The Dark Shark

RickS (Rick) · #1 19-10-2017, 10:21 PM

The Dark Shark aka the Howling Wolf. This field contains the blue reflection nebulae VdB150 (top) and VdB149 (bottom.) The shark's nose is the dark nebula LDN1235. Lots of other dark nebulosity and a few bright stars.

Big version on Astrobin: http://www.astrobin.com/317415/0/

Captured at SRO, July-Sep, 2017

Scope: Ceravolo C300 @ f/4.9 = 1470mm FL
Mount: AP1100
Camera: FLI PL16803
Focuser: Atlas
Filters: Astrodon
Guiding: Lodestar II / Tak guide scope
Image scale: 1.26 arcsec/pixel (Drizzled to double res)
Exposures: 45x1200s R, 38x1200s G, 39x1200s B, 81x600s L, 36x1800s Ha (54.16 + 18 hours)
Processing: PixInsight 1.8.5

Acquisition credit: Scott Johnson, Augusto Hernandez, John Kasianowicz, Daniele Malleo, Jose Mtanous and Rick Stevenson

Processing credit: Rick Stevenson

Thanks for looking and comments are welcome. I always find dark nebs very difficult and I'm happy to accept suggestions for improvement

Cheers,
Rick.

Camelopardalis (Dunk) · #2 19-10-2017, 10:26 PM

Beautiful rendition Rick

love the rich colours.

RickS (Rick) · #3 19-10-2017, 10:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Camelopardalis

Beautiful rendition Rick

love the rich colours.

Thanks, Dunk! Glad you didn't think it was overcooked

strongmanmike (Michael) · #4 19-10-2017, 10:31 PM

Excellent image Rick, lovely colour and contrast and your stars are nice too, great shot

Could'a juuust done with about 10-20% more FOV and you would'a fitted the sharks nose in nicely

Mike

batema (Mark) · #5 20-10-2017, 07:33 AM

Beautiful image Rick. Stunning colours.

RickS (Rick) · #6 20-10-2017, 07:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by strongmanmike

Excellent image Rick, lovely colour and contrast and your stars are nice too, great shot

Could'a juuust done with about 10-20% more FOV and you would'a fitted the sharks nose in nicely

Thanks, Mike. I would have liked a different angle too, but we don't have a rotator

Quote:

Originally Posted by batema

Beautiful image Rick. Stunning colours.

Ta, Mark.

marc4darkskies (Marcus) · #7 20-10-2017, 08:34 AM

A very beautiful and compelling image Rick!

Colours are pushed to the limit but certainly not overdone.

graham.hobart (Graham stevens) · #8 20-10-2017, 09:41 AM

That is an awfully good shot Rick - very compelling in the big version. Like a leaping thresher shark covered in oil wearing a jewelled tiara. Spot on !

multiweb (Marc) · #9 20-10-2017, 09:59 AM

Looks great mate. Love it.

I like the saturated colours. That blue reflection neb at the top reminds me of merope in the pleaides. Dead set ringer. That's PS copy/paste right there.

RickS (Rick) · #10 20-10-2017, 10:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by marc4darkskies

A very beautiful and compelling image Rick!

Colours are pushed to the limit but certainly not overdone.

Thanks very much, Marcus!

Quote:

Originally Posted by graham.hobart

That is an awfully good shot Rick - very compelling in the big version. Like a leaping thresher shark covered in oil wearing a jewelled tiara. Spot on !

Thanks, Graham. That's an image that will haunt me now

Quote:

Originally Posted by multiweb

Looks great mate. Love it.

I like the saturated colours. That blue reflection neb at the top reminds me of merope in the pleaides. Dead set ringer. That's PS copy/paste right there.

Thanks, Marc. I'll have to start pasting bits of the Pleiades into all my images now

strongmanmike (Michael) · #11 20-10-2017, 11:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by multiweb

Looks great mate. Love it.

I like the saturated colours. That blue reflection neb at the top reminds me of merope in the pleaides. Dead set ringer. That's PS copy/paste right there.

Yeah, look at that, very similar

What do you call the Pleiades with glasses...?

Meropic

Mike

multiweb (Marc) · #12 20-10-2017, 11:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RickS

Thanks, Marc. I'll have to start pasting bits of the Pleiades into all my images now

That's why I've been using PS. You can't do that in PI and keep your sanity.

Placidus (Mike and Trish) · #13 20-10-2017, 01:04 PM

Lovely! Most enjoyable exploring the high-res on a big screen.

Proof at last that sharks have lips.

Octane (Humayun) · #14 20-10-2017, 02:20 PM

That is stunning work, Rick. Well done!

The colour is so beautiful, too.

H

leon · #15 20-10-2017, 03:53 PM

You say suggestions for room for improvement,

no need for improvement Rick a stunning image indeed.

Leon

willik (Willik) · #16 20-10-2017, 04:21 PM

Quality image very impressive Rick.
Martin

RickS (Rick) · #17 20-10-2017, 04:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by strongmanmike

What do you call the Pleiades with glasses...?

Meropic

Oh dear

Quote:

Originally Posted by multiweb

That's why I've been using PS. You can't do that in PI and keep your sanity.

I'll write a MeropifyMultiscaleCloneStamp script

Quote:

Originally Posted by Placidus

Lovely! Most enjoyable exploring the high-res on a big screen.

Proof at last that sharks have lips.

Thanks, M&T. Maybe it's a Groper?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Octane

That is stunning work, Rick. Well done!

The colour is so beautiful, too.

Thanks very much, H.

Quote:

Originally Posted by leon

You say suggestions for room for improvement,

no need for improvement Rick a stunning image indeed.

There's always room for improvement, but thanks Leon.

Quote:

Originally Posted by willik

Quality image very impressive Rick.

Thank you, Martin.

DJT (David) · #18 20-10-2017, 05:29 PM

Great image, the colours are vibrant and seem to make the whole thing Pop

RickS (Rick) · #19 20-10-2017, 06:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DJT

Great image, the colours are vibrant and seem to make the whole thing Pop

Thanks, David!

el_draco (Rom) · #20 20-10-2017, 06:34 PM

That is a drop dead gorgeous shot!