Field around Lambda Centauri

[starfinder]

Hi all. Some year old data reprocessed with (hopefully) some improvement in processing skills. RGB 20:20:20 through a Tak FS128 and SBIG 11000M. Comments welcome.
Russ

[strongmanmike]

Looks to be a very nice image Russ with lovely colour....but with gear like that, which is clearly capable of taking great images, you really need to be able to show larger higher res versions :shrug:.

If you don't have a real web site, grab a PBase account just to show your images :thumbsup:

Mike

[Moon]

Russ,
Very nice - what sofware did you use for the processing?

I too would like to see a bigger version. The only issue I have with Pbase is that it's blocked by our company firewall rules.
James

[Hagar]

Very nice image but like the others would like to see it bigger.

[starfinder]

No worries. Here's a high res version:
http://www.russellsastronomy.com/sky/Narrow%20Field/Hi-res/lambda_centf8-final.jpg

Image was processed in CCDStack and Photoshop CS4. Comments welcome.
Russ

[Lester]

Very nice image Russ. Thanks for the view.

[rwong]

Very nice colour. Thanks for sharing.

Reg

[telecasterguru]

Russ,

Really well done, what are you using as a mount?

Frank

[starfinder]

Hi all. Many thanks for your comments. Much appreciated.

Frank - mount was an Intes-Micro Alter D6 (built like a Russian tank) with added goto. Sadly it was stolen a few months ago, not long after my FS128 ota.

Pleased to say that insurance have provided me with a new TOA130 and Tak Em-200 mount. Still learning how to get the best out of these. Looking foward to submitting more images in future.

Russ

[David Fitz-Henr]

Nice image Russ - good colour in the nebula and the star colours as well. It's appears to be quite a challenging subject to process due to the high star density and subtle wisps of nebula.

[strongmanmike]

That's better Russ :thumbsup: nice!

That was a bad stroke of luck re the theft of mount and scope, shame about the poor quality replacements you got too :sadeyes:.....:eyepop:

Mike

[starfinder]

Mike, thanks for the positive comment re image :thumbsup:.

I think you're being a tad harsh in describing the Tak combination as "poor". I'm happy with the performance I'm getting from the portable Tak EM-200 Temma2/TOA130 combination in comparison with the stolen Alter D6 and FS128. IMHO it is easier to set up, tracking is superior and image quality is perfectly fine.

Portability is a prime consideration for me. Although I have the STL11000M there are lots of reasons why I don't want to be up there with the "big boys" in astrophotography. Living in badly light polluted central Melbourne I don't have a permanent set-up. My "observatory" is a field of dirt (soon to be grass, thanks Phil Hart) at the ASV's excellently appointed Leon Mow Dark Sky Site out of Heathcote, 100km north of Melbourne. So it all has to fit in the back of my car. I might get 2-3 nights a month of dark skies (weather permitting) with seeing and transparency as found.

Sure, the EM-200 is lighter than the very heavy Alter D6, but I'm now friends again with my back :)!
Very best regards, Mike.
Russ

[strongmanmike]

Errr? :question:...you do realise I was being sarcastic Russ...don't you :confused2:

The replacement gear is really top stuff, that's what I was meaning ...I have an AP on a Tak NJP after all... so we are like brothers, making you the little brother :P

Humour - ah sigh...a laughably personal art at times :lol:

Mike

[iceman]

Beautiful image, Russ. I really liked this one.

It's now IOTW (http://www.iceinspace.com.au).

Cheers

[starfinder]

Wow! IOTW - a tremendous honour. Thank you very much Iceman. I do appreciate your kind comments.

Strongmanmike...apologies for taking your humour the wrong way! Not knowing you personally, sometimes the words don't convey the true humorous meaning. I must say that my dry sense of humour has gottem me into trouble many times in the past and will probably do so many times in the future. I'm delighted to have the honour of being your little brother in astrophotography! Clear skies.

[RB]

Lovely shot Russ and congrats on IOTW !

:thumbsup:

[White Rabbit]

Great shot indeed, I love the curtains and the star colours (something I cant seem to master).