Thors Helmet NGC2359. Different, WITH SII, 51 hrs.

[Bassnut]

Hi Guys

Nebula NGC2359 Thors Helmet in Narrowband. Click here for big (http://fredsastro.smugmug.com/Photography/Astrophotography-1/i-7zcwBM7/A).
Taken on an RCOS 10" RC Scope at f9, SBIG STXL6303E Camera and PME mount at itelescopes Siding Spring Observatory in very dark skies.
Processed with CCDstack, Star Tools and Photoshop.
All filters 40min subs total 51hrs exposure time.

Mapped as Ha,SII,synthetic green, OIII (LRGB).

This image is slightly unusual in that most other images use Ha and OIII with synthesised Red and therefore show none of the SII in the object.

So ive have boosted SII given its rare to see SII in Thors helmet. SII is fairly dim, 22hrs of SII exposure time here.

[gregbradley]

That's a fabulous image Fred. The long exposure times really pay off.

I like the S11 being emphasised. Very nice.

Greg.

[Andy01]

Best Thor Ever! Hands down thats it - done & dusted... Move along nothing more to see here folks. All hail the reigning king of NB! Awesome Fred :)

[Bassnut]

Thanks Greg. Hrs certainly helped with SII.

Andy, hehe, thanks for the praise, but Mikes Thor was my reference, I cant match the sharpness and detail, that SII was missing was from so many images was a supprise, so a narrow opportunity to be different was snatched :D:P

[peter_4059]

That's spectacular Fred. Really well done.

[IanP]

Hi Fred,
Phenomenal HELMET :thumbsup:
Just a word of criticism: bottom-left stars .. some problems with optics :question:

[Elio]

Great image, congrats!

[h0ughy]

wow its a whole new dimension - great work Fred

[Peter Ward]

I like it.


Smooth as.... :thumbsup::thumbsup:

[RickS]

Great to see a well executed and different version, Fred!

[Tony_]

Magnificent! So much more to Thor's helmet than most images.

[DJT]

Great image Fred.:thumbsup:

[graham.hobart]

51 hours....
Why do we bother??
Absolutely breath taking. Sheer beauty.
I like the red, it looks like the central WR star has ripped open the molecular cloud and is bleeding,
To be on this site and see such images is an honour.
Thanks Fred for this.
Graham

[strongmanmike]

The red is rather bold :question: and the helmet and inner wings look great (that blue bubble is really an awesome feature)...buuuut I recon the rest could do with just a biiit more TLC, considering the time investment it isn't currently quiiite working, even for my over saturating, overporcessing eyes :P :lol:

Mike

[Bassnut]

Thanks Guys.

Mike. Yes, well after fighting all day with Ha as green, I ditched it altogether.
Its nuts, Ha is Lumanence, but there is no Ha in the colour data!. Basically this just SII and OIII masked by Ha. I cant find any other pleasing combination without lots of green via Ha. Greens OK, but didnt suit this.
SII was difficult and didnt blend well with the normal Hubble pallete.

[Bassnut]

Heres a version with Ha as green, I dont like it.

[strongmanmike]

Hmm? ok, that's quite nice...:)

By their request, I did a version of Mike/Trish's (http://www.pbase.com/strongmanmike2002/image/159717932/original) whad a ya recon?

Mike

[LewisM]

Thor's Helmet, flaming red beard, his eye and nose... very sharp.

[Bassnut]

hehe, yes Mike, your rendition of Mike and Trishes Thor is very good. Colour balance is subjective of course, but I do like your colour a tad more than the original :thumbsup:.
I cant get remotely close to Mike and Trishes depth, detail and sharpness, spent all day vainly trying. I just gave up and decided on a bi colour with SII in despiration :P.

[strongmanmike]

Hey I only posted that as an example of the colour palette.

You're right though, the scale and depth is almost biblical :eyepop:...I want a 20" scope on a fork mount :sadeyes:...then would just have to learn, SS welding, contruction and advanced computer programming...:question:

Mike

[Stevec35]

Wow - like that a lot Fred and the SII really adds to the result.

Cheers

Steve

[Placidus]

Fred, your depth of SII is spectacular. Our shot is in NII, not SII.

I've tried hard to get a handle on where you'd see the one and not the other. Both are forbidden transitions, meaning they are only seen in extremely attenuated gas. Both require hard UV (or, perhaps and not relevant here, shock energy) to excite them, so they both need OB stars around. But nitrogen is produced earlier in nucleosynthesis than sulfur, so there might be more NII around in the absence of supernovas to dredge up really deep stuff. Having said that, the similarity between your SII and our NII distribution is very, very close. Almost exact. I think that's reassuring for both of us.

Superb result, Fred.

Best,
Mike and Trish

[Bassnut]

Thanks Mike n Trish.
Makes me wonder then that I should always look for NII whenever I cant find SII , just in case,as a substitute.

Did you find NII brighter than SII on Thor?.

[Paul Haese]

The detail Fred kicks butt as you stated on my little FSQ version. I sort of like the version with the green which could be moderated a little I think, but again this is all dealers choice. I am not keen on a purple cast to this target though. You still have lots of choices though I think. The original is still a nice image.

[gvanhau]

I like the colors.

[CoolhandJo]

Very nice Fred.