M31 from Qld AF 2016

[RobF]

I guess M31 is my M8 - the object I love coming back to - at least when its visible from our latitudes.

Andromeda wasn't originally on the hit list for this year at Astrofest, but there were clear skies with no fog early morning for a number of nights at the start of the week, and it was just sitting there in the north calling to me. So what can you do :lol:

LHaRGB: 90:210:35:40:40 mins (15min Ha, 10min Lum, 5min RGB all unbinned)
QHY9 on FSQ106 @ F5

Larger image available here (https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipMP-lLu2EFO-U5l4q7ghAivX_kXmRQtKXzj_rQ7RqlQO_0e EXm-LujmETOmHG8VQQ/photo/AF1QipNUT1sUfETC_0ylrpvSI3za--UmoH3bcTy9dNz5?key=YUtCYlM3cjRMV2c5 dEU4UGNqYTZfYzBQSm9JdHN3)

This image is a couple of firsts for me - 1st serious go at putting Ha into a galaxy image, first serious drizzle processing (75% downsampled). Comments welcome, and thanks for looking.

[Atmos]

Very nice Rob, not one I'll ever be able to get from Melb!
Love the Ha bubbles throughout the image.

[strongmanmike]

...and the result is seriously good :)

I agree with Col your Ha blend has worked very well, an excellent image of this iconic galaxy Rob :thumbsup:

That zoomy thingy is pretty cool too :)

Mike

[troypiggo]

Absolute ripper! Gotta be happy with that! The Ha blend looks bang on.

[RobF]

Thanks Colin! Always peeved me I couldn't see this in my 4" reflector over 30 years ago. Was probably looking straight through it :lol:


Thanks Mike. Had fun putting this one together.
Zoomy thing - didn't even know Google pics did that actually. :)
Miss being able to put decent descriptive notes on the bottom though since they zapped Picasa. At least the pics are on a black background now.

[gregbradley]

A terrific image. High class. Better than many shot in the northern hemisphere.

Greg.

[strongmanmike]

Totally agree with that Greg :thumbsup:

[atalas]

Top work:thumbsup:

[SimmoW]

Yeah that's ace! And subtle processing too, well done

[Retrograde]

Love seeing these northern objects imaged and this is beautifully done.

[RickS]

Very well done, Rob! Not much left to say after the other comments but it's a cracker.

Cheers,
Rick.

[RobC]

Spot on Rob. Fantastic imaging and processing.

Those Coronas in the wee hours of the morning must really help.

Cheers

Rob

[beren]

:thumbsup: congrats very fine image

[multiweb]

One superb shot Rob. Straight to the poolroom. :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

[Camelopardalis]

That's a cracking Andromeda Rob, well done :thumbsup:

[Slawomir]

Outstanding image of the mighty Andromeda Galaxy - awesome work Rob.

[Spookyer]

Rob, brilliant mate well done.

[alpal]

Hi Rob,
a perfect image -
worth making a poster & hanging it on the wall.

cheers
Allan

[batema]

Magnificent image Rob. You must love that scope.

Mark

[RobF]

Thanks Greg. :ashamed:



Thanks for looking Louie



Thanks Simon - the M42 of galaxies this one - bit of work to get right.



Appreciate that Pete :)



Thanks Rick. Had to dust off my PI notes. Suspect some chromatic noise might have been better contained with more judicial masking, but not sure I could get it together again on another processing attempt :painting:

[RobF]

Cheers Rob :)
Takes a few beers to get me talking usually, and didn't seem to hurt the imaging in the end :drink:



Thanks Beren!



Hang on - we built this house - where is my poolroom dammit!! :lol:
Thanks Marc!



Thanks Dunk. All the best with the camping adventures. Very jealous.



Thanks for the encouragement Suavi :)



Thanks Brett. We really were doing some imaging on the "East Wing" of the image field after all :D
Was good to catch up with you.



Thanks Allan - really happy drizzle worked out for me for once.



Thanks Mark. Feel like I've got know her better now.
Only had semi-manual focus through much of Astrofest due to what I now know was a loose coupling. Also fortunate didn't have to throw subs away in the end.

[Octane]

Well done, mate.

H

[ozstronomer]

Great image Rob, really nicely processed and i like the Ha blending.

Well done :thumbsup:

[RobF]

Thanks for that Humayun and Geoff.
Have a great pic to remind me of a great AF and good company :)

[Placidus]

Wow!

[JimsShed]

That is an incredibly good image. Even more incredible when one considers our latitude. That's the sort of thing I'd expect from a great location in the Northern hemisphere!

[astronobob]

This is excellent capturing and processing, Rob ,

I totally agree with Gregs words here - & was exactly what went through my mind at 1st glance, wowsers,


Fantastic show champ :cool2:

[lazjen]

All I can really add is: +1! Very well done.

[marc4darkskies]

Very nicely done Rob :thumbsup: I've wanted to image that beast myself since I was a kid! Don't like my chances now though.

[Bender]

Fantastic work Rob, even with a few Mango schnapps!

:cheers:

[RobF]

Thanks M&T :)



Thanks Jim. Was pretty happy how much data was possible in the end - usual early morning fog behaved most nights. Still find galaxies a handful to process though.



Appreciate those words of encouragement Bob :thumbsup:



Cheers Chris. Thanks for looking.



Thanks Marcus. I know how you feel - all those B&W photos in books over the years. Was very disappointed not being able to find it visually as a teenager.

Easy fix though - you WILL COME to Astrofest. You WILL COME to Astrofest. You WILL COME..... :lol: :driving:

[RobF]

Hi Martin. Undoubtedly true - would be no M31 pic without the last of the famous Astro-Schnappes for early morning cheer and warmth. :cheers:

Hope travels going well :thumbsup:
See you at BH's in a week.....

[strongmanmike]

Just came for another look Rob and geez that is a good shot, love it, thanks for taking the time to perfect southern hemisphere imaging of m31..and taking it to a level greater than many who have it pass overhead!!!!
Mike

[RobF]

Thanks again muchly Mike for sharing the enthusiasm. Have had a lot of pleasure chasing this one with various iterations of gear (and binos) over the last 8 years. Just blows my mind knowing that barely visible fuzzball is another galaxy.

My 9yr son and I have been comparing M8/M20 at 4000'ish light years with those reddy blobs in M31 today. Not sure either of us really understand what "2.5m lightyears" means though. :scared2: :thumbsup:

[Stevec35]

Truly excellent Rob!

Cheers

Steve

[peter_4059]

That's a great image Rob. Well done.

Peter

[RobF]

Glad you enjoyed Steve - thanks for looking!



Thanks Peter. Was good to catch up again. Just wish it wasn't all over so soon. :sadeyes:

[Geoff45]

Nice one Rob, as good as it gets. Compares well with lots of the images we see from those lucky guys in the northern hemisphere. On my to-do list, but quite hard from NSW latitudes.
Geoff

[g__day]

Excellent!

[RobF]

Thanks Geoff and Matthew for the positive comments. Glad you enjoyed this one. Rob.

[graham.hobart]

That sure is a beauty Rob.
Wish I could see that from down here.
Such depth.
Well done.
:thumbsup:
Graz

[RobF]

Many thanks Graham. Was a bit worried how well the data might come together on so few objects for Astrofest this year, but seems to have paid off in the end.