The Horsehead Region - in Technicolour (Sidonio'd) (again)

[strongmanmike]

ED: Just reprosessed to fix a few shortcomings missed while processing at midnight with conjunctiveitis (no joke)

Well it's nearly 6 years since I last imaged this popular sucker and the first time I have done the traditional Horsehead-Flame-Alnitak group framing.

Once an image opens, it's a good idea to hit F11 on your keyboard for Full Screen mode too :thumbsup:

Traditional rectangular framing (http://www.pbase.com/strongmanmike2002/image/131155575/original) 40% full res

The Horsehead only (http://www.pbase.com/strongmanmike2002/image/130650607/original) 70% full res

The Flame Nebula (http://www.pbase.com/strongmanmike2002/image/131097109/original) 80% full res

The whole Full Frame (http://www.pbase.com/strongmanmike2002/image/131095898/original) 40% full res

Super close up on the Horse (http://upload.pbase.com/strongmanmike2002/image/131130027/original) 200% full res

Interestingly, I did no work on Alnitak at all, this is how it came together in the LHaRGB combine, so I am quite happy with the degree of halo/flaring from this bright sucker.

Mike

[jase]

Excellent work Mike. Love the detail the Ha data has extracted. A suggestion on the full frame, a blue cast is reducing the vibrannce of the Ha reds from coming through along with muting the stars. Raise the black point on the blue channel. The image will then have a slight green tint, so drop the green slightly using curves (not levels). See what you reckon. All other aspects top class.

Cheers

[strongmanmike]

Cheers Jase :thumbsup: I'll try tomorrow...I'm going to bed now :zzz2:(it's 1.45am!)

Processing in the middle of the night (with the onset of conjunctiveitis - doh) is always dangerous, I 'll see what (mess) it looks like in the moring :rolleyes: :lol:

Mike

[jase]

Wouldn't say its a mess Mike! This is a difficult region to do right, especially with colours and star glare to contend with. You've done well. Am sure you'll come up with your Sidonio repro special in no time. Certainly helps to process with fresh eyes. I tend to leave an image for a day or two and come back to it. Thats the fun of processing!

[Alchemy]

I think it's come up well, every image of this area has trouble with altinak, most have much more flaring than this, so the optics camera combo works a treat.

[multiweb]

:eyepop:Very cool shot. Sharp as. Love the details. :thumbsup:

[iceman]

That's rather stunning! Beautiful work Mike.

[h0ughy]

you have done well Mike - love the shot

[jjjnettie]

Not to be processing with tired eyes. You know that. LOL

It's a beaut pic Mike. Love it.:D

[jakob]

Beautyful image! :eyepop::eyepop::eyepop:

[DavidU]

Sensational !:eyepop:

[SkyViking]

That's very nice and sharp Mike, love it! Thanks for sharing.

[Peter Ward]

As Borat would say: is nice is ...a good.

[Hagar]

Lovely Mike, great the way you have broken it up int smaller bits. The resolution of the smaller pieces is great.

Nice one.

[Chancellor]

Another beautiful image Mike.

[strongmanmike]

Hey thanks guys, nice comments :)....quite a few of you have used the word LOVE too..awwww :love:

I know it has some less than ideal qualities, some more obvious in the light of day... some not so ...here on my Work computer, which is rather highish contrast and in a well lit room, it actually looks pretty damb good :thumbsup:...I'll have another look at home this arvo, late afternoon light in my study seems to be the best time to process to get the best colour mix at least..?

There is no doubt more exposure...or a faster bigger aperture :whistle::thumbsup: would help with the very faint stuff in the lower half of the image, particularly some more colour data, maybe I will grab some more next time, just always so jealous of my sky time for all the reasons I've complained about before :rolleyes: :lol:...theeen again as Jase so suscinctly put it there is ALWAYS time for a Sidonio ...let me see what I can come up with - stay tuned :D

Thanks again dudes

Mike

[marc4darkskies]

Nice work Mike ... a most excellent image as always! Detail looks great but I agree with Jase's comments re the blue cast. Amazed you didn't get more flaring from Alnitak!!! My version was riddled with them with Alnitak just off frame. And what's this? ... no full res version??

Cheers, Marcus

PS: My first imaging session in over 4 months completed :party::jump2: (albeit a short one just before 1st quarter)

[strongmanmike]

Yeh thanks Marcus, think its about time I just went deep with RGB and be done with it, sooo much easier to process then!...My RGB's nearly always look perfect, just dim and lacking extension, hopefully the new 12" fast astrograph will facilitate this..? :prey:

Short one hey..? Hmmm? lets see.... The Tarantula?? :question: :P

I take it you didn't sell your gear then...?

Mike

[Ric]

Wonderful work Mike.

The full frame is my favourite, that's a ripper.

Cheers

[marc4darkskies]

Yeah, you'll be smokin' with that newt - look forward to seeing first light. Any idea when?

My latest effort? ... nope, it's not the spider ... :D

Haven't sold the mount yet - waiting to get a PME. Unless the aussie goes past parity, I win the lottery or someone else has a good 2nd hand one for sale, I'll just have to be patient.

Cheers, Marcus

[Octane]

Beautiful image, Mike. Great image scale, too.

Not a huge fan of the blue cast, to be honest, but, you'll take care of that in your revisions, I think. : )

H

[John Hothersall]

This shows amazing resolution in the HH and the Flame is huge, 2023 shows great inner detail too.

John.

[Stevec35]

Superb as usual Mike. Great data and expert processing.

Cheers

Steve

[gregbradley]

Just superb Mike. I really really like this image. Fabulous colour from the wonderful yellow flame neb to the bright reddish emission nebs and the lovely subtle blues near the Horsehead.

Yet again I amazed at the detail you pick up with your AP scope. 1300mm is such a good focal length for so many objects.

Love it.

Greg.

[strongmanmike]

Thanks once again for all the enchoraging comments

As soon as I arrived home from work I got straight in and fixed the fairly noticable shortcomings pointed out by Jase and seconded by a couple of others - thanks guys! :thumbsup:. I reduced teh blue cast, dealt with the noise in places and revealed more of the gas and dust in the darker areas under the main nebula - it was there in the LUM (http://www.pbase.com/strongmanmike2002/image/128347305/original)but I hadn't brought it all out in the final colour rendition :rolleyes:.

I am very happy with it now and note to self!!! (yet again I NEVER LEARN) don't process late at night, check back in with more natural lighting and when you are not tired :lol:

Thanks guys

Mike

[allan gould]

Another great shot with classic framing. Never get tired of the view

[gregbradley]

Nah, preferred the original. Now to my monitor it has a blue haze and you've lost those vibrant flame neb yellows.

Greg.

[strongmanmike]

:lol:...can't win, looks ok this end in this late arvo light on this moniter I know is ok :shrug:

he he

[gregbradley]

Don't get me wrong, both are spectacular to die for images. I just personally prefer the first - you know its a colour thing.

Greg.

[alan meehan]

Nice and sharp Mike a pleasure to see.
AL

[strongmanmike]

Don't worry I know.... how an image looks can depend on a lot of things, in the end you do what you think looks best aaaand.. :question:...then reprocess it :thumbsup: :lol:



Cheers Al

[strongmanmike]

Just posted the more traditional landscape rectangular framing of this area:

Horsehead Region (http://www.pbase.com/strongmanmike2002/image/131155575/original)

Mike

[prokyon]

Hi Mike,

a real stunner! This area is so fascinating and you captured it with so many details and nice colors!

Cheers

Werner

[Martin Pugh]

Mike
I have to say that the Flame Nebula is particularly striking in this image with excellent detail.

cheers
Martin

[gregbradley]

I just processed a version of my own and there is quite a bit of blue reflection neb.

I like that last version. That is the perfect Horsehead image Mike. I think that is a wrap mate. It looks awesome, just perfect, couldn't improve it if you paid me.

Greg.

[richardo]

Lovely Mike.... (it's not a come on, I was talking 'bout the image:P)

Nah, the dark detail mixed with HII and reflection below the main HII reef that is coming through is excellent.
Some of the best detail I've seen!
Plus the resolve to the stars within the reflection neb ngc2023 (one of my favourite little nebs) is tops... tight and small... nice processing job here!! (I'm looking at your last repro)
I tended to agree with most folks sentiment about the blue cast.. on the first image but I sorta thought it was probably due to Alnitak.

Yes the old eagerness of processing on the same night/ morning is a trap for young players and a pitfall for starved astro junkies:lol: with heavily bagged, red eyes glued to the screen watching all the pretty baubles.. :eyepop:

Any hoo, no biggie... we expect repros from you and this has come out top of the shelf.

All the best:thumbsup:
Rich

[strongmanmike]

Cheers for that mate, appreciate the assesment (you're pretty spot on there - I'm a begginer at this :P) and glad you liked it. I have really wanted to do this region for ages but never got round to it, last imaged it in Dec 2005 :eyepop: but that was with the trusty but thumbnail imager SXV-H9.

Mike
repro king

[strongmanmike]

Cheers Martin, yes I was surprised how well and easily that came together in the combining process, the nebulosity below the main band was another story however :rolleyes:..but I was most happy with the look of the main curtain base actually, I was having trouble imparting the magenta that should be there (Hbetta) as well as getting the detail but I am happy with what eventuated.

Thanks again for your comment ;)

Mike
Comment police :P

[strongmanmike]

:question:...eeem? 1 X 17" CDK and PME for me if you can't :whistle:

[RobF]

Wonderful stuff Mike. Thanks for showing the hard work.
Man I wish I could see some sky to get my fill of Orion :sadeyes:

[strongmanmike]

Cheers Rob, yeh I have it tough compared to some but as they say what doesn't kill us makes us stronger....aaaand well, I must love it..? :screwy: :thumbsup:

Keep the faith the skies will part.....eventually, or move to northern Chile with me :D..can you imagine?..we would be pleading to come home after the first 30 clear nights in a row :lol:

Mike