M78 - A comparison

[PKay]

Interesting to look back a few years, and see the progress.

1st image taken with 80mm APO and OSC (about 3 years ago).

2nd image (taken last night) using the 150mm APO and LRGB filters.

The results couldn't be more different...

Thanks to IIS (you lot)!

[strongmanmike]

Looks good...and yes, some improvement evident there :thumbsup:

Mike

[multiweb]

Very smooth Peter. :thumbsup: Well done on a faint one.

[PKay]

Hi Mike:hi:
I wonder if we all go full circle.
Start with a pair of binos, onto a DOB, trusty Canon, cooled OSC, better scope, NB etc.

And then back to where we started, to sit still, beside a fire, under the stars...



Hi Dude, and thanks for always offering help, advice and encouragement :)

[strongmanmike]

That's certainly been my journey (https://pbase.com/strongmanmike2002/image/171841096/original) of late...very cathartic :)

Mike

[Startrek]

Peter,
Thanks for sharing a part of your Astro journey.
Great image of this reflection nebula by the way
Getting beyond a joke this crap weather. I can’t recall having such a long spell without imaging since I started in 2017. I haven’t imaged a full night since 3rd September ......
I’ll stop winging now ......
Heading back down South for a month or so after Xmas , my Dome must be full of spiders and other bugs by now , bit of cleaning and maintenance on the cards
Cheers
M

[Nikolas]

Prefer the colours in the first and the details in the second

[PKay]

Hi M.
Yeh the night before last was an absolute cracker!
Was able to hold target all night.

Funny you mentioned spiders, they have set up big time on and around my scope.
I think it kinda funny...



Hi Nik and thanx for comment.
To be perfectly honest, the colour is just what appears however I do use a bit of saturation.
Spend most of my time on focus, sub selection, batch pre-processing, background extraction and noise removal. No decon at all.

I remember when I processed the first effort(3 yrs ago), totally blown away.
Guess it's all relative :)

[astroron]

Hi Peter, thanks for posting these comparison image's
Both very good for you and your experience.
Just something you may find interesting?

In your first image just to the "left" of the large nebula you will see some small nebulae just to the left and lower from the "double star.

The Nebula just below and slightly to the left is McNeil's Variable Nebula.
McNeil's Nebula is a variable nebula discovered January 23, 2004 by Jay McNeil of Paducah, Kentucky. It is illuminated by the star V1647 Ori. Wikipedia
It was found photographically.

If you look at your latest image you will note it is no longer there.
I follow the progress of this nebula,just by watching images published like yours.
Do you have a date for when both images where taken.
I hope you find this of interest.
PS I have on a few occasions in the past since it's discovery observed this nebula
in my 16" scope.
Cheers:thumbsup:

[multiweb]

Very cool bit of trivia Ron. :thumbsup: I found it one of my shots dated 19/01/2015. So it's not unlike the variable neb next to the cone nebula. :question:

[astroron]

Good one Marc.:thumbsup:
Now if others on here look through their past images
We may get an approximate date as to when it disappeared?

There are a number of Variable Nebulae.
Hubble's Variable nebula in Monoceros which is
the one you mention NGC2261
Hinds Variable Nebula NGC 1555 also comes to mind.
Cheers:thumbsup:

[rustigsmed]

Nice work Peter - always good to revisit a subject every now and then. big improvement. cheers rusty

[PKay]

Hi Ron

Very observant of you.
I was able to find a specific date of the first image: 16/01/2018

See attached.


Hi Rusty, hope you've had a clear night!

[Ryderscope]

Nice work Peter. Good to see how things have moved on.

[astroron]

Thanks Peter.
It's good that one can do a blink comparison.:)
It looks like the disappearance was sometime around mid 2018 to early 2019.
Cheers:thumbsup:

[PKay]

Hi Ron

By trolling through the images at Astro Bin, I was able to find the last known appearance (that I know of).
Although I didn't check every image what I found must be very close.

The date was 11-09-18.
It appears as a vague remnant. https://www.astrobin.com/full/366738/0/

All good fun :)

And hi Rod, best seeing to you...

[astroron]

Thanks. :thanx:
It definitely looks like it is on it's way out,
but the star tat illuminates the nebula looks a bit
brighter,probably due to the faintness of the nebula
Cheers:thumbsup: