SMC and 47 Tuc (now with flats)

[strongmanmike]

My Aurora Flatfield Panel arrived during the week so I managed to gather flats for all filters when I was out on Sunday night, so I decided to reprocess the whole first light data set from the start...and they have made a difference.

With the excitement of the new scope under control :cool2: and armed with the flats, this time I was more careful and controlled in my processing, kept the colour saturated halos at bay, improved the registration, used no sharpening (just DDP), noise reduction or gradient removal and yes, I reflected on the fluro blue :P... with the view to produce a more natural, cleaner and more subtle LRGB image :)

SMC and 47 Tuc (http://www.pbase.com/strongmanmike2002/image/166457068/original) (18meg full resolution, full 4096pix X 4096pix frame)..try zooming out in your browser to fit more on your screen.

Mike

[PKay]

One could spend a lifetime looking at this image and not see everything.
For me, one of the most stunning I have ever seen.

[strongmanmike]

Thanks a lot Pete... and I think your email proposal sounds great (will respond when I get home tonight), however, I am in the middle of hitting the LMC now and wow!! from the first sessions data... I recon this will be the one to print :thumbsup:

Mike

[Slawomir]

Looks awesome Mike :thumbsup:

Is your new shiny wide-field setup faster than your Newtonian-SX camera combo? I know resolution and image scales are completely different, but I am curious which one gets a clean image more quickly?

[strongmanmike]

Thanks Suavi :thumbsup:

That's a difficult question, my 12" is F3.8 while the 4.2" FSQ is F5, so technically the FSQ is slower but it is hard to compare depth and cleanliness of an image, as wide field imaging can reveal extended objects quite well and give the impression of going deeper than the narrow field instrument because the extended object looks more compact and can appear brighter. Both systems get clean images quickly and both cameras are low noise (the SXH694 ridiculously so) but I am no Ray Shiraz on the comparative technicalities of this....Hopefully he chimes in, make an interesting discussion :)

Mike

[gregbradley]

It really boils down to aperture rules. The Newt for sure is faster. My Honders is undoubtedly faster than an FSQ. FSQ is plenty fast though Most widefield scenes are fairly bright to begin with. But the 694 sensor is only receiving a small part of the total illuminated circle the scope is capable of so to that degree the large sensor is receiving most of the light gathered by the FSQ whereas the 694 is missing large amounts of the gathered light.
Even so the 694 has higher QE especially in the narrowbands where its around 50% more sensitive.

Greg

[SimmoW]

Bloody big field that thing captures! And so crisp.

I notice some heavy Decon artefacts though










Just kidding.

[Slawomir]

Thank you Mike and Greg for your explanations. I do not mean to change the topic of this thread, but I am curious about this. I feel the FSQ may not be as much slower than the Newton as we may first think, because of some light loss in mirrors and the central obstruction. But 9micron pixels are no doubt much more sensitive that 4.54micron pixels, so I feel your wide-field setup should be faster in getting high SNR.

As for the first light, Iam really impressed again and again how good the optical alignment is out of the box :thumbsup:

[Retrograde]

Stunning image Mike.
Congratulations on the new wide-field setup. :thumbsup:

[Regulus]

Well worth a look at the Hi-Res.
Nice colour, composition, and detail. Just a great photo.
Trev

[strongmanmike]

Yeah, maybe Greg, maybe....:thumbsup:



Huh?...Idon't get it :shrug:...and you know very well that I have no sense of humour :mad2:....:rofl:...what's Decon? :question:





No problem at all Suavi and I think I could even agree with you :P and
Thanks Pete, wait till ya both see the LMC shot I am working on :eyepop:...the Ha is simply mind blowing, highly detailed and perfect pin point stars corner to corner...this scope is bloody amazing, it has rekindled (or perhaps inflated?) my enthusiasm for this caper for sure :D



Thnak you so much Trevor, see comments to Suavi and Pete re the next image :thumbsup:

Thanks again all
Excited Mike :2thumbs:

[topheart]

Hi Mike,
It is great to see this!!
Congratulations on your new setup!
I see a very flat field all the way across the image - a fantastic optical setup there!!

BTW, I must apologise to the whole forum for not posting lately...work and life has been beyond hectic lately. Hopefully things will settle down as the year winds up.

Cheers,
Tim

:work:

[strongmanmike]

Cheers Timmy :thumbsup: it is indeed a flabbergasting piece of glass and I can't wait for the next clear night, although full moon is coming up and we are away next week for Riley's graduation as a JBAC in the RAAF, so I will be chomping at the bit then :lol:

Because I am in such a good mood and on behalf of IIS, you are formally forgiven for not posting images, amen :innocent:

Mike
ps looking forward to your Canberra visit in Jan :)

[Octane]

Great first light effort! Looks much better than the quickie you posted first. :)

Seeing this makes me pine for a 16803-based sensor, so bad!

And, yep, I can testify, even with my slow 11002 chip that the Tarantula/LMC region looks incredible in hydrogen alpha -- posted my image a couple of months back. I can only imagine how much nicer it'd look with newer, more sensitive equipment. :)

H

[strongmanmike]

Thanks H, yeah the first version was a bit rushed :rolleyes:

After 4 years I had forgotten what the big 16803 chip can do in the FLI :eyepop: it's like an astroimaging rebirth :lol:

Mike

[Phil Hart]

Very impressive on the return leg of processing Mike. Quite a shot.

I'm in the same boat as H.. need a bigger sensor for my slice of the same glass!

Phil

[strongmanmike]

Cheers Phil :)

[Andy01]

Now you're talkin" - the redprocess is a now a crackerjack image Mike - looking forward to seeing more widefields from this combo :thumbsup:

[strongmanmike]

Thanks Andy, well the first was done with no sleep and way too rushed. Since I had no flats I was really just looking at the basics...still, it was not a great process :P The latest is much better, I am glad the replacement Aurora flat field panel worked perfectly and flats corrected the data well....all there is left to do now is..?..image everything :lol:

Mike

[Geoff45]

Absolutely stunning Mike. Simply has to be seen at full res to do it justice. Colours, detail, framing all great.
Geoff

[strongmanmike]

Thanks so much Geoff :thumbsup: and this was a pretty thin on the ground quicky taken on opening night by an impatient (big) kid in an astro lolly shop :P I have faith that things will only get better from here :D...can't wait for the impending Orion season :2thumbs:...I've just taken the Ha for an LMC shot I am working on and I just can't stop looking at it :shrug: ...to my eye, that has been hammering narrow field close ups for 4 years now...it is quite literally mesmerising :scared2:

Mike

[marc4darkskies]

A late response from me ... things have been a tad hectic here with the move!

Anyhoo ... this is just plain excellent Mike ... in every respect!! :thumbsup: And the full res post is a bonus!! :party: Nice to appreciate it in all it's glory!

[strongmanmike]

Hay thanks Marcus :thumbsup: ...down in Sale VIC for Rileys JBAC grad. Hanging to get out to the scope when I get back..hope I get some clear skies over the coming new moon, this scope and camera is really exciting :)

Mike

[RickS]

Even later response from me (have been in NZ walking the Milford Track in rail, hail & sleet!)

That's a damn fine image, Mike :thumbsup: Look forward to your LMC.

Cheers,
Rick.

[strongmanmike]

How did your feet pull up? :P

Thanks mate, one of the best quickies I have done I recon? :D

Hope to finish the LMC over the new moon :)

Mike

[RickS]

No significant injuries, thanks Mike. All good walking around wineries when we got back to Queenstown :D I am now a believer in trekking poles. Climbing downhill with rushing water they were a godsend.

You have some pretty good quickies but this one is up there :thumbsup:

Well hurry up that moon then :lol:

Cheers,
Rick.

[Star Catcher]

Yep it is up there Mike. From wide to close-up it is engaging.
Ted

[strongmanmike]

Cheers Ted :thumbsup:...weather is looking good for tonight :prey:, organising tomorrow off, hopefully finish the LMC..? :)

Mike

[strongmanmike]

See comments to Ted :P

[strongmanmike]

Pretty chuffed...

New scope and a dusted off resurrected camera, first light quicky test image only and in the space of a short time...sheesh

Gallery (http://www.pbase.com/strongmanmike2002/image/166690252/original) Australian Sky & Telescope

Photo of the Month (http://www.pbase.com/strongmanmike2002/image/166835153/original) in Sky at Night magazine

Picture of the Month (http://www.pbase.com/strongmanmike2002/image/166906709/original) in Astronomy Now magazine

Sorry...even after so many years doing this, often lonely, imaging caper, it is still just so cool when something you create is enjoyed like this :) ...and my wife thinks a little less about the err?..monetary outlay :P

Mike

[el_draco]

Nothin worse than a show-off ;)
Congrats!

[strongmanmike]

Ha ha Yeah, I know Rom, I know, posting trumpet blowing like this always risks that interpretation and I understand :) but hand on heart, I just love this game and the acquisition of this scope had a lot of emotion attached, so to see it come to fruition..well.. I'm just beaming and had to share it with a bunch of guys on a forum I have frequented for well over a decade :love:

Mike

[Atmos]

:thumbsup: ;)

[Ryderscope]

Seriously astounding wide field :eyepop:

[topheart]

Wow!

Gallery Australian Sky & Telescope

Photo of the Month in Sky at Night magazine

Picture of the Month in Astronomy Now magazine

Congratulations Mike!!

Cheers,
Tim

[strongmanmike]

Thanks a lot Col, Rod and Tim, just a bit of fun news sharing :D :thumbsup:

Mike

[LewisM]

I get the feeling that you know how to use that FSQ Mike. :)

Riley is gonna be a JBAC...he'll be grey before you!

[strongmanmike]

Cheers Lewis...and Riley was posted to HMAS Albatross and has just completed his first hands-on week in the tower, actually talking to and directing aircraft...amazed and proud for sure :)

[LewisM]

Thank goodness he takes after his Mum :lol: :P

[strongmanmike]

Oi! :mad2:...Hey, I achieved the highest mark (98%) in the final exam for first year Chemistry at Canberra Uni....:shrug: :D :thumbsup:

:einstein:

[LewisM]

Damn, I got 95% (wife got 100%, as she did for Organic Chem 1 and 2)

[strongmanmike]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ue7wM0QC5LE

:lol:

[bigjoe]

All the hard works paid off Mike..I. keep looking at your images, and am memerised at what one can do ..and in the smaller TAK. SCOPE .
And we WANT you to show off your work Mike...The wonders of the universe in all their glory....it just doesnt get any better.

bigjoe.

[strongmanmike]

Cheers big Joe, nice to hear :cheers:

Mike