Been wanting to hit these three beauties for ever... and I finally got the chance last week
A classic grouping of bright nebulae in Sagittarius made up of the famous Lagoon Nebula (M8), the Trifid Nebula (M20) and the slightly fainter but no less beautiful, NGC 6559/IC1274 group, along with some threads of faint emission nebula spread around here and there. The golden star fields of the Milky Way complete the scene.
This is a LHaOIIIRGB broadband+narrowband hybrid image, processed as a true colour image and the near 7hrs of data was all collected in one night, of beautifully transparent skies.
I used no deconvolution and only a small amount of sharpening in the bright areas of the main nebulae and no noise reduction or gradient removal was used, pretty easy imaging. The bad news was, that I forgot my wallet, so no usual beers were purchased on the drive out to the observatory, nor any Macca's on the way home in the morning DOH!
Sagittarius Trio (click on image and use your cursor to pan around)
Beautiful Mike - these's been a few images of this recently and this one deserves to be on the podium too, probably on the top step!
(Sigh) I dream of dark skies - picnics, getting out anywhere really ...
Well done!
Wow. A lot of depth and the field of view ... Beautiful image.
Ecki
Thanks a lot Ecki
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ryderscope
Again we are tempted to look at an FSQ106 following another stunning wide field image from Mike
It really is a fabulous scope and camera combo, I feel very lucky and fortunate Rod
Quote:
Originally Posted by Andy01
Beautiful Mike - these's been a few images of this recently and this one deserves to be on the podium too, probably on the top step!
(Sigh) I dream of dark skies - picnics, getting out anywhere really ...
Well done!
Thanks Andy...I looked buuuut, nup try as I might, I couldn't warm to it turned upside down ala Van Gough
Quote:
Originally Posted by graham.hobart
gorgeous colours and depth
Thanks Graham
Quote:
Originally Posted by marc4darkskies
Very nice Mike! It's hard to walk past the splendors of a good wide field shot!
The colours look great but you seem to have posterized some blues - especially within 6559.
BTW, you need to find a nice block of land under dark skies and build a house so you can just walk to your observatory!
Indeed I do...we still haven't pulled the switch...procrastination is rampant...
Yes, I saw the slight posterisation of the teal/blues in a couple of places late last night (actually early this morning ) and went Doh! ...oh man, sheesh...and given I was so far down the processing track, weighed it up and thought that must have happened in the OIII blend stage and I didn't play close enough attention ...but it's pretty minor really (annoying to a perfectionist I guess )...I'll fix it later if you look at the image at 67% in your browser I recon you would be hard pressed to notice it
...
Yes, I saw the slight posterisation of the teal/blues in a couple of places late last night (actually early this morning ) and went Doh! ...oh man, sheesh...and given I was so far down the processing track, weighed it up and thought that must have happened in the OIII blend stage and I didn't play close enough attention ...but it's pretty minor really (annoying to a perfectionist I guess )...I'll fix it later
Mike
Haha, you should see some of the doozies I make!! Fortunately, not too many slip through to publishing because I spend days processing and going over each iteration with a fine tooth comb! As a complete processing nerd I get a lot of enjoyment & satisfaction out of the processing journey! Lately though it's been harder because I've had to re-learn some of the processing tricks I'd forgotten during my hiatus.
Very nice Mike! This duo has been on my imaging list for a few months but alas, being in lockdown, unable to achieve! I’ve attempted it under Bortle 7 skies but it’s bleh.
It’s a field that definitely benefits with the Ha and OIII addition for that added depth.
Very nice Mike! This duo has been on my imaging list for a few months but alas, being in lockdown, unable to achieve! I’ve attempted it under Bortle 7 skies but it’s bleh.
It’s a field that definitely benefits with the Ha and OIII addition for that added depth.
Thanks Col, straight RGB or LRGB can look good though, all variations on the same theme in the end, there are some variations out there on this field, that's for sure
Quote:
Originally Posted by gregbradley
Stunning resolution showing again how powerful the FSQ and Proline16803 are.
Great colour overall but the golden stars look to my eye at least, like they have a tad too much green in them?
I did notice that one little bit of blue on the foot of the Lagoon but as you say its pretty minor.
7 hours in one night, wow that was productive. Do you stay up all night or go to bed in your observatory?
Greg.
Yes, long winter nights are great and had the Moon not risen I would likely have collected more. I think my record, including a manual meridian flip and reaquisition and manual plate solve, no imaging script and manual electronic focusing by eye, for a single night, is over 8hrs on the same field
Re the hard edges in the blue in a couple of tiny places, I've gone back in an attempt to repair the two areas but I can't work out how to do it without seeing the repair .... funny how we have got to a point where in such a vast field full of so much, we even notice this kind of, what?..less than maybe 0.01% of the image area? like the mother in law who wipes her finger on the only dusty surface in the house when she arrives and looks at yer wife
I saw the very slight green you mention and I know it sounds strange but looking at it on my two different monitors last night and again this morning, when I reduce it I don't like the overall look of the star field...go figure..|I probably need
Thanks Col, straight RGB or LRGB can look good though, all variations on the same theme in the end, there are some variations out there on this field, that's for sure
Yes, long winter nights are great and had the Moon not risen I would likely have collected more. I think my record, including a manual meridian flip and reaquisition and manual plate solve, no imaging script and manual electronic focusing by eye, for a single night, is over 8hrs on the same field
Re the hard edges in the blue in a couple of tiny places, I've gone back in an attempt to repair the two areas but I can't work out how to do it without seeing the repair .... funny how we have got to a point where in such a vast field full of so much, we even notice this kind of, what?..less than maybe 0.01% of the image area? like the mother in law who wipes her finger on the only dusty surface in the house when she arrives and looks at yer wife
I saw the very slight green you mention and I know it sounds strange but looking at it on my two different monitors last night and again this morning, when I reduce it I don't like the overall look of the star field...go figure..|I probably need
Mike
Yeah I wouldn't worry about the blue. The golden stars look great by the way. Sometimes processing is a fickle thing. But FSQs do have a very slight green bias and it comes from the internal paint in the tube.
Yeah I wouldn't worry about the blue. The golden stars look great by the way. Sometimes processing is a fickle thing. But FSQs do have a very slight green bias and it comes from the internal paint in the tube.
Greg.
Hmm? dunno bout the internal paint thing really? you recon? I haven't noticed that, just a processing decision I think (and my weird eyes )..?
Amazing image! Loads of detail. You have one with the pastel pink hydrogen! I remember a discussion about that a few years ago. So, hydrogen fluorescence involves about 75% Ha +25% Hb - (planetary nebulae have less Hb from what I can gather). So, yes - the pink. What about the blue skirt! OIII would be the culprit there. Good to see the new refractor setup working well.
Damn, forgetting drinks! - I cannot do astro without drinks! It would have been a long night mate!
I do agree. Stars a tad green heavy. It is a golden region of the Milky Way though. Nothing wrong with detail - esp with so little post work. the one of the best images I have seen of this region - all the foot and the triffid.
Amazing image! Loads of detail. You have one with the pastel pink hydrogen! I remember a discussion about that a few years ago. So, hydrogen fluorescence involves about 75% Ha +25% Hb - (planetary nebulae have less Hb from what I can gather). So, yes - the pink. What about the blue skirt! OIII would be the culprit there. Good to see the new refractor setup working well.
Damn, forgetting drinks! - I cannot do astro without drinks! It would have been a long night mate!
Quote:
Originally Posted by cazza132
I do agree. Stars a tad green heavy. It is a golden region of the Milky Way though. Nothing wrong with detail - esp with so little post work. the one of the best images I have seen of this region - all the foot and the triffid.
Thanks Troy
Ah yes, the Pink/magenta/red controversy ...meah, all interchangeable
Having a slight green/cyan trace in the Milky Way star fields...like leaving a touch of magenta in narrow band stars something about the look but not for everyone.
DOH!
...oh man, sheesh...and given I was so far down the processing track, weighed it up and thought that must have happened in the OIII blend stage 
and I didn't play close enough attention 
...but it's pretty minor really (annoying to a perfectionist I guess 
if you look at the image at 67% in your browser I recon you would be hard pressed to notice it 
like the mother in law who wipes her finger on the only dusty surface in the house when she arrives and looks at yer wife 
)..? 
