A new NGC 6357

[strongmanmike]

Due to the unrelenting weather... :rolleyes:

I have been tinkering again with previous discontentment.

This is another hybrid image composed using two data sets - the 6" Starfire with PL16803 and 12" AG12 with SXVH694 :)

Although the seeing was good for the Ha I was never really happy with the final colour of the latest version taken with the AG12 last year and while the colour was good I was never happy with the resolution of the version taken with the 6" AP from Newcastle in 2010....so I combined them :D...which was harder than I expected to get right actually :question:

With relatively vibrant colours...I tried to keep it reasonably natural and looking like wispy gas...

A New NGC 6357 (http://www.pbase.com/strongmanmike2002/image/159849808/original)

NB: Due to dust extinction in the Milky Way, this is a very red/orange nebula rather than the usual pink-red/magenta and there are many yellow stars in the region

For comparison, HERE (http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap081009.html) is a beautiful close up by Johannes Schedler using a 20" Keller cassegrain in Namibia

Mike

[tilbrook@rbe.ne]

Nice work Mike!:thumbsup::thumbsup:

The looks impressive to me.:)

I've been trolling for images and this one taken with a 20" scope.

http://panther-observatory.com/gallery/deepsky/doc/NGC6357_F9.htm

So your resolution seems pretty damn good!

Cheers,

Justin

[strongmanmike]

Ha ha great minds, I had just added that link to Johannes' shot :thumbsup:

Cheers

Mike

[SimmoW]

spectacular Mike. I know what you mean, going crazy here with the thick cloud cover every darned weekend...

[strongmanmike]

Oh tell me about it...frustrating or what :rolleyes: This new moon is passing with no reprieve in sight.....I'm still doing an LRGB from last new moon, so if it clears now I will have to do something in narrowband until next new moon :scared:

Mike

[RickS]

Great result, Mike! Love the colours.

[strongmanmike]

Good to hear mate :thumbsup: t'is never to late to make changes and deliver improvements in ones images I say...good thing to do when one is bored at least :P :)

Mike

[Placidus]

Won't talk about the colours - not my strength - but the sharpness is superb.

just to the right of dead centre of the image is a Border Collie, face square on, looking out at the viewer. To the left is the tiny Ice Queen's Palace, the brightest structure in the image. Closely surrounding these are many superbly detailed shock fronts that are barely detectable in most other images. Wonderful.

[cometcatcher]

It's so good I didn't recognise it at first! :prey2:

Wonderfully clear all the time here. :whistle: I'm too exhausted to take any more. :P

[strongmanmike]

Thanks Mike.... and I totally agree :question: we are both equally crazy :thumbsup:

[strongmanmike]

Cheers dude :)



Yeah, yeah rub it in :rolleyes:...hey, I took THIS (http://www.pbase.com/strongmanmike2002/image/141256265/original) specially for you Kev :D

Cheers

Mike :thumbsup:

[cometcatcher]

Lol. The bird nebula.

[gregbradley]

Nice work Mike. That inner core is superbly sharp and detailed. My dog looks just like
that photo. He'll wait outside my observatory for hours hoping for a pat as I walk back inside!

Greg.

[Stevec35]

Suffice to say I think your shot compares very well with Mr Schedler's Mike. Nice job.

Steve

[DJT]

The detail is quite something. I see puppies and ice palaces as well but that core is just great.

The weather is slaying us here. Walked out of the Stephen Hawking thing at the opera house tonight and took his advice about looking up to the skies rather than at your feet only to be confronted by cloud!

Great image :thumbsup:

[alpal]

Nice pic Mike - you've done well - keep them coming.

cheers
Allan

[Ross G]

Beautiful photo Mike.

Great colours and detail.

Very sharp.

It's great how you combine data from different scopes and different cameras and blend it together so well.
It's a skill I would love to learn one day.

Ross.

[strongmanmike]

Love Border Collies, beautiful dogs...great spot by Mike BJ :thumbsup:



Cheers Steve, yeah probably slightly above where one would expect things to sit against a 20" under steady Namibian skies I guess?...but I'd have that Bavarian-Africo combo anyday :)



Well Dave, you could always spend time looking for strange shapes in the clouds :question: :P Cheers Dave



Will do Al, will do (in fact, I'm about to post a brand new image :scared: :prey2:)



Thanks Ross, it's not that hard but I would love to sit down some day and chew the imaging fat with you :thumbsup:

Mike

[stevous67]

A beautiful rendition Mike. The colour is this way, I had a similar colour result [+ my usual colour saturation pumping].

Excellent detail and processing. The bright star to the middle right of the Koala was difficult to process I found, leaving a dark ring around it relative to the nebula. Yours is seamless there - well done.


Cheers,


Steve

[strongmanmike]

Thanks Steve, pump that colour :thumbsup:

Mike

[LewisM]

Nice and sharp... VERY much so, BUT.....


VIVA LAS VEGAS! :)

Do you have matching neon pink budgie smugglers Mike? :)

[strongmanmike]

Thankyou, thankyou very much ah huh

Hmmm? similar :question: like these... only larger :P

Mike

[Leonardo70]

Great image Mike ... congrats, Leo.

[strongmanmike]

What? NGC 6357 or my pink swimwear...? ;)

Mike

[SkyViking]

Wonderful resolution in the core there Mike :) It's a bit of a test target and very fun to experiment with one's data to see what can be achieved. I had a play some years back (http://www.rolfolsenastrophotography.com/Astrophotography/Nebulae/i-Lzm6NQS/A).
Thanks for the view, definitely a target I'd like to revisit now with the Royce optics :thumbsup:

[strongmanmike]

Cheers Rolf, oh I remember your work, in fact I have most of it in my minds eye :thumbsup: Actually, I think I have a bit of a gift in being able to remember images and pick who took what, it's like a veritable imaging library upstairs :nerd:

Yeah the core detail is pretty good and I was happy with that aspect, but to be honest, for me, I was really happy with the detailed yet still gaseous billowing nature of the gases :)

Mike