A three-panel (highly overlapping) mosaic, with at least 24 hours exposure, 2x2 binned, at each pixel, with a 20" PlaneWave CDK. Most of the image has 72 hours of exposure.
We've roughly doubled the exposure since last time. The Western chevrons are much less noisy now, and much sharper. We've added a sliver of extra real estate at the far right, where there is now a new, somewhat wriggly radial smudge heading off toward four o'clock.
The faintest details that are clearly and unambiguously recognizable in this radial smudge (where the exposure is 24 hours), are about 16 ADU above their immediate environment, which translates to 24 photo-electrons (48 photons) per one hour sub. There are other more ambiguous features surrounding it, which are visible in the Galex image.
The bright centre is overlain with 4 hrs of unbinned H-alpha. The blending of the two images has produced some artificially darker regions at the interface, but this does not affect the faint outer details.
Well I was planning on having a crack at the Helix when I get my new scope up and running, but I don't think I'll bother now having seen this one!
More seriously, that's a very impressive effort there guys; certainly setting the benchmark.
To be picky, there's a series of slightly diagonal lines visible on the left of the frame, I'm not sure if these are the result of blending in that unbinned data, but the image would be improved if you were able to clean that up. Anyway, that's not meant to detract from what is probably the deepest helix I've seen and will likely see for along time. Great job guys!
Well I was planning on having a crack at the Helix when I get my new scope up and running, but I don't think I'll bother now having seen this one!
More seriously, that's a very impressive effort there guys; certainly setting the benchmark.
To be picky, there's a series of slightly diagonal lines visible on the left of the frame, I'm not sure if these are the result of blending in that unbinned data, but the image would be improved if you were able to clean that up. Anyway, that's not meant to detract from what is probably the deepest helix I've seen and will likely see for along time. Great job guys!
Thanks Lee. We're sure your take will be very different. The diagonal lines are in the 2x2 version, so not related to blending. They're going to be due to integer roundoff somewhere along the way. They'll take a lot of tracking down.
Quote:
Originally Posted by strongmanmike
Sensor me if required but holy fooking crap , will ya look at that..the faint features revealed are so captivating...
La Stupenda.
Mike
Thanks muchly, Mike. Thrilled that you like it too. It's nowhere near as 'pretty' as a less deep but more clean and contrasty version, yet those super-faint bits must be telling an interesting story about what's going on, if only we understood the language.
Now this is cooking with gas. I can see two chevrons to the right near the very bottom right that I have never seen in any images of this object. In fact I think they are the first time this has been imaged. I think you should image it just for another 20 hours to confirm the outlines of this outburst. I could be wrong but I think you might have made a further discovery just there.
Now this is cooking with gas. I can see two chevrons to the right near the very bottom right that I have never seen in any images of this object. In fact I think they are the first time this has been imaged. I think you should image it just for another 20 hours to confirm the outlines of this outburst. I could be wrong but I think you might have made a further discovery just there.
Many thanks Paul! Those shock fronts at the bottom right do look plausibly similar to the much larger number of clear ones at top left, so hopefully they are real.
Quote:
Originally Posted by troypiggo
Bar raised again. Absolutely awesome. Certainly will be the reference image for everyone here for some time.
Cheers, Troy.
We tried adding our old OIII and SII data to the image, but it made a hideous mess, so best leave it monochrome.
Embarrassing kindergarten mathematical mistake now fixed. The 16 ADU are per 1 hour frame, not per 24 hours total exposure. Luckily the probable extra shock fronts Paul saw at bottom right are there regardless!
There are so many expletives to describe this!
So I am just going to throw in an
Seriously this is a benchmark image Mike & Trish, absolutely spectacular.
Quote:
yet those super-faint bits must be telling an interesting story about what's going on, if only we understood the language.
Sadly they don't tell a great deal. Depending on the overall dynamics they may represent either:
1) Slightly earlier pulse
2) Concussion shock wave
3) Just be plain boring fainter material haha
There are so many expletives to describe this!
So I am just going to throw in an
Seriously this is a benchmark image Mike & Trish, absolutely spectacular.
Thanks hugely, Colin!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Atmos
Depending on the overall dynamics they may represent either:
1) Slightly earlier pulse
2) Concussion shock wave
3) Just be plain boring fainter material
, will ya look at that..the faint features revealed are so captivating...
The 16 ADU are per 1 hour frame, not per 24 hours total exposure. 
Luckily the probable extra shock fronts Paul saw at bottom right are there regardless! 
Your city lights image already shows some of that faint radial streak toward four o'clock.
