In shock!!! My Best Horsehead with Toucam!

[ballaratdragons]

I am amazed and in shock at this image of the Horsehead!

I imaged it with the dying Toucam, in very windy, cloudy conditions, and Half Moon!!!! :eyepop:

It is the best I have ever captured Horsehead!

I am at a loss as to how I captured it so well considering the gear, and the conditions :shrug:

ED80, Modified Toucam 840k, IR/UV filter, 0.6x FR, on EQ6.
10 x 150 seconds stacked in Registax 3, levels and colour balance in PhotoShop CS. Cropped.

[citivolus]

Were you imaging a poster on your wall? :P

(seriously, nice job)

[ballaratdragons]

Here is a slightly redder version:

[ballaratdragons]

:lol:
Thanks.

Strange to note: the bright star half way down the Horses throat. I can't find it on any other images :shrug:

Where did it come from?

[EzyStyles]

great shot ken. hmm thats very odd that extra star you have there. I also noticed you have additional stars?? maybe the stacking didnt align properly? maybe you have found a supernova? :P

I have attached a red chanel from a horsey i did awhile back for your star comparison.

[citivolus]

Have you removed the hot filter? Maybe it is emitting primarily in IR.

[citivolus]

After some hunting, that star is visible here:

http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap070527.html

A careful alignment check will show it as the dim one in the linked image, in the same spot in the neck. Likely it is a variable, but don't let me distroy your nova discovery claims :)

[OneOfOne]

It's amazing what you can get when you take the lens cap off....;)

[Garyh]

Now this one shows more detail than the last 3 hr shot! ;)
I just don`t know how that poor ol toucam keeps going!
But great work Ken...:thumbsup:

[RB]

It's like the ToUcam knows you've got a DSI waiting in the wings and doesn't want to give up the ghost.

Great capture Ken.

:thumbsup:

[erick]

That's great Ken. :thumbsup: What does a single image look like compared to that first time you pulled the Horsie out of almost nothingness? So what is the secret this time - a moonlight sky?? :P

And that star is fascinating - better shoot a few more nights and see if it varies much?

[edwardsdj]

Very impressive image for the Toucam :)

[DavidH]

Wow. What a Toucam coup. Well done!! I notice that the image is cropped. How much sky does the original cover?

Regards,
David.

[ballaratdragons]

about half of a degree :thumbsup:
The sun or the moon go from one edge to the other.


I will be Eric, I want to see if it is actually there.

But 'someone' got a 12" and ruined our weather :P :lol:

[ballaratdragons]

It's not a Hot Pixel either.

I did a 'close-up' test and discoverd it's not. It looks nothing like a Hot Pixel.

[erick]

Gee, there are some inconsiderate people out there!! :whistle:

But I do look forward to seeing you reproduce that image. I've looked over other images and I am sure I see a faint star at that location in some of them - nowhere near as bright. Have you checked more of the image for "anomalous" stars?

[Ric]

Well done Ken, you and your Toucam have done a top job on the horsey.

Sometimes despite the odds, you just nail a ripper. I find it best not to wonder but just sit back and enjoy it.

Cheers

[ballaratdragons]

Yep, I have compared it to a professional image of Horsey and find that I have 2 extra stars, and one missing :shrug:

[mill]

Oooohhh That was one under the belt :P

[davidpretorius]

only one way to check ken, get out there again tonight.

seriously this is a nude strut up to canberra if it is a nova!!!

well done

[ballaratdragons]

Not so lucky to find a Nova, Davo. There are 2 stars in mine that are not on the pro image, and one on the pro image that is missing in mine.

I doubt I found 2 Novas next to each other and a star that has gone AWOL :lol:

[leon]

Very interesting stuff Ken, checked my Horsey, no stars where yours are, and by the way I though that Toucam was buried some time ago.

Leon

[ballaratdragons]

Nah, it's not dead and buried yet.

On a pension and images in a walking frame, but still going :lol:

[davidpretorius]

nothing would surprise me more if it turns out to be true though and it could not happen to a nicer bloke!

maybe the pro got it wrong!!!

[ballaratdragons]

:lol: ALL the pro images have the same stars. Only mine is different.
Mine are probaly artifacts :rofl:

[dcalleja]

Extra stars notwithstanding, its an amazing shot with a webcam!!:thumbsup:

[ballaratdragons]

Thank you, Dan.

Yep, I'm still pretty amazed how it came out :)

[coldspace]

That undiscovered black-hole ate it up:lol:, Nice shot.

Matt

[janoskiss]

Ken, that's a great image from an overworked toucam! And how exciting with bonus stars! :D