The Mandrill Nebula in Puppis - NGC 2467

[strongmanmike]

Haven't had much luck with work, my sons graduation from ADFA early Dec (four ceremonies/functions in three days), Christmas, travel, New Year, the weather aaaaand the bluudy Moon all lining up :rolleyes: :scared:...so, I fiiiinally got one clear (and free) night on Friday night just gone, yaaaay :prey: :prey2: first time out at the observatory since late Nov :rolleyes: :tasdevil: still there..just a couple a big Red Backs inside the dome that a broom got rid of but the scope, well she just chugged away as beautifully as ever :)

So, decided, no faint dwarfs, no faint stella ejecta or halos, no Olsenesque exposure time...I want an image now! I want something (relatively) bright! :D and that I haven't imaged before...and not M42 :lol:

So...the seeing was kind to me yet again :D and all the data was collected in a single night, unfortunately the first hour of darkness was clouded out (I almost went home :eyepop: thank god for beer! :drink:) so 5.2 hours after that (incl a manual meridian flip) and this time of year, is pretty good going I recon :thumbsup:

This is the traditional/original Hubble wavelength ordered emission line palette SIIHaOIII

NGC 2467 (http://www.pbase.com/strongmanmike2002/image/164806502/original)

Yeah, apparently this nebula is sometimes called the Mandrill Nebula and the wide field appearance (http://www.pbase.com/strongmanmike2002/image/164806444/original) is also known as the Skull and Crossbones nebula, read more HERE (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NGC_2467)



Mike

[Atmos]

That's very interesting Mike, not an object I've come across before. Looks wonderful :)

[gregbradley]

A very striking image with some excellent resolution there. Love it.

Greg.

[peter_4059]

That's a beauty Mike. So much going on in that field. Thanks for sharing.

[RickS]

That's a weird little sucker, Mike. Very nicely done! BTW, what's wrong with M42? :ashamed:

[marc4darkskies]

Very cool Mike!! I like it! Detail & colour very pleasing! :thumbsup:

I've been waiting for some clear dark nights since early December! Notwithstanding the nice holiday I had in Nov, I haven't imaged since October! :sadeyes: Sydney seems to have become the land of permanent white / grey cloud!

Cheers, Marcus

[glend]

Nice one Mike. I must put it on my list, assuming i ever get some clear nights.

[DJT]

Very nice, Mike. I hadn't seen this before and just came across it for the 2nd time today on the ESO site.

Pretty cool. :thumbsup:

[Slawomir]

It's a beauty Mike, I really dunno how you manage such impressive images in a single night...

[alpal]

Hi Mike,
that's a beautiful image.
I haven't seen it before.

cheers
Allan

[strongmanmike]

Thanks for checking it out fella's :thumbsup: I think it looks more obscure than it really is because it is a close up shot, this object is usually imaged with a larger FOV..? Looking at it again this morning though it looks to have a bit of a blue cast, hmm?..might look a that :question:...I seem to have a habit of imposing a blue cast..my eyes must like blue? :)

Thanks again everyone

Mike

[topheart]

Hi Mike,

I love the image and I love the story of it's acquisition - summarising the challenges, frustrations and tribulations I'm sure most of us can relate to very strongly. It is sometimes amazing that imaging get's done at all when you have to have family, social and work arrangements in synch with the universe and weather and moon cycle!

Well done!
Cheers,
Tim

[strongmanmike]

Cheers Timbo :thumbsup:...mate, actually and sadly, New Years Eve was perfectly clear here and no Moon...but how does one leave family and friends when you have a party organised :shrug: :rolleyes:...I spent most of the night trying not to look up from my city apartment terrace...until I had downed a few coldies....then I saw the funny side and stopped lamenting and sang opera instead :drink:hic! :P

Mike

[topheart]

Perversely, I am always happy if it is raining or at least cloudy on Christmas eve or New Year's eve!!
:screwy:
Tim

[Andy01]

Nice one Mike - although I imaged it myself last year, I havn't seen a closeup of that one before.
Great detail for such short integration time - your system must be pretty fast!
Not in love with purple stars but hey, thats probably just me. ;)
Good one :thumbsup:

[strongmanmike]

Cheers Andy, I do recall your effort, looked more like a Butterfly to me than a skull and cross bones too. Ah yes... the purple stars :scared:, I think I like'em because I recall the early days of HST when this was the true Hubble Palette (nowadays people call any weird colour combo the Hubble Palette) and all its images had purple stars, nobody complained then :rolleyes: :lol:

Cheers

Mike

[Kunama]

Nice image Mike. Congrats on your son's graduation.

New Years Eve sure was clear, Phil and his son Alex and I saw the New Year in observing from his dark site north of Yass (accompanied by some fine Penfolds)

[strongmanmike]

Cheers mate, was a few days of grinning and feeling very proud :thumbsup:...not to mention all the brews

...Thaaaaanks maaate :mad2: :rolleyes: :lol:....does sound bluudy great though, jealous :thumbsup:

Mike
Psst!...finally getting that FSQ ;) :jump2:

[cometcatcher]

That looks so different from the usual RGB or OSC images I'm used to seeing. I wouldn't have recognised it if you hadn't named it. It's certainly detailed.

[strongmanmike]

Cheers Kevin, yes I guess it does look different and yes I was happy with the details. It was a bit of a late decision to shoot it and I hadn't imaged it before nor did I investigate FOV's much before hand either, so I wasn't sure what would show up really :). I only had SII Ha and OIII to make something with so getting an RGB imitation is more difficult without at least some RGB, so I didn't bother, hence the more traditional Hubble palette.

Mike

[Geoff45]

Real spooky looking image there Mike. Well deserves its monicker of Skull and Crossbones. I know the feeling of just wanting to get SOMETHING after a long break. It often works out pretty well--your image here and a recent image I did of 253.
Skill plus an easy object. What can possibly go wrong:shrug:?:ship1:

[DJT]

Snap...not long to go..:whistle:

[strongmanmike]

Ha ha, yep, need our fix from time to time Geoff :face:. Would be great to have a remote internet controlled installation to take advantage of the in between times that go begging buuut well, ya make do with what ya got huh? I'm not greedy :)

Cheers

Mike



You waiting too Dave?

Mike

[DJT]

yup..a preloved FSQ106N should be landing in a few days. :D

[strongmanmike]

Niiice.... :thumbsup:

[atalas]

Yeah nice work mike.:thumbsup:

[Placidus]

The detail in the crossed bones is superb. Francois le Clerc would have been proud. Love it.

[Stevec35]

Another good one Mike. Nice detail.

Cheers

Steve

[strongmanmike]

Cheers guys :thumbsup: and yes, good'ol peg leg :lol:

Mike

[multiweb]

Cool shot. Very colorful and detailed. :thumbsup: Crazy to brave this heat.

[strongmanmike]

Cheers Marc :thumbsup: Wasn't too hot last Friday here, with 38-40C delta available on the SX camera, I could get the CCD to -20C by 10pm which was about when I started. If I'd been using the FLI, well!..could'a got to -40C :D

Mike

[SimmoW]

Lovely and unique as ever Mike.

Yes i do sense a little too much blue myself, but it's gorgeous nonetheless.

Good comeback to Andy! :lol:

[strongmanmike]

Cheers Simmon :thumbsup: ah look, magenta stars do bother some people in narrowband images but for some reason I like'em, all good. Re the Blue..I've looked at it on a few different screens now and decided I'm not unhappy enough to bother tweaking, so will just leave it...meah, blue is a nice colour anyway...even nicer the magenta :P

Mike

[Andy01]

Apologies for the hack Mike - Simmo is this necessary? Do we have a problem ? :fight:

[dylan_odonnell]

Great work .. and in a single night! Impressive!

[strongmanmike]

Cheers Dylan, yes my 12" F3.8 and fairly sensitive SX camera system is quite capable of getting respectable images in a single night, done a few actually. Sometimes I just like to get a decent image, without feeling the need to expose for exposure's sake or so I can post it in my image title as some irrelevant badge of amazingness :)

Mike

[Bassnut]

Yes, its mighty for a one nighter, but geez Mike, the blue background tinge is a bit overwhelming, and the magenta stars, gettin lazy are we?.

[strongmanmike]

Hey, I like blue, so... shoot me :drink:..... and stars in a siihaoiii should really be a tad magenta :love:

Errg ...weak coformists they are, recolour them they do, young Skywalker :P

:thumbsup:

[Ross G]

A great looking photo Mike.

Amazing detail!

Ross.

[strongmanmike]

Cheers Rossco :) t'was just a quicky really but came together ok in the end :thumbsup:.

Mike

[Rodstar]

Warms the cockles of the heart, seeing that. Thanks for sharing Mike.

[strongmanmike]

Well, glad to hear it Rod :thumbsup:...anything like a Talisker 18...? :question: :love:

Out of interest what about this object/image caused the warm fuzzy feeling?

Mike