been able yet to adjust out with adjustment of the spring plungers or worm block adjustments. I haven't formally tested the reduction in FWHMs yet though I do notice much better FWHMs in general - each night gives a slightly different FWHM and everything I do is automated through the night - since I have returned to using an AO.....I had to swap back from a FLI PL16803 to the STX16803 to get the AO again (I had enjoyed using a AOL with a STL11000 with the same scope on a PME back a few years ago).
It is the AO-X: http://diffractionlimited.com/product/ao-x/

A photo of my imaging train is attached showing the red AO-X in front of the off-axis guider which is in turn in front of the big black filter wheel in front of the STX.

I sometimes have to settle for a guide star that gives 3 to 4 Hz, but if I can get a guide star of better than mag 10.7, I usually find the AO guiding works well. I have a camera rotator, of course to rotate the FOV to hopefully get a bright enough guide star. Only occasionally I can't get a target with a guide star - usually in a sparse star field around a galaxy....

Cheers,
Tim

[Placidus]

Tim, the new version is gorgeous. More outer envelope, but still the astonishingly sharp detail in the bright core. An image to be very proud of.

Thanks also for the explanation about the AOX.

Best,
Mike

[topheart]

Thanks very much Mike. After staring at the same image for ages, I can lose perspective.

If you would like to discuss the AO or anything else just send me a PM on IIS.

Cheers,
Tim

[gregbradley]

Ah yes a nice improvement. Its now a feature without wrecking the background areas etc.

Nicely done.

Greg.

[RickS]

A big :thumbsup: from me too.

[topheart]

Hi Greg and Rick,
Thanks very much for looking and commenting. Much appreciated.
Cheers,
Tim

[atalas]

:eyepop: Excellent Tim :thumbsup:

[RobF]

Wow thanks for sharing. Extra info on collection and equipment very interesting too.

Glad to see Savannah Skies is performing so well for you too - must be very satisfying after what must have been lots of work to get set up properly. Beautiful part of the world - visited the Undara lava tubes on the way back from the eclipse some years ago and realised should have made the effort to go west off the tableland years ago.

[topheart]

Hi Rob,
Thanks very much!
Yes, West of the Tablelands is very special....very different to the rest of Far North QLD.
Cheers,
Tim

[Peter Ward]

Wow...that extra NB data raises the bar significantly....the delicate outer shells give the object depth and complexity.

I really like the new version.

Dare I say, it sets a new gold standard for others to aim for.

Fabulous stuff !

P.S.
My experience with the AO-X is very similar. It’s a great piece of kit :thumbsup:

[DJT]

Wow!
Beautiful image, Tim.
Detail in the nebula is really impressive indeed.
:thumbsup:

[topheart]

I agree completely Peter about the AO-X!!
Cheers,
Tim

[topheart]

Thanks very much David!
Cheers,
Tim

[Andy01]

Love the repro Tim, great detail on the outer shell now. :thumbsup:
It's probably nitpicking but the centre highlights look a little flat :question:
As said above, a top shelf image :D

[topheart]

Thanks very much Andy.
I appreciate your opinion and will look at the intensity of the central highlights.
Cheers,
Tim