David vs Goliaths

[strongmanmike]

I updated and reprocessed a few of my Deep Helix shots this weekend and rearanged the album, in the process I also updated this comparison....I actually had to push process the HST/Blanco shot so it would come close in depth :D

http://www.pbase.com/strongmanmike2002/image/129487496/original

I am deluded (see quote in signature)...but it is fun to do :thumbsup:

Mike

[Jen]

:eyepop: wow Mike nice shot i actually like it better than the Hubbles :lol:

[Lester]

Wow, fantastic, so that is where the bar is now. Thanks for the view Mike. All the best.

[h0ughy]

LOL the eye is certainly on your wonderful efforts Mr Mike "i can do better' Sidonio. I bow to your infinite wisdom and powers......and i like the comparison ;)

[gregbradley]

Interesting comparison. You have to pay an extra $1 billion to get that little bit of extra resolution! A bit like APO prices.

Didn't you get some of that Ha from Wolfgang?

Greg.

[strongmanmike]

No that was a previous attempt done in 2006, this was composed last year over 6 nights over about a month with a portable system travelling 45min each way (http://www.pbase.com/strongmanmike2002/sawyers_gully):scared:...100% my data

Here is the full frame (http://www.pbase.com/strongmanmike2002/image/115561131/original)(almost) version at 30% of full size, to fit it on the screen.

Mike

[marco]

Fantastic image Mike. Now please contact the guys at HST, show them your image, scold them on what they did and teach them how to use such a monster to get something looking better than a 6 inches lens :D

Clear Skies
Marco

[SkyViking]

Thats impressive Mike, it's certainly a deep image you got there.

The HST image is pretty interesting at full size: http://imgsrc.hubblesite.org/hu/db/images/hs-2003-11-b-full_jpg.jpg. Those little comet heads everywhere are intriguing. Imagine when they launch the JWST we might get a close-up of the HST field...:eyepop:

[Hagar]

Very nice comparison Mike. I think we will have to change your name to Hubble Sidonio. Your both about the same size.:P

[Phil Hart]

holy crap.. even after reading the comments i still wasn't expecting what i saw on the comparison page. that's incredible. an epic image from an epic effort. must be in your top 3??

[DavidU]

Epic awesomeness Mike.:thumbsup:

[strongmanmike]

Oh yeh the full res Hubble versions are spectacularly detailed!

But true to form... here is that bit in my shot (http://www.pbase.com/strongmanmike2002/image/129531058/original) I think I need better seeing..? :P

Mike

[strongmanmike]

He he thanks Phil just posted this (http://www.pbase.com/strongmanmike2002/image/129531058/original),

Top three?.. yeh I guess..? That infamous Cen A (http://www.pbase.com/strongmanmike2002/image/97061387/original) is still my favourite though :thumbsup: exposure, exposure, exposure, simple ....hope the 12" F3.8 helps :rolleyes: :prey:

Cheers mate

Mike

[TheDecepticon]

:lol: LOL! :rofl:

You certainly are a master, Mike, but it is nice to see some of your early work to see that you came up like we are all trying to do. Great stuff!!;)

[strongmanmike]

Dunno about Hubble Sidonio...it's just an insecure delusion fueled by aperture envy :face::evil2:

[paulF]

Wow that is awesome!
strongmanmike, can you sharpen the image and add a bit more contrast to it ?

Cheers

[h0ughy]

yes and he needs to trade in his station wagon to buy this vehicle - the shuttle car (http://www.coaleducation.org/technology/Underground/images/Joy_Mining/10SC-Shuttle-Car.jpg) I think it might just fit the scope;)

SIDHUB could be the numberplate:)

[Garyh]

David wins again! :thumbsup:
I must admit your helix shot will be soo hard to top with any gear similar to what us amateurs can get a hold off at this time!
Your image shows more fainter Ha as well. Those hubble boys need a brush up on processing!

[RobF]

I just love these comparisons with state of the art Mike. Top work of course, but please keep 'em coming in the future too! :thumbsup:

[strongmanmike]

Hey, I could turn it over and convert it into an observatory too :D

[strongmanmike]

:lol: yeh right, I think all the PS sliders were at max already :P

[h0ughy]

and that's with one arm behond your back. You Da Man:question::help: maybe another application could extract that data?

[strongmanmike]

As revealing as this image is Gary there is room for a better rendition but with just 6" of glass trained on it, even after 27hrs of exposure one has to really push the super faint and rarely (if ever?) seen data for it to show up, so while it is certainly real it is a little patchy in places from a processing perfectionists viewpoint - buuut I can accept that when it results in revealing even more depth than Hubble :D



Ah yeh, when I get good data again I'm sure I will ;)...The seeing wasn't even that good most of the nights I collected this data set so I can't imagine what it would be like to live at Paranal :eyepop:..I would probably die of exhaustion, you know, 120hr images :D


Thanks boys

Mike

[strongmanmike]

...?.....:scared: noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo .....

[h0ughy]

aaawww come on ;) ;)

[Ric]

That's a ripper image Mike.

Jeez, Hubble better lift it's game.

Cheers

[alexch]

WOW! I like your wide-filed version better than Hubble's :)

Imagine what NASA could achieve if they sent you into space instead... :eyepop:

[h0ughy]

hey whats this ?

[DavidU]

Well spotted Dave.

[strongmanmike]

That's a background gamma ray burst :eyepop:

Nah, the star is there in the HST shot just very tiny and hard to see at the resolution posted. In the full res HST image (http://imgsrc.hubblesite.org/hu/db/images/hs-2003-11-b-full_jpg.jpg) however it is just seeable :P The filters HST uses do this with some stars.

Mike

[h0ughy]

actually Scott Alder myself spotted it as we were comparing the SIDHUB with the other shot;)

[Ken]

Great work stick it to NASA, actually some of the pro observatory shots I see published don't look to much better than some of the amateur images getting around. I am also taking this object at the moment but will have to lift my game to match your's.
Clear skies Ken

[Paul Haese]

Superb work as usual. I have seen this piece before and always use it as a comparison piece; thinking some day I will get something close to this with the RC. I have my doubts to be honest, but one has to have a goal or two.

[strongmanmike]

Cheers Ric but I don't think Hubble has anything to worry about...her Helix image was downgraded by crappy Earth bound data collected by the crappy 4m Blanco reflector :P



Mate with an 18" and cooled CCD at your disposal I would expect you will have no issues producing a great image :thumbsup:



Well thanks Paul, like many of my better images I tend to come back to work on them periodically over many months, always tweeking them to eek every bit out of the data I can...I am a slow learner but I more or less get there in the end :P



I'm not much good without my scope and CCD Alex, so they would have to come too...and then there's my Becks :drink:

[Screwdriverone]

Whats REALLY cool is when you cross your eyes like those hidden 3D images made you do a while back and then you get a 3D Helix!!!

Schweet.

Nice one Mr S,

Cheers

Chris

[strongmanmike]

I don't have to try really cause this image has made me go cross eyed anyway - been working on it off and on for over a year now :lol: :screwy:

Mike

[h0ughy]

Only A YEAR! :D it is one of those captivating images that I reckon you could go back to and tweak again and again and still come out with surprises!

[RB]

Unbelievable.
That's terrific work Mike and just what I expect from you mate.





LOL Dave, doesn't sound like Mike will give in to your suggestion.
Maybe he'll give it a go on St Paddy's day. :lol:

[strongmanmike]

Cheers Mate

Oh, to be sure, to be sure, McGuinness ;)

[luigi]

In the battle of Mike vs Hubble
Today...

Mike Won!!!!

It's a knock-your-socks kind of picture, hats off Man!

[strongmanmike]

He, he, meeh.. it's not about thinking my image is better than Hubbles, far from it actually :rolleyes: but it is just nice to see how much a bit of tenasity can get you if you hang in there...but thanks for the sentiment :thumbsup: :)

Mike

[tornado33]

Question is, what will Mike be capable of when he gets his new scope :)
Double the aperature isnt it? and faster F ratio too.
Scott

[strongmanmike]

Hi Scotty

Yeh well that's the theory:

Simliar focal length (1300 v 1140mm) = similar detail and resolution

From F8.2 down to F3.8 = over four times faster for faint extended objects.

From 6" aperture up to 12" aperture = 4 times brighter images revealing fainter stars.

Sounds too good to be true huh?...yeh well I will believe it when I see it, not counting my chickens just yet :rolleyes:

Mike