Helix..slow going

[strongmanmike]

I've been collecting some data on the Helix and as I have complained about in the past..BLASTED Newcastle weather!! :mad2:

Anyway who know's when I'll get more data :shrug: so I thought I'd post what I've gathered so far.

No marathon Bassnut effort yet just 60min Lum + 50min Ha . This amount of data is pretty laughable for such a faint object I know but some nice galaxies are showing up all over the place even in such a short exposure. With a QE of just 30% in the Red the KAI11002 chip is not so good at grabing the Ha quickly either :(

You can see both the full frame and cropped close up versions here:

http://www.pbase.com/strongmanmike2002/recent_images

The full frame version shows the nice FOV the ProLine has on the Starfire but the resolution rquired to keep the web image at around 750K (best size for web download patience) prevents the hundreds of galaxies showing up so make sure you click on the close up version which gives an indication of the plethora of background galaxies that actually appear all over the full frame image at higher res. There is a bit of detail appearing in the nebula too I guess but the seeing conditions here are just not favourable for really high res work...did I mention the weather in Newcastle is CRAP..?.... :screwy: :D

I have a small amount of colour data but haven't posted the LHaRGB as it needs a lot more colour data and the colour data was taken through thin cloud so is pretty crap :mad2: (did I mention I hate the Newcastle weather?).

Hopefully I can get several more hours of data over the next few weeks to reveal the outer envelopes of gas that surround the main Helix a bit better..? If not..?..sigh, I will complain about the Newcastle weather again :help:

Cheers

Mike
Geez I need an observatory :mad2:...and better Newcastle weather :lol:

[skeltz]

Hi mike won,t ask how its going you,ve already let us know that!!!
but anyway your image looks like its coming along nicely guiding looks good.
As for the weather its the same here its driving a man crazy almost:mad2::mad2: but anyway mike at least your telescope and or reducer/flattener work unlike mine so ..be:):)happy dont worry
CHEERS

[Dietmar]

very nice job, Mike!
sorry about the weather - if it comforts you - also on the northern hemisphere weather is doing horse...

[seeker372011]

do you have a larger version anywhere where we could begin to get an idea of what you have actually captured?

[ballaratdragons]

Mike,

I gave your image a quick going over, and I can't see many background Galaxies!!!! :shrug:

Hahaha, fooled ya!

I spent quite a lot of time with your image enlarged 600% and I have marked the visible ones for you.

I started at 300% and wasn't sure about some of them, they looked like faint stars. But at 600% they gave spiral, side-on, and elliptical characteristics!!! :thumbsup:

Great work mate. :)

Here they are. Zoom your original to 600% and you will see them all.

[strongmanmike]

Not sure what you mean exactly..?

Go to the link I posted above and click on the "close-up" thumbnail second top left, then if an image larger than your screen doesn't start loading scroll down to "other sizes" at the bottom of the page and select "original" size to see the largest file.

To see the full frame image at a good resolution would require posting about a 2meg image so I posted the close-up instead.

I'm on dial up so if a large file gets posted I usually don't bother looking at it, otherwise I'd be waiting ages :(

Mike

[strongmanmike]

Hey pretty cool :thumbsup:

I didn't process to emphasise the galxies either.

Another few hours of lum should bring them out nicely.

Mike

[jase]

I see you haven’t lost that dinner party chef apologetic attitude. ;) If the weather is as bad as you indicate, its time to relocate again.:whistle: I’m afraid having an observatory doesn’t push the clouds away – does make imaging easier though.

Your image is developing fine structure, work its way up into something grand. To be honest, I was hoping not to see any further developments until you added the chrominance data. You need to work on building the suspense and amazement so when you post your final LHaRGB image you deliver an almighty WOW factor. So… don’t leave us flapp’n in the breeze with entrée dishes for too long. Looking forward to tasting the main course when you feel it is appropriately cooked.:D

[ballaratdragons]

and don't forget to spice up the Side-Salad Galaxies! :)

[Ric]

Great images of the Helix Mike, I like the fine details that is showing up around the edges. The final image is going to look pretty spectacular.

Cheers

[Garyh]

Love that field of view!
A great start Mike to a great image..look forwards to its progression..:thumbsup:
cheers

[strongmanmike]

:lol: Ah Jase, love your honesty man but building suspense and then anouncing a suposed "grand" image is just not my style...I'm too impatient. Sure RJ Gabany likes to do this, spending eons processing an image until it is just right then releasing it to the SBIG list and the WORLD with an acompanying irrelevent but colourful prose... but please, he is a one of a kind and any attempt to model one's self on him (and a couple have tried) becomes very obvious and a tad pathetic IMO, somehow he gets away with it..? He is a genuine nice guy though and I enjoy his unique style very much.

I'm affraid that I usually just don't have the patience to wait for perfection to share my work with my fellow imagers. I am not out to only post perfect images, truly, I just want to share my experiences with like minded people even if my latest image isn't a masterpiece.

The trouble invloved in setting up and pulling down a complete imaging system each night is just not an attractive option, this is probably why I notice my new fickle weather and seeing conditions more than most :mad2:. Bet you wouldn't look forward to setting this kit up each night you wanted to image...:scared:

http://www.pbase.com/strongmanmike2002/image/81003751

..only for high cloud and bad seeing to taunt you?

The massive benefit of an observatory, particularly in a fickle weather environment like Newcastle, is that you can duck out when there is a clear spell and be up and running in minutes to quickly grab a bit of data and then do this over a couple of nights and hey presto a long exposure image! So please cut me some slack :( and just humour me :rofl:...lest I go :screwy:

I wish I had not been exposed to the superior and more stable climate of Canberra becasue then I wouldn't know any different :sadeyes: :lol:

Cheers big ears and I'll put together a decent long (ish) exposure eventually I am sure....:shrug:

Mike

[Bassnut]

Nice Mike, tight stars and sharp, but give your previous efforts on this, and your expertise, perhapes a little more nebula extension would be expected. I think an observatory must be your next move to readily get more data, you have reached the most you can do with a mobile rig.

Cheers

[strongmanmike]

Yep, but need to buy a house first, still renting in Newcastle at this stage I'm afraid. An observatory will be high on the priority list after moving in of course, in the meantime I'll just happily be frustrated and continue to curse the Newcastle weather :P

Shame the ASA didn't work out, the predicament I'm currently in re no observatory was exactly the reason I needed its super fast F3.6 and 12" aperture :sadeyes: oh well se la vi and ys never know what might happen in the future..?

Mike

[Dr Nick]

Wow! very nice! ;)