Sticking with the program

[multiweb]

Just got a run of four clear nights in Sydney and I made the most of it. I imaged the Tarantula a little and the piece de resistance was the keyhole.
In the end I got 800 min in 5 min subs with a QHY9/lodestar Baader 7nm Ha on a G11 with the CN-212 at prime. FL is 2.6m @ 0.42asp.

It was a bit of a learning curve with the new scope. My mount was as good as it could and guiding sort of behaved and I lost a few subs but not that many. Still very happy with the result considering.

Monday and Tuesday nights were the best seeing. Sunday was alright too, last night was so so but still better than what we've been getting in December.

I have a big one here (http://www.astropic.net/astro/NGC3372_ha_CN-212_75.jpg) [2502x1872 - 1.17MB] and HD here (http://www.astropic.net/astro/NGC3372_Ha_CN-212_HD.jpg)[1920x1437 - 910KB]

Captured with Nebulosity 2, PHD 1, registered and stacked in CCD Stack and post process, deconv, sharpening in Ivo's excellent StarTools.

In all it was a lot of fun but I can't wait my mount is fixed so I can go to bed.

Enjoy the views. :thumbsup:

[Placidus]

Wonderful Marc ! :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

The grand overview is great. All the favourite details are crystal clear, including the fickle finger and the bull's head with the Herbig-Haro jets up at top left.

Well done.

MnT

[Peter Ward]

Wide-field-wussy data be gone! Narrow field rules! :D

An excellent high-resolution result :thumbsup::thumbsup:

[Andy01]

Crikey, that's amazing Marc! Incredible detail, sharpness & clarity :eyepop:

Here, have some of these - you certainly deserve it!
:bowdown::party2::bowdown:

[alocky]

This is a delightfully sharp image - I like the way you've been able to show off the homunculus as well as the little dark blobs in the closeup. I'm a bit curious about what looks like moire around eta in the tighter image, are these diffractions from the microlenses on the camera chip?
cheers,
Andrew.

[multiweb]

Thanks Mike :thumbsup: What's the bull's head?


Thanks a lot Peter. :thumbsup:


Thanks Sensei. :thumbsup:



Thanks Andrew. :thumbsup: I'll check the data but think the underlying pattern is there but not as pronounced and the deconvolution process picked it and did its thing causing these caustic like diffraction patterns. So processing induced. I gotta say I had as much restraint as a five year old in a lolly shop with Startools. My sugar high will subside in time. :P

[RickS]

That's a great result, Marc :thumbsup: Sharp as a catadioptric Tak :)

[Bart]

Wow, that is very cool, Marc! Great resolution!

[strongmanmike]

Yes looks like the seeing was indeed very favourable, some excellent resolution there Marc :thumbsup: the processing is good too, not forced with strong sharpening. Good seeing is better than sharpening anytime ;)

There looks to be some guide error and/or flaring going on though :question: so the resolution could have been even better :eyepop:..is that collimation or tracking or a bit of both?

Mike

[multiweb]

Thanks mate. :thumbsup: Yes it is sharp alright.

Thanks a lot Bart. :thumbsup:

Thanks Mike. :thumbsup: Bit of both probably. Guiding was definitely sub standard. It could be sharper. Collimation, possibly not there 100%. Camera tilt very possible as well. Will use longer tube in focuser next time. I used a 13mm spacer instead of the usual 35mm extension in front of the OAG so that would have done it. When it's this sharp, everything adds up and it sticks out. I'm still on training wheels.

[strongmanmike]

Just get that final collimation/tilt fixed... then sneak it up onto Cerro Amazones (no one will notice it next to the ELT) and bingo!...you could have even better results and most nights, particularly when the seeing is even better than the resolution of your scope! :D

Mike

[Fabiomax]

The details that are perceived in the image are really remarkable, maybe a few evenings a year allow us to take advantage of such seeing!
Cheers,
Fabiomax

[multiweb]

Will do. Couplers in the mail so my mount guiding will be fixed next week. Then onto the next issue. Yeah that'd be nice to get dark skies and sub arcsecond seeing. Looking forward to Rick's first light and photos at El Sauce.



Thanks Fabio. :thumbsup: Good nights are few in between but it pays off when you get a couple in a row and during holiday time too. What's not to like. :)

[peter_4059]

They are looking great Marc. It must be satisfying to get such a good result after all the work on those optics.

[multiweb]

Thanks mate. :thumbsup: Yeah big relief that I didn't cock up anything.
Other problems linked to sharp optics such as guiding came up though. But overall stoked with the scope. It's light weight, portable and holds collimation so I can take it to dark skies which I could never with the C11. Can't wait to do some color.

[willik]

Very nice image and very sharp looks great Marc
Martin

[multiweb]

Thanks Martin. :thumbsup: Lots of data gives you a good SNR and some latitude for deconvolution and sharpening.

[gregbradley]

Holy shivers that is sharp!

Wow, congrats you must be over the moon with that.

Greg.

[multiweb]

Thanks Greg. :thumbsup: Yeah very happy with the scope. A long FL FSQ. :)