New data! It can't be true..????

[strongmanmike]

Surely this is not new data from Mike Sidonio..? :eyepop:

Well, when you are over the shock and have picked yourselves up from the floor :rolleyes: Yep, fiiiiiiiinally managed to get out under clear steady skies on Thursday night :prey:...shame about the moon coming up around 11pm though :sadeyes:

Managed to aquire 3hrs of Ha data on the horsehead region that I had started waaaaaaaay back in early Sept (friggin Hell :mad2:).

This was a good test of the new low reflection Astronomik 50mm X 50mm Ha filter too and I am very happy with the outcome, no processing at all on Alnitak here. Those two mysterious vertical and horizontal lines some of you may recal that appeared in my original single 10min sub have now disapeared so the jury is out on what exactly they were :shrug::

Hourshead full frame (http://www.pbase.com/strongmanmike2002/image/128347305/original)

Househead crop (http://www.pbase.com/strongmanmike2002/image/130650607/original)

Still very much a work in progress so stay tuned...just wanted to prove that I don't oooonly do Sidonio's :P :thumbsup:

Mike
Pst..more shock! - there's another NEW image in the pipe work too, should be ready soon ;)

[multiweb]

Ooo!... Terrific shot! :thumbsup: Love the wider version. Extremely detailed and very well processed. Must be good to process something new hey? :)

[gregbradley]

A sublime shot Mike. Really nice.
I even managed to get some data last night between the clouds!

Greg.

[jjjnettie]

:) Glad you got a chance to get out there Mike.
Well done!

[CoolhandJo]

Feels like you are actually in sapce at the scene! Awsome!

[h0ughy]

well Mr Repro has new data - that data will be in for some processing ;) nice snapshot too mike

[Peter Ward]

Nice horsey :thumbsup:

[Hagar]

Very nice Mike, Glad you got out under some lovely skies again. But bugger you could have grabbed some nice RGB on this beast so I could borrow it and have a play with some nice data. The weather here is the pits with great days followed with cloudy nights. Makes it awfully hard to capture anything, even with a permanent set up.

Looking forward to many great Sidonios on Ned the Neddy when you capture some RGB.

Good luck with the weather.

[jase]

Excellent Mike! The repros were wearing thin no matter which way you slice them. Nice work on the HH region managing the mid tones and highlights. More please!

[Octane]

Thumbs up. Glad you got some new data.

Now, if only I could do the same.

H

[Alchemy]

At last fresh data, lucky having just looked at the weather forecast for here. The large square format works well with the area nicely framed. Some nice detail at the lower section of the faintest stuff.

Will wait the completion in FULLLLLLLL COLORRRRR with interest.

[DavidTrap]

Glad to see someone's acquiring new data!

DT

[strongmanmike]

Cheers Guys, t'was nice to be back out under the stars, as you know I have a crap load to cart out and back to my dark site (:scared:) and it gets hard when you have to do it on a work night and pull an all nighter too :zzz2:Then having to wait for pefect weather predictions to take the risk = low imaging frquencey :sadeyes:...so see?.. go easy on the repro wise cracks :( :P

Bah!.. all part of the obsession :thumbsup:

Doug I couldn't get the RGB because of the moon, it will have to wait for next time :sadeyes:

Mike

[John Hothersall]

Good work and that Flame is enormous.

John.

[Hagar]

I do love the table cloth Mike. A real homely touch.

[Octane]

Your mount isn't level.

H

[strongmanmike]

It is my Italian Restaurant table cloth, complete with spagetti sauce stains, and the violins are just out of the picture.



It's a big wide mount, that is just the curvature of the Earth showing up :question:...no problems though, the NJP is a remarkable piece of engineering ;)

[Alchemy]

This might seem a little strange..... But if you are shooting narrowband ( H alpha) do you really need to go to the way out where site. Could you not do that at the home base and save the trip for the lum channel.:confused2:

[Bassnut]

The really bright bits are well controlled, top detail and subtle processing too. Excellent Mike.

[marc4darkskies]

A little noise starting to show in the crop but really nicely processed. How long were your subs?

Cheers, Marcus

[multiweb]

:lol: You're the only person I know who (can) haul that much gear as a mobile set-up. But then again you have the frame to handle it. :) ... and as for the table napkin... well, it's your trademark. :thumbsup: I use old kitchen curtains myself.

[gregbradley]

That probably is the ideal image scale for the Horsehead. Really nice.

I like the setup. The black bin used as a shield for the laptop is clever. I might do that. Stray light from laptops must add to "gradients" we sometimes have to handle even at dark sites.

Being out in the night with the night sky is definitely a big part of the appeal of this activity.

Greg.

[multiweb]

Sure does. Kills your night vision and your subs or anybody else around for that matter. Red perspex on screen and you'll never look back.

[richardo]

Great, new data and not dug up from the Sidonio archives:P

Looking good Mike.
Be great when you're able to get more data.
The Starfire still amazes with its fine optics.

Yes, I've just used my new 'halo free' 2" astronomik Ha filter and was happy to see no halos...
Alnitak would have been a very good test for you... definitely no bubble here.

lady La Nina, when are you leaving:confused2:

Rich

[mill]

Niiiiiiiiiiccccccce !!!!!!
But what is that Bullet magazine doing at the back of the scope :rofl::rofl:

[Paul Haese]

I am looking forward to the finished result on this project. Nice Ha image. I particularly like the crop Mike. It is a fascinating object when you imaged close up.

[desler]

Really great start there Mike, although after two 12 hour night shifts in and around Melbourne in the rain and cold, I find it hard to believe that anyone has seen the sky recently!

Not raining at the moment, after just waking up, but blowing a gale. ah, weather, you've got to love it!

Darren

[Stevec35]

Great horsehead H apha Mike. I look forward to seeing the colour. Steve

[strongmanmike]

Thanks for looking everyone, appreciate all the comments :thumbsup:

Marcus - cheers mate, yes a little noise close up but each time I did heavier smothing on the crop it just looked obviously smoothed aaaand you know I dunni like that ;)

Clive - I have no sky visible from my place - no backyard (huge block but slopping with gum trees) throw in some power lines and three huge road lights on the main road (60 000 cars/day) we are on and well....you get the idea. :sadeyes:..so as Marc suggested, it's strongman powered all the way :thumbsup:..I probably should start training again this packing and unpacking is getting harder and harder :help:

Thanks again guys

Mike

[strongmanmike]

To shoot the stars with :P

[strongmanmike]

Thanks Richi Poo :)

Yeh well we will see how the LRGB filters go though...:question:

Mike

[strongmanmike]

Cheers Greg, yes it is a nice FOV for this object, I agree.

Yes I always operated without a cover on my laptop even in Canberra (ice on the laptop can't be good) but the dew eventually blew my machine up I suspect, so I got this tub for the new Lappie earlier in the year.

Mike

[strongmanmike]

For home style roughing it image cooking :D

[strongmanmike]

Man it's getting harder and harder, I am not the man I used to be :help:(ie getting wimpy)

yeh, I have been using that table cloth for many years now :lol:

Mike

[Phil Hart]

sweet image mike.. i love lots of things about it, but particularly the banding/structure in the neb above the horsehead which is not there in RGB. looks to be very well flat fielded too which is something i've had trouble with in HA (on this same subject). nice!

[strongmanmike]

How do you do your flats?

Mike