Alvin, ET, and the King Prawn: Two versions to compare

[Placidus]

This is a project several years in the making. An eight panel mosaic of the Prawn region, with a total exposure of 35 hours.

We've prepared two versions. The first adheres to the "Every photon is sacred" theory, but perhaps looks too diagrammatic and lacklustre:

Big one here (https://photos.smugmug.com/Category/Star-Forming-Regions/i-fzff769/0/469ab6cd/O/Alvin%2C%20ET%20and%20the%20Prawn%2 0Ha%2035%20hrs%20mosaic.jpg)

The second version is much more contrasty, concentrates on the main features, is very moody, but looks more sculptural and is truer to the light:

Contrastier version here (https://photos.smugmug.com/Category/Star-Forming-Regions/i-7TsZrm5/0/e5e27aa4/O/Prawn%20Ha%2035%20hours%20contrast. jpg)

The prawn is easily identifiable, occupying the bottom right quadrant.

Alvin the chipmunk, with his cheery, mischievous mammalian face, occupies the top right quadrant.

Just above dead centre (between Alvin and the Prawn) is a tiny but unmistakable ET, wearing a flowing opera cape.

Now look more closely at Alvin, and you will see that he is in a quantum superposition (a la Picasso) with Jar Jar Binks, with his all too reptilian eye (so there are three eyes altogether).

Notice how the left hand half of the image is turbulent, contrasty, with black, impenetrable dust, implying youth. Conversely, the right hand half is much more gentle, with wispy, soft contours, implying ripe repose. This is reminiscent of a very similar region in Carina with NGC 3603 bursting new and hot from thick turbulent dust on the left, and older, more gentle residual arches and billows on the right.

Aspen CG16M on 20 inch PlaneWave. 35 x 1 hr subs. Field 73 min arc, North up. Acquisition and processing with our Selene and GoodLook respectively.

Very best,
Mike and Trish

[LewisM]

All I see is the silhouette or side profile of Orson Welles...

Maybe he's admiring Gabriella Mistrel? :)

Nice image!

[Placidus]

It must look different from your location. ;) Parallax.

[multiweb]

Oooo wow! :eyepop: I was waiting for this one. :bowdown:

[multiweb]

Homer Simpson.

[Placidus]

Thanks muchly Marc. Your version inspired us to add the left and right sides, which were missing in our version from a couple years ago.

[strongmanmike]

Great project guys very solid looking and full of intricate tit bits everywhere :thumbsup:

I'm usually able to see your strange shapes and figures in nebulae and I can see Ja Ja and Lewis's Orson Welles profile (also looks like Lenin or Hitchcock) but Alvin is alluding me, unless he is more central in the top half of the image, that looks a bit fox face or cat like to me...? As for ET do you mean that nicely defined little bent finger feature just above centre?...that looks like ET's phone home finger to me at least... :P

Mike

[Placidus]

Thanks Mike!

Alvin is rather a bunch of spare parts with some user assembly required, but the parts are there, and I can't help seeing him instantly and powerfully.

[Camelopardalis]

Gobsmacking Hydrogen M&T :eyepop: it’s everywhere!

[LewisM]

See, I was thinking Hitchcock and Homer too, but it kept bugging me, and I figured it was more Orson Welles.

[LewisM]

Hitchcock...mmmmm..but add a beard and mo.

Anyway, a great image!

[strongmanmike]

Ah ok, so Alvin is Ja Ja..got it, and yes I thought that little defined finger looked like ET but it was kinda upside down so I was confused :)

Mike

[Andy01]

Lots of great detail there M&T, should be an epic project when done! :thumbsup:

[Placidus]

Thanks Dunk!



Cheers Lewis!



Thanks Andy. Not sure if we've got the stamina to do OIII and SII. We've already got OIII and SII for the central four panels, but that's still four to go.

[topheart]

Awesome detail - overwhelming in a very good way!!
Cheers,
Tim

[Placidus]

Thanks Tim!

- - - - - - -

We weren't happy with the version we posted. It showed lots of subtle dark features but lost the overall feel, looked too diagrammatic.

Here is another version which is moodier, loses the dark detail, but is perhaps much truer to the light:

Second version here (https://photos.smugmug.com/Category/Star-Forming-Regions/i-7TsZrm5/0/e5e27aa4/O/Prawn%20Ha%2035%20hours%20contrast. jpg)


We'd love to know which version you prefer, and why. Oh, for a 16 bit video screen, where we could have it all at once.

Best,
MnT

[Atmos]

Utterly amazing MnT!
It may need a lot of work but I do think a SHO image would be worth the effort :thumbsup:

I do prefer the image overall of the second but the stars in the first :)

[codemonkey]

Amazing work guys! Love it! I favour the version with more contrast.

[Retrograde]

Great stuff M & T!

I prefer the one with less contrast as you can see more of the background nebulosity. :thumbsup:

[PRejto]

Great photos...both, but I guess I'm inclined to like the higher contrast version which just seems more dramatic. Your photo inspires me to try this again with my new 16-200 chip. Given the moon some Ha over the next few days might provide an interesting comparison to my previous effort with an 8300 CCD.

Peter

[Placidus]

Thanks everyone for encouraging and thoughtful replies.



Thanks Colin. We'll put it on the list.



Thanks Lee.



Thanks Pete. Good to know.



Cheers Peter. Hope you get a chance to do the Ha and the moon doesn't mess things up. It might be right where you want to photograph.

Best,
MnT

[Peter Ward]

A simply great result.

As for the Rorschach test...nup..all I can see is a fish.
Swimming towards me. :D

[RickS]

Love the contrasty version, M&T :thumbsup:

[multiweb]

The one with more contrast shows a lot clearer details in the center of the nebula but the brighter version shows better details in the darker lanes in the outer neb at 10 o'clock so I like them both.

[Placidus]

Thanks Peter! And yes, if I close my eyes and think of the sea, I too can see a fish. Trish says she sees a cobra in a dress shirt with an expensive black lace ruff.



Thanks Rick. We guess if we could only do one version, that would be it.



Cheers, Marc. That Eizo monitor with the 10 bit output looks more and more tempting, but everyone would have to get one.

Best,
Mike and Trish

Oh, we did a good thing today. We made a strut for the heavy observatory door, to hold it open so it doesn't get caught by the wind. Once it got caught by a 60 KPH gust and it tore a half inch solid steel hinge pin in half. We practiced on the chicken shed before trying it on the observatory.

[RickS]

Ay, there's the rub! Images that look great on my fancy (but several years old) colour calibrated NEC monitor don't always translate well to my laptop screen or the screens of others. It's a bit like mastering music where you need a pair of Yamaha NS10 speakers so you can tell what it's going to sound like on crappy speakers :)

Cheers,
Rick.

[Atmos]

So as I view and process everything on my laptop and iPhone in all kinds of lighting without any calibration, I'm the standard candle :P

[Slawomir]

A beautiful image Mike and Trish. Love the detail.

I like the bright nebula more in the contrasty version, and darker nebulosity in the original version. I think a blend of two (50% of V1 + 50% of V2) might be worth trying :)

[Placidus]

Thanks Suavi. We like your suggestion.

Best,
MnT

[cometcatcher]

I can't pick which one. They are both amazing!

[Placidus]

Thanks Kevin, that's kind.