The Corona Australis Molecular Cloud

[strongmanmike]

It is the bright busy pointy end (top right half in this shot) of this large faint molecular cloud that is usually imaged at tighter image scales as it contains some cool features including R Corona Australis inside its variable nebula

The Corona Australis Molecular Cloud as a whole though is a much larger, faint gaseous and dusty molecular cloud with many embedded reflection nebulae as mentioned, including NGC 6729, NGC 6726–7 and IC 4812. A star-forming region of around 7000 Solar masses, the cloud contains Herbig–Haro objects (protostars) and some very young stars. About 430 light years away, it is one of the closest star-forming regions to the Solar System.

With a 4deg wide field I was able to cover most of the extent of the molecular cloud but a second panel would frame the lot.....

Corona Australis Molecular Cloud (https://www.flickr.com/photos/strongman/28944236447/in/dateposted-public/) (Click on image and scroll around the large file)

You can also view it HERE (http://www.pbase.com/strongmanmike2002/image/167878427/original)

Ever wanted to know the designations of the various bits?..Here is an annotated version
(http://www.pbase.com/strongmanmike2002/image/167931999/original)
Mike

[Atmos]

I think you need to clean your FSQ Mike, there seems to be stuff smeared all over the field blocking out the stars ;)

[strongmanmike]

Aaaarg!.. you mean I wasted the best part of 3 nights :eyepop: :sadeyes:

Mike

[cometcatcher]

That's a fantastic wide view of the region.

[RickS]

That's a beauty, Mike! I'm thinking about chasing this object at Astrofest with a DSLR.

Cheers,
Rick.

[Placidus]

The way you've presented the dust, sometimes obscuring the distant stars, sometimes being lit by the nearest stars, sometimes a bit of each, is wonderful. Then, if one zooms, in, so much detail.

Toward 7 o'clock from the globular is the large and detailed face of a camel or perhaps a yak, with Yoda's Walking Stick on the bridge of the nose between the eyes. It is all there, including a very clear nostril, mouth, and cleft upper lip. I had no idea it was there!

Lovely image. :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:
Mike

[atalas]

:jawdrop: :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

[strongmanmike]

Thanks Kevin :thumbsup:



Cheers Rick, whatch ya shooting with?



Thanks a lot Mike, yes a few shapes and figures in this one..I always see Rafiki from the Lion King :P



Well, glad you like it so much Louie :D

[Slawomir]

Ah, so that how the (nearly) entire region looks like! Awesome image Mike, as always :thumbsup:

I really enjoyed browsing the large resolution image. Perhaps a silly question - but any idea what those streamers coming out of the bright blue star (at about 2 o'clock from IC4812) are?

[DaveNZ]

Very cool Big Mike. Nice processing. You didnt blow away the bright glob.

That's a dusty bugger and look at all those stars. Good star shapes right into the corners.

Dave

[gregbradley]

A fabulous vista Mike. A grandious voyage across a dusty plain with some stunning blue highlights.

The star field is also very vibrant.

Greg.

[clive milne]

That's truly incredible Mike... I never thought I would see the day.

Not a single emoticon in your post.


Oh, and yes
that's a pretty good image as well.

best
~c

[LewisM]

That's kinda NOICE!

Going to have to revisit it again with the FSQ-106 instead of the FSQ-85 like before. Interesting I got the red in the hockey stick swirl whereas yours doesn't show it.

[Ryderscope]

Thank you for presenting the 'big picture' here Mike. As you say, we are normally focusing on the pointy bit at the end so it is good to see a fine display of the surrounding area.

[tornado33]

Seemingly every bit of dust there is clearly shown, so deep indeed, yet nothing is blown out, and the FSQ is so optically perfect, stars right in the corners exactly the same as in the middle not a hint of abberation. A truly stunning picture.

[Andy01]

Top shelf image again Mike - that shelf must be about to topple over with all the goodies on it now! :rofl:
Lovely wide vista, pts the objects nicely into context - well done! :thumbsup:

[JA]

Looks incredible Mike :thumbsup:
Like flying around in outer space !

Best
Ja

[strongmanmike]

Thanks a lot Slaw :thumbsup: As to the source of the weird star spikes on that star...no idea :shrug: first time I have seen this strange almost skewed pattern..:question: I have noticed complex diffraction spikes, of varying appearances, around bright stars with both my FLI cameras and with both my refractors (FSQ and AP152EDF) but not my Newt....strange how it is only that one star in the field too... :question:



Thanks a lot Dave, wide dusty fields are good to shoot with this combo :)



Thanks Greg :thumbsup:



:eyepop:.....:lol:.....:hi:..... :scared3:



Thanks Lewis, kinda noice I'll take that :) Not sure about the red :shrug:



Love shooting these big dusty nebs, they are so etheral :)



Thanks a lot Scott and yes the FSQ106EDX4 is a remarkable scope for sure...makes my job pretty easy really :thumbsup:



Thanks so much Andy, if I wasn't a mosaic-a-phobe...be cool to do one on this area :)



Cheers Ja, hope you enjoyed the trip! :P

[Slawomir]

Yes, one star only in the entire image so it did trigger my curiosity. And the spikes are actually very unusual and kind of pretty, so I was allowing a possibility of a nebulosity interfering with the light coming out of this star.

Or perhaps it is the lens-camera combination at some specific angles creating such unique localised patterns.

[strongmanmike]

Yes it is strange... this shot (http://www.pbase.com/strongmanmike2002/image/166698764/original) shows the effect I had noticed on some bright stars (but not all) before but not in all images :shrug: and only on some bright stars..? It doesn't worry me at all but it is intriguing :question:

Mike

[LewisM]

Mike, regarding the red in the swirl, my FSQ-85 compile (8hrs) shows it (after careful handling in PixInsight) and the tiny ball of H-a below it, as does Rolf Olsen's EXCEPTIONAL image of it. I am sure it's just a processing nuance, but I am definitely going to try CorA again when all the snow and cotton balls naff off!

Here's the link to my shot (first person this season :P)

https://www.astrobin.com/full/343506/G/

[strongmanmike]

Meah....yeah, probably just a processing nuance, mate...hmm?..have to ask though, why out of such an extensive field full of so many bits and so much stuff, did you focus on just this tiny insignificant little detail :question: :lol:

[LewisM]

Because :P

Yes, it's very impressive Mike, but the missing red did catch my eye, so there :)

[strongmanmike]

...fair enuf...like Cindy Cawfords mole... :lol:

[LewisM]

Who you calling a mole? :P :lol:

[Stevec35]

Great stuff Mike. Not 100% sure about the colour but it's certainly a very nice wide field view.

Steve

[alpal]

Great image Mike,
Takahashi should be paying you for the advertising. :)


cheers
Allan

[strongmanmike]

Cheers Steve and fair enough..I think? :question:



Ha ha..you have said this before Al but there are many great shots out there taken with the FSQ106 and over many years so I think my results are juuust a little late in piece to be any revelation :) ..but thanks for the sentiment none the less mate :thumbsup:

Mike

[Bart]

That is very nice, Mike. Beautiful stars and great detail in the dark nebulosity. :thumbsup:

[strongmanmike]

Cheers Bart :thumbsup:

[alpal]

Hi Mike,
the FSQ is still amazing to get pin point stars corner to corner
with a 36.88 × 36.88 mm large sensor.
Not many systems can claim that.


cheers
Allan

[Nortilus]

This is amazing...truly amazing and inspiration...

[Retrograde]

Beautiful rendition Mike!

[strongmanmike]

True, it is a remarkable instrument





Cheers Josh and Pete glad you liked it :thumbsup:

Mike

[topheart]

Top shelf Mike!
Congratulations!
Cheers,
Tim

[strongmanmike]

Thanks Tim. :thumbsup: How's the weather out in the Savannah?...clear every night I bet.

[multiweb]

That's a very cool Corona. Great details and colours. :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

[strongmanmike]

Cheers Marc :thumbsup:...did you grab it too, at Astrofest..? ;)

Mike

[multiweb]

Yeah I did a little on that one 15x5min but in infrared. Much smaller fov though with the QHY9, nothing close to the real estate covered with your rig.

[h0ughy]

wow that's the whole case there - was it on special?? superb

[strongmanmike]

He he...nearly, one more panel and I could have it all :)

Mike

[petershah]

Beautiful image Mike...I was recently enjoying some of your Southern objects on a visit to La Palma...I have now seen the full extent of Scorpius (for the very first time)....Its my new favorite constellation ;). This one you can just see from there and I did think about imaging it while on my visit...still very low in the sky though....Ill have to make a trip further South now had a taste of those Southern gems....:thumbsup:

[Geoff45]

Those wide fields really show up what we are missing with long focal lengths.
Superb image Mike.
Geoff

[topheart]

Hi Mike,
Yes, we have had a great run ....clear every night for the last few months.....I have been busy being a sound desk operator lately though....fortunately the scopes have been running in the background, but no time for image processing lately,....sigh.

Cheers,
Tim

[strongmanmike]

Aaaaw....am I jealous :eyepop: :sadeyes:...Im going out tonight to my obso, bit of mid week imaging with work the next day...got to make sure I come home and get some sleep though, which is hard to do when it means leaving a clear moonless sky just hanging there..:rolleyes: :lol:

Mike

[Paul Haese]

The dust detail really makes this image Mike. I particularly like the detail in the darkest section of dust. Mix that with the entire expanse and it gives a striking look to the image.

[strongmanmike]

Thanks Paul, it is a beautiful area, hard to do a bad job on :)

[multiweb]

What's the image scale of your combo?

[strongmanmike]

530mm FL, 9 micron pixels = 3.5"/pix

[multiweb]

Cool, big pixels :eyepop: I'm sitting on 2.1asp with the QHY9. Have you tried to drizzle integrate the LUM? I reckon you could benefit from it in term of resolution.

[strongmanmike]

Yes, you have mentioned this before Marc and perhaps I'll have a crack some time :computer: ...but I guess I really got the FSQ to use with the big 16803 chip, to better exploit the FSQ's large corrected image circle, that the smaller chip smaller pixel cameras like yours can't capture, ie for wide fields, not so much for resolution and for now at least, I am happy enough with that aspect of the rig. :)

Mike

[strongmanmike]

Hi Pete, thanks a lot and yes this would still be quite low in the sky, even from La Palma and apart from the atmospheric extinction effect, wouldn't provide for a long imaging run each night either. Saw your little video with your son..cool :thumbsup:



Thanks a lot Geoff...ya need both :P :)

Mike

[RobF]

Missed this one Mike. Wonderful astro-candy. Thanks for sharing with us :thumbsup:

[strongmanmike]

Yer welcome Rob :thumbsup:

Mike

[troypiggo]

Dusty goodness. Me likey.

[strongmanmike]

Thanks Troy, certainly plenty of star and planet making material in there :)

Mike

[Ross G]

A beautiful photo Mike.


I love this region and yours is one of the best photos I have ever seen of it.


Your images still set the standard on this forum!


Ross.

[strongmanmike]

Wow thanks heaps Ross, glad you think so :) :thumbsup:

Mike