Pleaides Widefield

[Ryderscope]

This image has been captured with my ZWO ASI6200 full frame CMOS camera and Canon EF200mm lens providing for a 10 degree field of view. The Pleiades (M45) is located within the Taurus Molecular Cloud and this wide field allows for capturing a large extent of surrounding interstellar dust.

Data for this image were captured in Nov/Dec 2023. I had to do a lot of heavy lifting with these data with resulting gradients and chromatic noise, no doubt due to the low elevation of M45 at our latitudes and the crappy weather we were having at the end of last year. Nevertheless, it was worth persisting and it's now time to share the result. Feel free to drop in to Astrobin to review the image and read the full write up.

Link here to image post on Astrobin. (https://astrob.in/8ylj64/0/)
Click on image in Astrobin for higher resolution.

Comments and critique welcome.

CS,
Rodney

[alpal]

Hi Rodney,
what a top image - well done.

That Canon EF 200mm f/2.8L USM is amazing -
you have pin point stars to all corners.

I take it you didn't use BlurXterminator ?


cheers
Allan

[Ryderscope]

Thanks Allan. I did use BXT on the luminance channel. Whilst I didn't actually capture luminance data in this instance, I did create a synthetic luminance channel by integrating each of the RGB masters into a single greyscale image. I then processed the synthetic luminance for additional clarity and used BXT as part of that process.

Why didn't I just capture luminance data I hear you ask? The answer to that is I was trying to capture as much RGB as possible in the relative short time that M45 presents itself at an ok elevation. Given its northern position I would rather just grab as much RGB as I can and then work with a synthetic luminance for bringing out the structural details.

[alpal]

Synthetic Luminance is great.
OK - still a fine picture -
the standards are getting higher on this forum.

cheers
Allan

[AlexN]

Beautiful image Rodney!

Well done!

The field of view is VERY expansive, with a 35mm sensor and a 200mm lens - There's so much that can go wrong with that much sky in an image, and to me, it looks like so much went completely right!

[Ryderscope]

Many thanks for your kind words Alex. It is true that the wide field grabs an expansive area of Sky which is great for getting a different view :D

[Bodon]

That is a really nice photo!

[Dave882]

Beautiful shot! So much to look at and the backdrop is almost as stunning as the main event

[Ryderscope]

Thank you Dave/Steve.

[strongmanmike]

That's a real beauty, Rod, so much detailed dust and great colour, top work :thumbsup:

Mike

[CoolhandJo]

All that dust! Nice

[Ryderscope]

Thanks Mike/Paul, a dusty field it is to be sure. So much stuff lurking about that we cannot see with the naked eye.

[Paul Haese]

Lovely work Rodney; capturing this region with all it's lovely dust is becoming more common now. Your image is one of the best I have seen.

[Ryderscope]

Thanks Paul, I had also been inspired by other wide field images of the Pleiades so had to have a go myself. Rather challenging from southern latitudes but I’m glad now that I persisted.

[MortonH]

I don't think I've seen a widefield of the Pleiades before. Amazing image!

[Ryderscope]

Thanks Morton. It is fun exploring wider fields.

[Startrek]

Rodney ,
One of the best images of M45 I’ve ever seen
Detail is stunning with that wider FOV
Well done !!
Martin

[Retrograde]

I've looked at many images of the Taurus molecular cloud taken from the northern hemisphere and wondered whether it would be possible to replicate them from our southern latitudes. Well now I wonder no longer but clearly it was quite an undertaking. Superb!

Excellent work with your realistic rendering of the dust. Some deep images of dust clouds I've seen make them look like they're almost solid objects.

[Bart]

That really is a lovely shot! :eyepop:

I think this object excels when displayed in widefield.

:thumbsup: