Jewelbox/Coalsack

[EddieT]

Hi all,
Doing the recent Southern Cross mosaic image I was really interested to see some faint hidden detail in the Coalsack.

So I spent another 8 hours imaging the area in an attempt to get a closer look.

This is fairly extremely processed in order to get into the dust, but there really are some special and rarely seen things hidden in the there. I can see myself spending a lot more time on it. For now, 8 hours will have to do!

(1000x609) http://astroshed.com/fsq106ed/jewelbox-s.jpg
(1500x915) http://astroshed.com/fsq106ed/jewelbox-m.jpg
(2000x1218) http://astroshed.com/fsq106ed/jewelbox-l.jpg

FSQ106ED (f3.8), QHY8, EQ6 PRO.

Comments welcome.

[Lester]

Fantastic Eddie, that is eye catching with much that I have not seen before in this region.

The deeper the images go the more we see. Its amazing.

[MrB]

There is some interesting stuff in there, thanks for sharing.
Looking forward to some more ;)

[h0ughy]

only 8 hours Eh! Nice work Eddie - one to build on?

[EddieT]

Thanks Lester! I know, I suffer from "It can always be deeper" syndrome!

All the best

[EddieT]

No problem MrB! There will definately be more, its just a question of weather!

Thanks for looking and all the best.

[EddieT]

Thanks Houghy!
8 hours yes, over two nights! Definately something to build on. Not only do I want to clear up whats in there, but I want to see the entire Coalsack like that. Sounds like a project!

All the best,

[bloodhound31]

I never realised it was so packed!

Very interesting capture. It's good hunting around it and studying the red nebulous regions.

Baz.

[Dennis]

Hi Eddie

Well, 8 hours is a marathon effort but what a fabulous result! I am astonished at the quality of the image and the detail revealed. From a viewer’s perspective, it was certainly worth the energy and effort you have invested in acquiring and processing this superb portrait. It reveals so much that I cannot recollect having seen before within the amateur community, or even the professional sites/publications I have browsed.

Considering you are doing all this from the light polluted GC, I take my hat of to you for a job so very well done. You’re gonna have to move to one of the poles to find nights longer than 8 hours now!

Cheers

Dennis

[multiweb]

Cool pic. There's definitely a lot more to see in there. Very smooth. :thumbsup:

[jase]

Top work Eddie. Yes, you did cook it for a while to bring out the fainter nebulosity, but it hasn't compounded the overall majestic feel of the scene. Certainly some interesting features present. Is the subtle blue hue in the dark dusty features natural i.e. reflection neb or an issue with the data (gradient)? Looks like it needs some further contrast there?? A very spectacular view of this region, something I've not seen presented in this manner before. Well done.

[Tamtarn]

You've set yourself an interesting project Eddie. You have shown us already some of the hidden jewels that we've not seen before. You've gone where no one else has gone before :eyepop: :lol:

So we will wait with interest to see what else you can discover in the darkened depths

[EddieT]

Agreed! There is a large HII bulge in there thats shrouded in dust fingers that really catches my eye, but its really hidden by Coaldust. I'd like to see a longer focal length image of it, but its so dim, I can't imagine how many hours it would take get a good shot of it!

All the best

[EddieT]

Hi Dennis! Good to hear from you!


Agreed! I did a bit of web searching and there have been considerable professional studies of the Coalsack. Parkes was instrumental in one of them, discovering ancient supernova shells around it, but I found little mention of hidden HII regions in there. Certainly I couldn't find other images of it.



I think the best I can hope for would be a darker location with clean/clear horizons...Leyburn is looking better all the time! :)

Unfortunately Crux is already setting into the Brisbane light dome around Astrofest time, so its not a great target for this time of year.

All the best

[EddieT]

Thanks Marc!

[EddieT]

Thanks Jase
Well you know getting a new take on something that has been imaged a gazillion times is never easy. Seeing more than usual in an image always has appeal to me. Thats one of the appeals of mosaics. To go wider and with greater resolution than possible with a shorter lens, for example...


Well your welcome to try! If I were to give you the raw images you might be surprised. There is a great deal of lighter material covering the lower part of the image. I've imaged this same area for about 12 hours all up with two different camera orientations and on half a dozen different nights, the result is always the same. The Coalsack appears to have a very lightened region just below its visible dark top, which is obscuring the stuff within. It's not pitch black and completely obscuring like the area above it.

The interesting thing is that this does not appear in wider images. The Coalsack itself looks pretty much uniformally dark in this area. I pained over this detail for quite some time and its even visible in the Crux Mosaic. It is in all my raw images, but really doesn't become prominent until many are stacked and the SNR increases significantly.

Also, while I was doing the mosaic, there was some crossover of images in the Coalsack, and it appears in the same place in different corners of different images. So, being somewhat convinced that its real, I left it in there rather than contrast enhancing just this part of the Coalsack to remove a feature that is quite possibly real. One of those processing choices that we all must make along the way I suppose!


Thanks Jase! I hope to get the entire Coalsack like this, so perhaps that will place this brightened area into a more understandable context, visually.

[EddieT]

Hi David and Barb,


Ha ha, yes I guess. I wish I could go there tonight!


Thanks! But with the weather the way it is, I wouldn't wait up for it! This is one of those projects that could possibly still be going years from now. A bit like my Colour Milky Way mosaic....Its been in the planning stages for nearly 5 years :)

All the best!

[Hagar]

Very nice Eddie, you are certainly making the QHY8 work very hard but the results speak for themselves.

Lovely image.

[EddieT]

Thanks Hagar!
I'm fairly happy with the QHY8. It has some quirks, but I've grown to live with them :)

All the best,

[jase]

Thanks for the confirmation of your findings Eddie. The image is making me more enthused to give this area a go sometime. I'm very intrigued by the blue hue in the dark areas. You indicated its there in overlapping frames so its a fair assessment that its natural - very cool stuff. Keen to see how you get on as you increase the data (weather challenged). Again, great work!

[EddieT]

Hi Jase,



Mate, I'd love to see others imaging this area in detail. I reckon there's a wealth of stuff in there that just needs some time and effort to be seen for the first time. Can't wait to see what you make of it!

All the best,