Helix Nebula 2 scopes and cameras 17 hours

[gregbradley]

I took this over a couple of years. The bulk of the image is from my Planewave CDK17 with reducer at F4.45 and a FLI Proline 16803.

I added more Ha and O111 from my AP Honders and a Starlight Express Trius 694 from last week.

Processed using a new monitor (callibrator coming) and colours look quite different to on my laptop which seemed to mute colours a lot I have found.

http://www.pbase.com/gregbradley/image/160652753/large regular size

http://www.pbase.com/gregbradley/image/160652753/original larger

The CDK data is very deep and shows areas of nebulosity not normally picked up.

These 2 scopes could work together well forming an image as the Honders got nicer colour and detail in the centre areas and the CDK with its large aperture got the depth of the nebulosity better. They could make a good team on some projects.

Greg.

[topheart]

Hey Greg,

That's a hellava Helix you have there! :eyepop:

Very deep indeed!

I love the extended nebulosity.

Very well done -- congratulations!!

Cheers,
Tim

[rustigsmed]

awesome stuff Greg,
looks like a sugarglider.
i'm loving how it doesn't show any gap between the outer rim and the brigher helix section.

Russ

[multiweb]

Cool shot Greg. Very deep. :thumbsup:

[marc4darkskies]

Great image Greg - wonderful depth!

[strongmanmike]

Nice combine Greg :thumbsup:

Mike

[dylan_odonnell]

Amazing data! I would have add a touch more sharpening on the final but its a winner anyway.. stunning!

[Geoff45]

Magnificent Greg. My first reaction on opening it was <expletive deleted>.
Geoff

[gregbradley]

Thanks Tim. Perhaps we should do a collaborative image sometime.



Thanks Russ. The Honders got great colour and the CDK had great depth of Ha. Yes its continuous. From what I have read its like a tunnel and we are looking at it from one end of the tunnel.



Thanks Marc. I was impressed with the data. I never really utilised the original CDK data that well so it was good to have the Honders data to build it up.



Thanks Marc. Also the advantage of keeping all your data. It comes in handy later on.



Cheers Mike.



Its always a compromise between sharpness and noise control. A lot of that stuff is pretty dim so I wanted to see it without the noise.



Thanks Geoff

Greg.

[Placidus]

Hi, Greg,

The colours are rich and delicious, and the depth is stunning.

When I view the original image, it is only 1200 pixels wide, but the 16803 is over 4000 pixels wide. Is there a button I'm supposed to click but can't find (been doing that a lot lately), or is it a crop?

Once again, superb image.

Best,
Mike

[Paul Haese]

I like the detail surrounding the main part of the nebulae. It is nice and deep. Is that from the RHA? It is very deep and showing nice rippling detail.

I like the colour too.

I think you can do more with the inner area though, it looks a little washed out to me and I reckon your could tease a bit more detail out.

Nice image.

[RickS]

Adding my voice to the chorus, the depth is stunning, Greg.

Cheers,
Rick.

[gregbradley]

I post different sizes for different images and this I felt presented best at that size.



Thanks Paul. I'll have a look at that aspect of it. The deeper outer area is from the CDK and reducer giving F4.45.




Thanks Rick. I was very happy with how deep it went.

I'll have to use this formula on other objects.

Greg.

[Bassnut]

impressively deep Greg, well done. Not overly sharp but the depth is the killer.

[gregbradley]

Thanks Fred. I just updated it and managed to get some more sharpness out of it.

Greg.

[cometcatcher]

So much detail in the extensions. Very deep. Awesome shot!

[gregbradley]

Thanks Kevin. I think I have a good formula here I can exploit with other similar objects. I'll have to repeat this on some Ha oriented object.

Greg.

[topheart]

Perhaps we should do a collaborative image sometime.


Sure thing Greg....Very happy to have a look at that. Contact me and we will discuss.

Cheers,
Tim

[gregbradley]

PM Sent.

Greg.

[Meru]

Good god that is amazing. Wow!!!!

[gregbradley]

Thanks Meru! I was happy and I think I may have stumbled onto a good formula here. It will be up and running shortly as I iron out the last details of the dual setup.

Greg.

[Harel_Boren]

Deep and breathtakingly beautiful!
Cheers,
Harel

[marco]

Excellent rendition Greg, very deep and detailed at the same time!
Regards
Marco

[gregbradley]

Thanks Harel. I just got a colour calibrator and a new monitor and realised OMG my laptop was way off in colour. It showed everything very muted that was actually quite saturated so I think I have been posting images that are oversaturated in colour thinking they were spot on. Ooops.



Cheers Marco. I plan on doing more of this type of image.

Greg.

[Shiraz]

very deep there Greg - even got some detail in the very faint outer regions

[gregbradley]

Thanks Ray.

Its an interesting object.

Greg.

[Slawomir]

That is a magnificent image with lots of fine detail Greg! :thumbsup:

[gregbradley]

Thanks Slawomir.

Its certainly made me aware of a potential formula for other images. I am about to start taking joint images at the same time with 2 setups. The CDK17 and Proline and the Honders and Trius or something else.

Greg.

[Slawomir]

Your astrophotography equation sounds very exciting Greg:

CDK17 x Proline + Honders x Trius (or ML50100) = sky is the limit! ;)

[gregbradley]

Yes it does sound good. I haven't been able to find any sample ML50100 images. I was told by one person its not out yet. I thought it was. 6 micron 60+%QE would be perfect for the Honders except for the processing. Can you imagine processing a bunch of 100mb files? Bad enough with 32mb 16803 files.

Greg.

[Slawomir]

Yes, a large screen, lots of RAM and a fast hard drive (maybe SD drive?) would be needed to process a stack of 20-30 100mb subs...per filter...wow, that's a lot of gigabytes!

Imagine creating a master bias from say 200 bias frames....:eyepop:

[astronobob]

Far-out Greg, That is some awesome captureing. what dont I like, nothing :eyepop: :thumbsup::thumbsup:

[gregbradley]

I wouldn't. I don't now. Also it needs 65mm filters like an STX16803 and I am not sure if that means another filter wheel which I just got. I think it does. I'll have to check the opening of the filter wheel. New 65mm filters if you went Astrodon are very expensive as well. So it would be the camera, new filters and perhaps a new filter wheel or at least a new carousel for the filters plus an SSD drive. Although the time spent processing 16803 images is not in the read and write of files but in CCDstack, registering, data rejection etc. A stack of 30 images at 1x1 binning takes quite a while to do data rejection with an I7 computer.



Thanks Bob. I was excited I got so much faint nebulosity.

Greg.

[Rex]

Holy COW! Greg that's awesome. The detail in both the interior and the exterior extension is superb!

[gregbradley]

Thanks Rex. I am happy with the outcome and plan to use that formula more often.
Greg