NGC6357 Lobster Nebula

[topheart]

Hi,

I have posted another for your critique. As you can see, I am still stuck in the ocean - this time with the Lobster Nebula.

I have tried to give this image a new twist by enhancing the nebula as much as possible to make it look like a Lobster..... This nebula is often seen as a fairly homogeneous red blob, but I have tried to show the creature with a rough variegated shell like a lobster has, so I have applied bit more hi pass and sharpening to the Ha layer than I would perhaps normally attempt...perhaps this has failed and is too heavy handed, but at least I can really see the lobster now....!

https://savannahskies.smugmug.com/Nebula/i-8H3LDnM/A

I think I have found out how to display higher resolution this time....

HaRGB image - Takahashi BRC250+FLI PL16803 on a ParamountME at Savannah Skies.

Many thanks for looking.
Cheers,
Tim

[Stevec35 (Steve)]

Wow Tim - that looks great! I can even see the resemblance to a lobster so I would say you have succeeded.

Cheers

Steve

[Placidus (Mike and Trish)]

I always see this nebula as a pair of cuddling skeletons. Skulls and arms and ribs everywhere. Who says romance is dead.

A great shot. You've made it more plausibly a lobster than usual.

Cheers,
Mike

[cometcatcher (Kevin)]

Very sharp Lobster Tim!

I've never been happy with any of my shots of this due to lack of a Ha camera. I'll have to try again this year.

[topheart]

Originally Posted by Stevec35

Wow Tim - that looks great! I can even see the resemblance to a lobster so I would say you have succeeded.

Cheers

Steve

Thanks very much Steve ...lobster mornay perhaps?
Cheers,
Tim

Originally Posted by Placidus

I always see this nebula as a pair of cuddling skeletons. Skulls and arms and ribs everywhere. Who says romance is dead.

A great shot. You've made it more plausibly a lobster than usual.

Cheers,
Mike

Thanks Mike!! Wow! Cuddling Skeletons...yes, I agree with that....You do have a vivid imagination obviously, though!!

Originally Posted by cometcatcher

Very sharp Lobster Tim!

I've never been happy with any of my shots of this due to lack of a Ha camera. I'll have to try again this year.

Thanks Kevin....Yes, Ha makes such a big difference to these objects, I think.
Cheers,
Tim

[Atmos (Colin)]

Very nice Tim, reminds me of the Pokemon Paras

[RickS (Rick)]

That's a very interesting rendition, Tim. I like it a lot!

[topheart]

Thanks very much Colin and Rick!
Cheers,
Tim

[gaseous (Patrick)]

Looked like a crab/lobster as soon as I saw it! Fantastic shot.

Also, my imagination is probably running away with me, but is this area in the attached photo just some closely grouped stars or perhaps something more interesting?

[gregbradley]

Great shot Tim.

Often a hard object to present in an interesting way. Widefield is definitely the way to go as too zoomed in its just an all red neb. The stars look great.

Greg.

[topheart]

Originally Posted by gaseous

Looked like a crab/lobster as soon as I saw it! Fantastic shot.

Also, my imagination is probably running away with me, but is this area in the attached photo just some closely grouped stars or perhaps something more interesting?

Thanks very much Patrick. After Plate Solving / Image Linking, I can't find anything in TheSkyX other than stars just there, but I am happy to be corrected.....

Cheers,
Tim

Originally Posted by gregbradley

Great shot Tim.

Often a hard object to present in an interesting way. Widefield is definitely the way to go as too zoomed in its just an all red neb. The stars look great.

Greg.

Thanks very much Greg!! Yes, the BRC250 +PL16803 combo gives a good field of view for this one!
Cheers,
Tim

[gaseous (Patrick)]

Cheers Tim, just my overactive imagination then (as I suspected). Beautiful image all the same.

[Andy01 (Andy)]

I've revisited this image several times - can't quite decide where I sit with it.
On one hand it's sharp, well composed and has great detail.
On the other hand the structure & form is a bit lost in the pushed Ha on the right hand portion - maybe a mask would help here to isolate the neb?
A tricky target regardless, well done

[topheart]

Thanks very much Andy...I am actually exactly the same as you....not sure !!

Thanks very much.
Cheers,
Tim

[strongmanmike (Michael)]

Ha!...is that a lobster? yum!

Yeah it perhaps looks a little harsh-ish in the detail department and looks good viewed at modest image size and the overall impact is really quite striking, nice job Tim

Mike

[topheart]

Thanks Mike!
Cheers,
Tim