[strongmanmike (Michael)]

Originally Posted by PKay

No bout adout it Mike.

All that effort and the result shows.

Remarkabubble!

Cheers Pete for you bubbly response

Originally Posted by jahnpahwa

Whoa!! I didn't expect this at all. You're finding targets manually?
And yeah, massive high five on this one Mike, really cool to see the field surrounding this in such depth.

Hi JP, I don't find targets manually as such, I do use goto and then take a succession of short exposures to hone in on the framing using my mounts hand control. The mount does a meridian flip when I command it to but then I repeat the framing process the other side when it arrives near the target, I periodically check focus between runs of filters by watching a focus star in a real time succession of 2sec exposures and press the focuser hand controls, until the focus star is as small as I can make it and I turn the dome by hand every 30min or so to keep the opening in front of the scope. I do use software to take each series of sub frames and it dithers automatically between sub frames etc..I'm just not automated as such so need to babysit my rig...so I am there for the entire 25hrs and all associated time .....

So glad you enjoyed the view

Originally Posted by multiweb

You went to town on that one. Love the wide field especially the area at 8 o'clock. One for the cool wall.

Thanks Marc, for a B&W man they are good comments

Originally Posted by marc4darkskies

An excellent rendition Mike! Well worth the effort! Intense colours, but not over the top. Very beautiful!

Thanks Marcus, I'd imagined this image for a looong time now...

Originally Posted by Placidus

A stunning image Mike. We've only ever seen it in extreme close-up. The widefield is totally successful.

Much to be said about dolphins and ocean waves and bright golden sand, but silence is also golden.

An average of over 4.5 hours a night, fully manually, is extremely productive.

A lovely image.

Actually I averaged 5hrs a night...?..didn't I?.. 25hrs/5 , I got some thin high cloud a couple'a times but it wasn't bad enough to throw any subs and one night did cloud over early. As for being fully manual, refer to comments above to JP.. not quite, I just have to be organised and think a bit

Originally Posted by Andy01

As mentioned on FB - Stunning Mike! I too have always wanted to image this in widefield, since seeing some renditions a couple of years ago. Yours however has been taken to an entirely new level of stunning! Absolutely marvellous and definitely one of your very best images to date!

Thanks so much Andy, most glad you enjoyed it

Originally Posted by Paul Haese

Superb rendering of this object Mike. It really is a nice image. Everything is just right in my opinion.

The goldilocks image then, shall we say..?

Originally Posted by CoolhandJo

Very nice! excellent colours and clarity

Thanks a lot Paul

Originally Posted by rustigsmed

massive effort and stunning result Mike. so much going on in the background.

On ya Russel, cheers

Mike