Rcw79

[jase]

Hi All,

On the hunt for further obscurities, I came across more interesting nebs in the constellation Centaurus. I can count on one hand how many amateur images of RCW79 exist. Certainly not many and there's probably a good reason for that. Its not the most interesting neb across the visual spectrum. Pro images at infrared show a completely different side of neb. None the less its still a cool area. Instead of the Where's Wally, you can play Where's the planetary! Easy find.

Anyway here's my rendition of RCW79 (http://cosmicphotos.com/gallery/image.php?fld_image_id=280&fld_album_id=11)

Processed in CCDStack, MaximDL and Photoshop. Usual HaRGB blend using pixel math. Lighten model to bring the natural star colours back. No sharpening applied but I did re-layer the Ha master for luminance to tighten the image. Colours appear balanced but may need to take another look with fresh eyes. The Aspen CG16070 has been repaired, should arrive sometime next week. I don't like dealing with data sets of the same target from two cameras but it looks like I may have to as I've got a few more images on the go with the current Alta F16000. First world problems...

Thanks for checking it out. :)

[Moon]

Jase, you're one number higher than me, I did RCW78 (http://deepspaceplace.com/show.php?id=rcw78)the other night, but ony 60min Ha.

Anyhow, that's a very good image - I like the star colour and they have a really clean shape too.

James

[Ross G]

What a great capture Jason.

Another new object for me...thank you!

A very sharp and detailed photo.

I love the colours and subtle contrasts.

Ross.

[jase]

Cheers James. :) I'm pleased I'm not the only one hunting out the obscurities of Centaurus! :D Your RCW78 is looking great. Hope to see the finish version soon. It was on my list but I switched to RCW79 as the framing seemed to work better.



Thanks Ross. Month of May has been Centaurus month! Four out of the five images I've produced this month have been in Centaurus. Well positioned crossing the meridian early so it serves a purpose waiting for other targets to rise. I think I could spend another couple of new moons in the constellation to image more obscure gems alas just not enough time. Thanks for checking it out and for your comments. :)

[gregbradley]

Nicely done Jase and you're creating a gallery of rarely imaged objects. Ha as luminance though is risky stuff. The colour of the neb has suffered a bit as a result. There must be a way to get the detail out of a Ha layer without washing out the colours. I also sometimes layer in a bit of Ha as luminance too and usually only a small amount because of the wash. One way is to oversaturate the colour before hand and let the Ha as luminance bring it back to where you want it.

Greg.

[Placidus]

Thanks, Jason, enjoyed seeing something new and finding the PN.

[RickS]

Another interesting and obscure object. Thanks, Jase!

[jase]

Cheers Greg! :) Yes a couple more to come if the weather holds (unlikely by the looks). Not sure I would saying using Ha as a luminance is risky but it does need to be treated with respect. At most, I only layer 25% opacity. I could tone down the brighter knots of emission nebulosity (perhaps with a multiply or softlight blend) and attempt to present the remaining areas at their retrospective brightness. The real risk is then whether the neb would display any depth and start looking mono tonal. Dark shades are always easier to colour, no doubt. Thanks for the good feedback. Perhaps you could get your RH pointing toward this target and other obscurities instead of hitting the same 'ol targets.



Thanks M&T! :) Yes, quite different. Its a shame not many imagers focus on the RCW catalog. It needs more attention. Its northern counterpart being the Sharpless catalog is by far more imaged.



Thanks Rick! :) Always happy to bring something new to the table. I hope others give the area a go.