BigToe: IC1274 H-alpha

[Placidus]

IC1274 at the top of the image (north) is the brightest and most toe-like digit of BigFoot, near the Lagoon.

Full size image here (www.photos.smugmug.com/Category/Star-Forming-Regions/i-cqz6gSZ/0/O/IC1274%20BigToe%20H-alpha%203%20hrs.jpg)

For the true pareidologist, the bulk of the image can be seen as a turtle swimming up the page, with IC1274 as it's head.

But for us, the pride and joy is the yabbie shell, side view, head up, clearly visible and brilliantly transparent, at about seven o'clock. (We recently went on a successful yabbie hunt at our neighbour's dam.).

Also visible immediately to the right of the yabbie's head is a magnificent black dragon in silhouette, facing to the right, and just a little smaller in angular diameter than the uncooked crustacean.

The chelonian is so much bigger than the dragon that we can only assume it is A'tuin the World Turtle itself.

One can stretch the image a bit to wring out some detail in the blacks, but it spoils the romance of the other features.

H-alpha (3nM), 3 x 1hr. Aspen CG16M on 20" PlaneWave. GoodLook 64.

Best,
M & T

[Andy01]

Very nice, looks like the cookie monster munching away, mmmm must have cookies!
Cool framing guys :)

[Stevec35]

Now that's a nice Ha shot with great framing and I get most of the references too. Is there going to be colour?

Cheers

Steve

[RickS]

Love the detail in the threads of dark nebulosity, M&T!

[multiweb]

:eyepop: Drop dead gorgeous! Never seen it that close before. :bowdown:

[Placidus]

Thanks, Andy. We can see him. Spread the crumbs! Spread the crumbs!



Thanks Steve. Hoping to do OIII tonight. Should look quite different to the H-alpha.



Hi, Rick! Thanks. One wonders what turbulent physical processes corral the dust into those inky streams, billabongs, black trails of smoke. Quite different to the huge ocean of thick black dust that chokes out the light to top and left of the image, and forms the smooth and sharp edge around the toe.

[Placidus]

Thanks Marc !! We're thrilled that you like it too.

[atalas]

Nice high res with fine detail...good job....I think you've gone a bit far on the darkest bits though, to the point where there've lost depth.Still,a great shot :thumbsup:and looking forward to seeing colour added.

[vlazg]

Wow :eyepop: 1 hour subs :D green with envy.

[Placidus]

Thanks, Louie. You've made a fair point. The data are still there in the broad "sea" of dark in the high res version - if you download it you can stretch it up, though it's not very informative or rewarding and spoils the look. But you are right that the "rivers" are over-cooked. That was an intentional artistic trade-off but perhaps we'll go a bit easier in the colour version.

Best,
M & T

[Placidus]

Cheers, George. The 2.5 tonne permanent pier 1.8 metres into rock makes fiddling with polar alignment a thing of the past for us, the dome prevents wind buffet up to about 60 KPH, the zenith sky is pretty black at Euchareena, and the 16803 has deep enough quantum wells except for really bright things like the Hourglass. We do sometimes use half-hour subs just so we get at least 3 subs in each channel on a single night - enough to do statistical data rejection.

[gregbradley]

Very impressive Mike. Perfect stars for 1 hour subs so that is extremely impressive tracking.

This is the most deep I have seen of this area.

Greg.

[strongmanmike]

I really like this, different, love the contrast....viewed as a whole it is a beautiful piece of B&W astroart, nice work guys :thumbsup:

Mike

[topheart]

This is a new level of detail and contrast that I have never seen portrayed before!
Thanks!
Tim

[Retrograde]

Wow Mike & Trish - this is simply a phenomenal level of detail.
Fantastic! :eyepop:

[Placidus]

Thanks muchly, Greg.



Cheers Mike, that's most encouraging.




Thanks Tim. It's bright enough, but much fainter than the Lagoon. Perhaps that's why it's not so very often seen as a target in its own right.



Cheers, Pete, that's heartening. Hoping tonight to do some OIII or SII. Digits crossed.

[Atmos]

Incredibly contrasty! Lovely framing, turned out real nice. If I cock my head 45° to the left it reminds me of the big monster from Ghost Busters :P

[DavidTrap]

Beautiful detail.

Perusing your webpage always inspires me!

DT

[Placidus]

Thanks Colin! Don't cross the beams - important safety tip.



Cheers, David. You've inspired me to keep the captions on the web site up to date.