October Imaging Challenge (PN) - NGC7293 (Helix Nebula)

[iceman]

Hi all.

We'd love you to take part in the October Imaging Challenge (http://www.iceinspace.com.au/index.php?id=69,241,0,0,1,0). Please post your images here.

Please ensure all images obey the posting guidelines when you attach them.

While it would be nice if the image was taken in the month of October, it's not essential so feel free to post older images if you're unable to take some new ones.

We look forward to seeing your contributions!

[Itchy]

Hi Everyone.

My Helix

Date: 2 September 2005
Camera: Canon 300D
Telescope: Meade LXD55 SN10
Details: 67x30sec exposures at ISO1600, prime focus, unguided
Processing: ImagesPlus- Dark, Flat and Bias calibration, DD. Photoshop CS- levels, curves. Noiseware.

[atalas]

Another beautiful shot Tony ! this one I like looking at through scopes of 18" and bigger you really start getting a good look at It's structure much like you see in photo's whith out the colour .

Louie

[xrekcor]

Awesome Image Tony :thumbsup:

You even captured a tiny edge on galaxy on the upper right edge of the nebula. Right near that bright star. Although it isn't too obvious but it is
there. Well done!

regards,CS

[Itchy]

Thanks CS. Yes I can see it now. How about that. Thanks for pointing it out.

cheers

[h0ughy]

great shot, is that an asteroid shown where arrow is?

[Striker]

Excellant image Tony...

What FL was taken with.???

[seeker372011]

well I doubt if I will have an opportunity to have another go at the Helix this month so here's my previous posting

http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=3328

[atalas]

Oh yes I remember this one of yours Narayan ! very nice indeed . I've tried this with very
bad results I found It very difficult to do well from my location. What was your exposure time on this one Narayan do you recall ?

Cheers

Louie

[seeker372011]

Hi louie

the details were:
40 minutes of total exposure with the ED80-four 10 minute frames at ISO 400-(from my backyard -ie light pollution central)-stacked in IRIS
Astronomik CLS filter

[ving]

hi narayan, nice pic that one.
yours is well captured too tony :)

[atalas]

Ah thats descent exposure time Narayan , I would love to see you add another 40 minutes to this shot. Seems to me that with the ligh polution we are battling you are better of with the 10minute sub and multiple exposures even with a filter !
Have you ever tried the Helix from a dark site ?


Louie

[Itchy]

Gee hOughy, you guys are seeing things there that I never did. It certainly may be an asteroid. Any body like to confirm?

The frames were taken on 2 September 2005 between 12:07 and 13:13 UT.

Cheers

[Itchy]

Thanks Tony.

My scope is 1016mm FL (f4).

The image was slightly cropped due to frame overlaps.

Cheers

[seeker372011]

No It would be good to try from Kulnura...and add another 40 minutes of data to go deep like Tony has

fact is from my back yard I can't see the Helix visually.. I have tried many many times with 7 x50s, 11 x70s and 20 x 80s..Picked it easily with my ETX 70 from Kulnura though last time we were up there

[CometGuy]

I am starting to go back through my raw images and apply better calibration techniques. This one is 36 x 1.5 minutes - unguided - and 6 x 5 minutes hand guided (never again!) so the stars and detail are a little bloated and elongtated, but you can start to see the outer ring of the nebula. Its with the modified 300D + Tak 530mm FL f3.3 astrograph. The first set of images was from June 23, 2004 and the second Aug 7, 2004 (if you look you will see a 12th magnitude asteroid slightly trailed near the lower left of the image)

I've attached a very small version, but for broadband users the full size image (500KB) is at:

http://www.pbase.com/terrylovejoy/image/50747028/original

Terry

[atalas]

Nice Helix Terry the nebs come out very well inded , even some of the fainter part of It.
Hand guided ah ? bugger that Terry, sounds like a lot of frustrating work to me :bashcomp:

[Itchy]

Hi Terry

Very nice Helix. And yes the outer ring is quite visible although a little noisy. I didn't even know it was there until after I finished my processing.:doh: I might go back and see if I can't tweak it a little.

And Hey, nothing wrong with manual guiding. It's the only type I've got. I'm just thankful that I didn't start with film. One of my mates used to guide at the eyepiece for up to 50 min at a time, on his back!!! :scared:

cheers

[CometGuy]

Tony,

I am suprised you could get any trace of that outer ring with 67x30 second exposures + unmodified camera even with 10" aperture! Thats quite an achievement.

I reckon this object - from my location and scope - would need about 3 hours + LP/Nebula filter to get that outer portion acceptably smooth and I am not a big fan of noise reduction (although I used just a touch in that image).

Terry

[Itchy]

Terry

Sorry, I may have mis-led you. I didn't know the out ring existed until I saw it in someone elses image. I didn't even try for it in my processing. It may well not be there. I'll get back to you.

Cheers

[Itchy]

Terry

I have to admit defeat on the outer ring. There is an almost impercetable red glow where I think it should be (a small portion of it anyway), but it is really indestinguishable from the background and so I could not confidently claim that I captured it. :sad: But it is definitely a future goal.

Sorry for the confusion.

[PhotonCollector]

Here's my image of the Helix Nebula.
I took the image with my Canon EOS 300D on the 12-inch equatorial 'scope, handguided with the 4.5-inch guidescope.

The composite image is composed of 1 x 3 min. @ ISO1600 and 3 x 6 min. @ ISO400, about 21-minutes total exposure time. The images were manually stacked in photoshop, no dark frames etc.

There's a medium resolution version of the image at http://www.skylab.com.au/pmsa/Helix%20Nebula.html

Clear Skies
Paul M

[iceman]

That's a magnificent shot Paul! So much detail!

[atalas]

Very nice Paul !

[h0ughy]

Nice one Paul, now a little birdy told me your getting a 2" flat field baader coma double overhead cam foxtailed corrector very soon. Will that spur on some competition between you and the little birdy that told me?

[Itchy]

NaNa:party:

I got mine last week. All I need now is some dark clear skies.

[PhotonCollector]

Thanks Iceman.

[PhotonCollector]

Geeday h0ughy,

Yeah that's right, soon I shall have one of these
http://www.alpineastro.com/optical_accessories/optical_accessories.htm#MPCC

It should correct a great deal of the coma that affects the 12-inch GSO scope. If you look at this image http://www.skylab.com.au/pmsa/ngc253_page3.html
you may note that the stars around the edge of the pic suffer from coma, which makes the stars look elongated, dove tailed, etc (I mean no longer round).

The little bird and I have always learn't from each other's work, no competition, just our hobby, :prey2: Astronomy! And now IIS makes it even better 'cause we can share our images and ideas with others like yourself.

Paul M

[tornado33]

Hi all
A while ago I tried using the Baader 7 Nm H Alpha filter on the Helix with my unmodified 300D, as such the result was a bit noisy, had to go 2 x 20 minutes at ISO 1600. Anyway Ive used that to replace the red channel on a 2 x 20 minute ISO 1600 shot with the Baader UHCS filter.
Ive had to rotate it as well as the Ha shot was taken at a different time and orientation.
Heres the complete RGB Ha shot and the standard 2 x 20 min shot with the uhcs filter
Scott
http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=5489&stc=1
http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=5490&stc=1

[tornado33]

I should mention that like Terry, Paul and I hand guide our scopes :).
The UHCS filter does have a disadvantage, it filters out starlight as well as light pollution, reducing star brightness a bit, including background galaxies, Paul has a nice one on right side of the edge of the Helix, its only visible as a faint dot in my filtered image.
Scott

[CometGuy]

Scott,

Thats sensational, unmodified and all! You've captured a tremendous amount of faint nebula in a fairly short exposure :).

Terry

[tornado33]

Many thanks.
I just wished I had access to darker skies, the filter really helps with the light polution, but its not suitable for broad emission objects like galaxies and reflection nebulas, but best for emission line nebulas like the Helix. I get a blue cast in the original raw images with the uhcs filter, with 20 mins @ISO 1600 giving the histogram peak nearly 1/2 way across, that would happen in less than 3 mins without the filter here in Newcastle. When I use either Curves, or Gradient Xterminator in Photoshop to neutralise the background to grey, it enhances the reds, making red nebulas really stand out :)
Scott

[PhotonCollector]

Hi Scott,

Holy mackeral, those images are great. Heaps of details, smooth background, and great image contrast.

Paul M

[Itchy]

Yes Scott

Very nice indeed. I've yet to capture the outer nebulosity. Well done