Lambda Centauri in 3nm NII

[avandonk]

This is an image from 25x16 minutes exposures in 3nm NII. It took all night to collect, seven hours in fact.

Large image 12 MB

http://d1355990.i49.quadrahosting.com.au/2013_02/lc_NII_L.jpg

It was mainly an exercise to eliminate any noise in the very dim regions.


I already have seven hours of RGB data and will collect HA, OIII and SII.

My system can really only usefully collect from the East to two hours after the zenith. The light pollution in my western sky is far worse than my eastern.

Below is also a crop showing the Bok Globules.

Bert

[avandonk]

Here is the RGB. Exposures 25x4 minutes for each.

Large image 8MB

http://d1355990.i49.quadrahosting.com.au/2013_02/LC_RGB_M_.jpg


Bert

[Larryp]

Another beautiful image, Bert. You are certainly churning them out!

[avandonk]

Thanks again Laurie for your comments. I am fortunate I am retired so whenever the sky is clear I can image all night and not have to worry about then putting in a days work. This system was really purchased to keep me usefully occupied and sane?. It is a full time 'job' for me. After forty years working in scientific research, it is hard to break old habits. I can get a bit irritable when the weather is not kind. Just lately it has been clear at night more often than not, so the data quickly accumulates.


Bert

[Larryp]

I am semi-retired, Bert. And looking forward to full retirement. I am in the process of gathering the necessary gear to go back to astro-photography myself. It is difficult, as you say, to image at night and then work the next day-so I'm not really trying to do much at the moment
Laurie

[strongmanmike]

Wow Bert that's a deep expansive Chicken! :eyepop:

The close up is showing plenty of good resolution and it is only that it is a bit blown out that it is not showing even more I recon..? This is just a processing thing too.

If people can't see the running chicken in the wide shot, then..?..they need chicken glasses :lol: (she is running to the left with out stretched flapping wings) :thumbsup:

Mike

[Ross G]

Great looking photo Bert.

Ross.

[avandonk]

thanks Mike here is a compressed 16bit tiff of the data. 20MB

http://d1355990.i49.quadrahosting.com.au/2013_02/RZ_LC_NII_960s_.zip

It is an unprocessed version just corrected for flats and darks. The tiff is actually a tiff with the stacked fit of NII data assigned to RGB.

I am still getting the hang of this data.


Bert

[multiweb]

One of your best shots with the rig. :thumbsup:

[prokyon]

Wow, great work with the NII filter! To use the NII is high level narrow band photography :thumbsup:

[dvj]

Thanks to Bert for posting the original tiff file for us to experiment with. It gave me an opportunity to process the data more to my liking when it comes to grayscale. This image is 50% res, 8 bit to fit my picture server limitiations.

NII is interesting, but my own experiments with 3nm filters indicate that they are not the optimal choice for f/3 systems. Significant reduction in filter transmission. Still, there are gigs of signal in Bert's image that makes processing quite easy. 50% res like this does not readily show some star problems in the corners. I'll have to go back and shoot this with my FSQ and 5nm Ha filter

Here is the image, enjoy:

http://img195.imageshack.us/img195/7785/rzlcnii960sjgmods.jpg

[strongmanmike]

Nice job John!

See Bert, it is just your processing mate...no more HDR :scared:!!! :lol: (meant nicely of course :love: )

Mike

[dvj]

Thanks Mike! We all have our own way of processing. The little RH200 f/3 works quite nicely.

[RobF]

Thanks John - very nice treatment. Stunning image Bert.

[jjjnettie]

:) That first image looks a lot like the Flying Spaghetti Monster. LOL

Beaut work, as usual Bert.