Orion's Sword - another hybrid image

[strongmanmike]

This was an exercise to keep me sane while building my new observatory (neeearly finished), not new data but a new image :)

As I have done with a couple of other data sets lately, this is an LHaOIIIRGB hybrid image combining two data sets from two optical and imaging systems

I aimed to display the entire huge dynamic range, from right inside the trapezium to the outer reaches with the intention of keeping the main nebula looking like it is kind of floating in the outer much fainter dust and gas against the empty sky behind..?

Full image details are at the links

Orion's Mighty Sword (https://www.flickr.com/photos/strongman/14700097250/in/photostream/lightbox/) (medium)

Orion's Mighty Sword (http://www.pbase.com/strongmanmike2002/image/156946951/original) (Large)

Can't wait to get some new data from the new observatory, hopefully in the next couple of weeks :prey:

Cheers

Mike

[cometcatcher]

That's... mighty. :)

[RickS]

Very dramatic and grand, Mike! I didn't realise your image scale was so similar on the frac and the newt before you switched to the itty bitty SX.

Good luck with the obsy. I haven't had a single dark sky night this year and this new moon weekend will be wet again :sadeyes: I definitely need a break from narrowband.

[PeterEde]

Makes my effort look like kindy

[multiweb]

Amazing details. Nice one. :thumbsup:

[Camelopardalis]

Woah Mike that's beautiful :thumbsup: I love the layers of detail!

[Rex]

Beautiful Mike. Fantastic detail and colours.

[strongmanmike]

Thanks for checking it out guys and glad you liked it :thumbsup:

Rick, yes the Starfire is about 1300mm FL the AG12 is 1120mm. I used the 11002 chip on the Starfire though which coupled with the slightly longer FL is a smaller FOV than the AG12 with 16803. So the 16803 on the AG12 provided all the outer details but the inner 2/3 or so is a combination and multiple blends of the two data sets.

Mike

[FlashDrive]

That is sooo Good ... striking colours and detail....:thumbsup:

Col...

[Marios]

The core is just so detailed and rich and clear, usually gets washed out this is an exceptional image...

[DJT]

Beautiful. Had a fine time wandering around the centre. Thanks

[DavidU]

Very good indeed ! a corker.

[h0ughy]

you like playing with it don't you Mike - my its big and bright with blue tips and red bits - quite stunning but to me the trap area looks a tad unnatural - too clean and crisp ;)

mind you though i would love to have data like this…...

[strongmanmike]

Thanks for the feedback guys, glad the handling of the dynamic range and detail pleases most :)

Houghy, I know exactly what you are saying and should it have been composed purely to please say..David Malin, with the respect the light mantra strictly in mind (which incidentally, he is quite inconsistent with in his judging) I would have brightened and not gone for the level of details in that area. However in this case I really wanted to showcase those fine details in that area and thought the final result was close enough while still revealing what I wanted to :thumbsup:...actually the fine details close in to the trap are indeed more intricate than the area immediately around it so I think that also accentuates what you are interpreting :)

MIke

[tilbrook@rbe.ne]

Interesting reading and image Mike!:thumbsup:

I like the way the often over exposed outer regions of the main nebula of M42 stand out, they have depth.
Reminds me of the rim of a canyon.
When you say respect the light, what exactly does that mean, been rather confused about this.

Cheers,

Justin.

[Paul Haese]

This is a comment David made about an M42 I presented (http://www.parkes.atnf.csiro.au/news_events/astrofest/awards/2011images/web_images/deep/Paul_Haese_HM_Deep_Sky.jpg)for David Malin awards in 2011.

David was unimpressed by my image and others that had been presented. He said light areas should be light and dark areas should be dark. That damn saying has been following me around ever since. :sadeyes:

As to the image. Well Mike I like the detail, but differ on opinion to the nebulae colouring. Meh, dealers choice I suppose. It looks a little blue to me, but it all looks nice to look at. Time to get your obs running again. ;)

Incidently do you have the OIII data to show. I am interested to how much was available. When I imaged last year I did not get time to get OIII data.

[strongmanmike]

Cheers Justin

Dr Malin did indeed start this mantra where he has asked that images show really bright areas as bright and darker areas as not as bright ie not to spread the dynamic range toooo much or you risk losing the reality of the scene. So... I guess to do well in his competition one perhaps needs to do just as he says :)...having said that though, just to throw a spanner in the works, David still awards images that don't really adhere to this mantra, so it can be a little confusing :question:. In the end... do what you want I recon :thumbsup: :)



Hmmm? is that beeecaaause David says so :question: :lol:



Yup, that's it



Yeah but you know I do loooove blue :love:...besides, I guess this is in fact a hybrid blend of two nationally and internationally recognised images, judged by no less than a total of 12 officially recognised judges all up :whistle: ;) so, who is right?...of course winning competitions doth not the image make, seen some what I think are brilliant M42's that have not won imaging comps :)...juuust sayin :innocent:

Mike

[Paul Haese]

LOL, yeah that's it.

I am not sure about how blue parts of it really are. It's personal taste anyway really. :)

[strongmanmike]

Perhaps but I just went back and had a look at your Malin M42 and I note the unique brown colour of the intervening gas and dust seems to start quite abruptly from an apparent boarder around M42 and NGC 1997, like suddenly everything goes brown...how was this? In my data it happens much more gradually with the reds appearing more as you move out into the surrounding sky...?

Mike

[atalas]

Great work Mike.

[Paul Haese]

Hmmm I am not sure. I did not do anything to control the colour there. :shrug: I did push the dust and gas colour surrounding the two nebulae, but that was the only real colour manipulation I undertook. In fact I reduced the saturation quite a lot as I knew from the AAIC that David does not like super saturation. Anyone who was there that first morning will remember the lively debate between Jay and David.

[Regulus]

It's a great treatment Mike, and I am enjoying seeing that detail that is often blown way out in most other pictures of this Nebula.
Cheers - Trevor

[strongmanmike]

Thanks Louie



Yes, well as I said, in this instance getting every little bit of detail to show from the outer faint wisps right down into the very core was actually my intention... but, if I was wanting to produce a version that was perhaps more realistic I would have brightened the trap area more, just to more accurately show the relative brightness's a little better but then that lovely detail in and around the trap would have been all but lost...there are any number of imaging outcomes that we can strive for and can be appealing...not just those wished for by David Malin ;).

Mike

[David Fitz-Henr]

Great image Mike; a lot of interesting detail in there, and I guess the blues are brought out more by the addition of the OIII filtered data. The reds are a tad saturated for my tastes :scared3:, though being an LRGB / narrowband hybrid a little artistic licence is OK :lol:

[strongmanmike]

Oooh yeah, you better hide behind that couch buddy :mad2: :rundog:..saturated...humphf..grumb le, grumble....

:lol:





Yeah, artistsic that's the word, not saturated :P

Cheers big ears :thumbsup:

[Shiraz]

huge amount of detail - can't imagine how you managed to pull together such a diverse collection of data - well done.

[dvj]

Quite stunning Mike..... when I converted to grayscale!

Ok, just kidding. This image is in a class by its own! Very nice.

j

[strongmanmike]

Glad you liked it men :thumbsup: and Ray naaah easy stuff, when you have no working observatory :rolleyes:

And nice to see some humour too John :prey2:...this imaging game can be taken waaay too seriously at times :)

Mike

[Bassnut]

Oh gaud, what does that mean:confused2:. More M42 stuff :help: ?

[strongmanmike]

Hey you're RIGHT :clap: :jump2:..peeeerfect timing, it's already rising before nights end, by the time I'm back up and running properly she should be placed juuust right :D ...then not long before I can grab that obscure gem Centaurus A :love:

Have another Guinness :drink:

Mike

[Bassnut]

I will

[Ross G]

An amazing photo Mike.

Great detail and so sharp.

I love the bright, strong colours!

Ross.

[Saturn%5]

Me and La La love it, Nice work Mike.

Graeme.

[strongmanmike]

Cheers Guys

And yes the bright strong colours do alarm some people but I generally enjoy strong colour fidelity...although many images also look good more pastel, it's like wall paint or furniture, we all have different eyes and moods in the end :)

Mike

[John K]

Mike,

that is one amazing image - on the high res version I spent some time going around the image looking at the finer detail.

In terms of the colour, always a tough one, but I like it.

John K.

[strongmanmike]

Cheers John..and that isn't even the full res version (sorry Marcus :ashamed:)

Regards to colour - must remember this is a Narrowband-RGB hybrid after all...using Mike's eye and photoshop et al to bring it too visual wavelengths :D

Mike

[Ihsahakat]

That is a VERY bold M42. I like it.

[strongmanmike]

Bold and the Beautiful :P