Pleiades and Q2 Machholz

[cometcatcher]

Hi guys, this is a great forum!

It's been cloudy here but I managed to sneak a shot or 3 of Comet Q2 Machholz las night near the Pleiades.

While saving for a better camera I've been fooling with a Mintron video camera and recently have been trying tricolour.

I don't have the "proper" filters either so am making do with photo filters Orange for the red channel, Yellow for the green channel and Blue as blue.

This is a pic from last night the 6th. Frames stacked in Registax and levels - tricolour registration in Photoshop.

Mintron video camera and 50mm standard camera lens.

[rumples riot]

Nice capture, keep em coming

[cometcatcher]

Thanks, I'll try - clouds permitting!

[seeker372011]

Hi Kevin, good to see you here... welcome to the forum:welcome:

[iceman]

Hey Kevin, welcome to the forums! Great to see you here.. I've seen some of your work on the AO forums and they are truly great with the equipment you've got! And this pic is no exception..

Great shot!

[Mick]

Very nice CC. Don't know about tonight though.

[[1ponders]]

Aha, Now I see where the handle came from. Well lived up to. Nice job.

[cometcatcher]

Thanks guys.

Last night was a washout, but I was too sick to get out of bed for long anyway. Kind of good timing really.

Yes, I like comets. Interesting things that never looking the same twice.

The Cometcatcher is also a fast little 5 1/2 inch Schmidt Newtonian brought out by Celestron for Halley's comet, which I have lying around somewhere.

[iceman]

I had a look at Maccholz next to M45 through my 11x70's last night.. georgeous sight.. I took some widefield tripod shots with my Cybershot, i'll process them today but I don't think the skies were dark enough to pull out enough detail..

[gbeal]

Hi Kevin
welcome, it is a nice place to hang out isn't it?

Got a break between clouds, and through high cloud for a short while last night, and imaged the comet with it's backdrop of M45.

Lovely view, and a fine naked eye sight as well.

Nikon D100, with Nikkor 300mm @4.5 stack of 3 separate 2 minute exposures all at ISO1250. Stacked and levels applied in Photoshop by Aaron.

Unfortunately the position is towards a bit of light pollution, and this coupled with the high cloud has given the image a certain "glow". Still I consider myself lucky to have goten this.
Regards,
Gary BEAL,
Hamilton.

[seeker372011]

well done gary, nice pic

is there no wizardry that can eliminate-subtract out -the sky glow?

[iceman]

That's a great shot Gary! And most certainly I think that skyglow can be eliminated using photoshop magic.. I'm not expert enough to do it myself but I've seen it done..

That is a beautiful shot and with a dark background it will turn out even better. Nice job.

[Mick]

Beautiful image Gary thanks for the post, cloud is all we have to look at in central Qld at the moment, Tropical cyclone Kerry is of the coast and slowly heading west. I'm glad I had a look at Machholz on Friday night in 7x50 bions it was a wonderful sight. :D

[cometcatcher]

Excellect shot Gary. It makes a fine sight next to the Pleiades.

[gbeal]

Welcome guys, and thanks.
I thought NZ was the only place with cloud. It was clear enough to get what I did, so I was happy. Seeing was poor, but for widefield stuff like this it doesn't really matter.
Believe me Ice, the PhotoShop magic has already been tried, and some.
I am open to suggestions though.
Gary

[[1ponders]]

Nice Shot Gary. Do you use anything to assist you with your focus

[gbeal]

No Paul, just eyeball it, and with the 300mm it isn't as critical anyway.
Good luck helps

[[1ponders]]

:lol2:

[ving]

hi CC, bout time you made it here! :P

great shot btw!

[cometcatcher]

Hi Ving. Yeah I can't believe how active this forum is. I did a google search for "Australian astronomy forum" but didn't come up with much. Found my way here through astronomy online.

Hey what is that blue stuff I see between the clouds? If I'm lucky I might get 10 seconds worth a look tonight! :cool:

[ving]

i'd like to get out too... but i still have visitors :(

[cometcatcher]

Well I got about 2 minutes of gap between the clouds. This camera really needs 20m but I didn't get a choice.

It's a bit grainy but the tail looks really bent! Almost looks like a film defect. Anyone else get pics of the tail tonight?

135mm f2.5 @ f3.5 and a couple of minutes of frames through the mintron video camera.

[Vermin]

The clouds have finally parted here (someone must have a received a new scope for Christmas nearby).

Unfortunately I missed Machholz and the Pleiades (thanks for the top pics folks!).

Also it has moved too far round to the North behind some trees when viewed from my yard.

Still, I got a quick look at a very turbulent Saturn and a couple of nebulae tonight (Eta Carinae and the Tarantula with help from a narrowband filter).

Then finished up with a bit of wide field scanning with my 35 Pan and the filter.

All in all a good hour spent under the stars at last!

[cometcatcher]

The Pleiades are too far out of the frame now but it was nice and clear early last night for pics. Took a few shots but so far have only processed the greyscale pic. Colour to come soon.

There's what looks like a small nebula just to the right of the comet. Don't know what this is.

500 x 1.25 second frames with the box brownie mintron video camera and 135mm lens.

[cometcatcher]

A little tricolour pic with a 50mm camera lens. 900 x 1.25 second frames or about 300 for each channel.

[iceman]

Both awesome shots Kevin! Well done.. it's amazing what you're pulling out with that video camera.

[cometcatcher]

Thanks. Another shot with the 135mm lens. Not as many frames this time. Only 130 per channel.

[[1ponders]]

Great imaging Kevin.

I know I seem to be putting it to all the gurus here, so how about you? A bit of a review of you particular imaging and processing details. We seem to have some great artist here and I'm sure I'm not alone in wanting to know everyones secrets:D Terms like "tricolour registration" for example. I use PS abit but my mind goes "Wot Tha?"

In fact (and no one ever called me afraid for putting myself forward when I'm after something :D )I'd love it if someone (anyone, everyone) would put together some examples of their original and final exceptional shots along with step by step Imaging and processing. (were they groans I heard then :) ) Come on now don't be shy. You know who you are ;)

"I live in expectation"

[cometcatcher]

Lol, okay I'll get something together when I get time. I go through a lot of processing (have to for a crappy camera) so it will take a while to put together. Those two tricolour shots alone took me 3 hours and my head was spinning when I finished. The things we go through for a hobby eh? :computer:

[[1ponders]]

That's what I mean Kevin. For you 3 hours and you know what your doing for me 3 days :lol:

[Mick]

Very nice images Kevin, You have been busy. :astron:

[Mick]

Kevin, I think it might be NGC1333.

[Orion]

All very nice photos:thumbsup:
I was just wondering why in some photos the comet has a green hue to it:confused:

[cometcatcher]

Hi Ed. Some of the photos are tricolour bringing out the green of the comet's coma.

Thanks Mick. Was wondering what it was.

Took another last night. I have 2 versions, one about 35 minutes worth and the other is only about 10. The long one of course is tracked with the stars trailing.

Which one do you guys like best?

[cometcatcher]

This is the shorter one.

[Mick]

I like the first one Kevin more detail in the ion tail.