Deep inside the Sombrero Galaxy

[strongmanmike]

I thought while it is crappy weather I would have another go at sqeezing every bit of detail possible out of the Sombero Galaxy image I did earlier this year and also see if I could see inside the galaxy.

I first resized the cropped version of the image 4X and then worked on the enlarged files with decon and unsharp masking layers then blended all the versions together ...maybe pushing the envelope here a bit as far as processing goes and there is a delicate point of deminishing returns that must be avoided but I am pretty surprised at the level of detail this 6" scope can reveal at just 1300mm FL if you push her. The galaxy has a noticable depressed bowl shape like a crater with the outer disc inside rim dust lanes now clearly passing behind the galaxy core and there is a clear, almost raised, inner ring around the core as well :)

Try sitting back from your screen just a tad to view this one..?

Deep Inside the Sombrero (http://www.pbase.com/strongmanmike2002/image/130416018/original)

and yep the detail is real - here is the same image compared to Hubble :D

Hubble vs Starfire (http://www.pbase.com/strongmanmike2002/image/130417265/original) (and the original full frame versions are here (http://www.pbase.com/strongmanmike2002/m104))

Passes the time :)

Mike

[wysiwyg]

Mike,

For the purpose of the exercise you certainly have revealed some new features of this galaxy. The bowl is certainly apparent.

Nice one!
Mark

[leinad]

A fantastic enlarged crop Mike! This really lets you see 'into' the inner detail. :) Do like! :bowdown:

It looks like the facing galaxy rim is just on the boundaries of image artifacts and seems a little blurred and corrupted in detail?, yet the outer, and inner regions look cleaner.
Possible errors or over processing here?

[strongmanmike]

Getting this sort of detail up this close will give the impression of bluriness I guess hence sitting a foot or so further back from your screen will help and oooh yeh, I really pushed the data here but you can see all the detail is deffinitely real:

http://www.pbase.com/strongmanmike2002/image/130417265/original

;)

Mike

[leinad]

Ooh Ahhhh yes, great comparison rendition. The visual reference against HST image is magnifiq' :)

Must be my eyes picking at the details. (picky sob) :P

[SkyViking]

What a splendid view of this beautiful galaxy Mike. You've certainly got some great details in there!
I've often wondered if the Sombrero isn't actually a ring galaxy? I can't see any significant spiral structure, and that dust ring is massive - most of the star formation ought to occur there and from above that would make it look like a ring - at least that's my theory :)

[Garyh]

Awesome detail achieved Mike! and at only 1300mm FL, through kms of turbulent atmosphere and with 6" :D
fantastic!

[strongmanmike]

AS I am sure most of you are aware, the Hubble image used for comparison is pretty small, the original has breathtaking resolution, as usual with these comparisons of mine the comparison is only to make the details in my image more recognisable and to confirm them as real.

Glad you liked it though, it is fun to do :thumbsup:

Mike

[RB]

It's amazing what the 6" can pull (not to mention what the user can pull (http://www.pbase.com/strongmanmike2002/image/68903802) :lol:).

Excellent once again Mike !

[wasyoungonce]

Absolutely amazing:eyepop: Yet again:thumbsup:

[atalas]

Top work big Mike!

[h0ughy]

o so true - one of your best Mike;)

[Ric]

That's an awesome image Mike

Top stuff.

[strongmanmike]

Hey nice responses guys :thumbsup:...never quite know how my repros and Hubble comparisons will be received :P :lol:

It is nice to be able to have this (http://www.pbase.com/strongmanmike2002/image/125685839/original) aaaand this (http://www.pbase.com/strongmanmike2002/image/130416018/original) all in one image :D

Hopefully the added aperture and speed of the 12" astrograph will make it even easier :prey:...at similar (actually a little less) focal length it will be hard for the 12" to surpass this resolution though..surely...?? :question:

This

[Tom Davis]

I don't see the comparison............ Your's is better since I know the guy who took it and what he had to do to get it!!

Get job chief!

-Tom

[Paul Haese]

Man you must be bored out of your brain mate. How about moving to SA. More cloud free days per year.:P

Seriously though. This is an interesting image reprocess. Well done.

[strongmanmike]

"Hau" Sioux Brave Davis :D



Yeh a little..so I go surfing looking for detailed images by Hubble et al that I have in data and then try and see what I can get :P..it's lots of fun :thumbsup:

Yeh I would love to move to Chile :rolleyes:

Mike

[alexch]

Great image, both the close-up and the full frame renditions.

After seeing your image (and Hubble's) I want to go out and see it with a high-power eyepiece on a night of good seeing!

Thanks, Mike.

Alex

[John Hothersall]

I love this galaxy because of the Hubble image and that Starfire impressive as always with inner dust and spiral shown well, would love a go at this next year. Yeh weather is bad at the moment getting bored myself.

John.

[jase]

Good to see you're up to your usual self Mike. Great comparison. Good stuff.

[h0ughy]

LOL Jase i had to re-read your response several times - i kept missing a few key words like "to" and "your" and thought you meant something else LOL

i must be tired:D

[astroron]

Nice Mike :thumbsup: could you combine the two images :question: I wonder what it would look like :question:;):thumbsup:

[strongmanmike]

Mine would look better and Hubbles would look worse :lol:

[RB]

:lol:

[marc4darkskies]

Very impressive Mike!

Cheers, Marcus

[strongmanmike]

:rofl: :cheers:

[strongmanmike]

On ya Marcus, glad you like it, you are the get-detail-out-of-a 6" guru :thumbsup:

Seems it was impressive enough to suck P.Ward out of the woodwork too :rofl:

[Ken Crawford]

Nicely Done,

I just had Zolt and Lisa (lead processors from the Hubble Heritage division) as presenters at AIC2010. They are pretty amazed at what we are all doing and how far we have all come. The resoution Zolt and Lisa work with is very amazing but we can use the information to verify what we are seeing in our own images.

[strongmanmike]

Yes, the original Hubble shots are amazingily detailed so there is certainly no delusional belief here of approaching Hubbles resolution but as you say comparing to even small low res Hubble shots does prove useful at better visualising the blurier detail in our own images.

Hey maybe we can get Zolt and/or Lisa down here in July next year :thumbsup:

Mike

[bert]

Cool shot Mike.
Interestingly your shot looks more bowl shaped thatn the hubble shot. I never have really noiticed that before. This is one galaxy I just find really difficult to get a decent image.

I like it.

Brett

[gregbradley]

Maybe NASA should put a 152 Starfire/FLI Proline in space and see what they can get!

Greg.

[strongmanmike]

:p

[Hagar]

Nice comparison Mike. Like your others you are well on the way to catching Hubble. Maybe your new scope will hand you the edge you yearn for.

[strongmanmike]

Hey if it were fine detail alone I was after I would go with a CDK on a fork mount = image all night without meridian flips ;). The new 12" astrograph is unlikely to seriously outperform the Starfire in raw resolution (it has slightly less FL 1140mm v 1300mm and central obstruction) but man, it should kick its arr's in aquisition speed and ultimate image depth :thumbsup:...well, that's the hope anyway :prey: :help:

Mike

[danielsun]

Wow mike! Love the comparison. Nice work from the 6":thumbsup:

Cheers Daniel.